A latest report from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) says that water quality of the Ganga is satisfactory in Bihar, a claim activists said was fabricated.
The water quality at the 23 sites falling in Bihar was found to be satisfactory by the board, which published the report on its website on March 2.
The Ganga water continues to be highly polluted in Allahabad and Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh, the CPCB had said in its monthly water quality reports for February. The board has conducted water quality tests at 32 locations across the country.
The CPCB ground staff used to pick water samples from designated locations on a particular day and time, which is analysed in the laboratory. The water quality was assessed on four parameters - dissolved oxygen (DO), biological oxygen demand (BOD), faecal coli form count and total coli form count. As per the water quality norms, the BOD value of water should be below 3mg/litre of water and the DO should be above 4mg/litre of water.
The CPCB has found water quality of Ganga satisfactory at various places, including Patna, Buxar, Munger and Bhagalpur.
The satisfactory tag means that the DO and pH (potential of hydrogen) is meeting the water quality criteria for bathing at all the monitoring locations. The report further stated that Ganga is comparatively cleaner in the stretch of Bihar with respect to organic pollution. However, faecal contamination was observed high and beyond the criteria at a few locations.
However, this stands in contrast with several programmes running in the state to clean Ganga, as the Centre has pumped in more than Rs 1,000 crore in the state under Namami Gange Scheme. In fact, the central government has recently sanctioned Rs 1,050 crore to Bihar for different projects under the scheme.
Pollution in Ganga has become so alarming here that on March 23, a public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in Patna High Court to stop pollution of the river. High court advocate Manibhushan Pratap Sengar in the court of chief justice Rajendra Menon had filed the PIL.
The PIL stated that 174 drains fall in the Ganga between Civil Court to Digha in Patna defeating the move of the central and the state governments which have already launched several schemes to clean the river.
The drains carrying dust, wastes and other filthy materials fall into the Ganga without the contaminated water being treated which has made the river polluted and unsuitable for even bathing forget consuming it, the petitioner said in his petition.
Social activist Vikas Chandra alias Guddu Baba, who is spearheading a campaign here to clean the Ganga since 1998, rejected the CPCB report as he said: "It (report) is fabricated and false. Ganga is polluted here as the water is contaminated with sewage water, animal and human bodies. There are only three sewage treatment plants in Patna - at Beur, Saidpur and Pahadi. While the capacity of the Beur treatment plant is 35 million liters per day (mld), those of Saidpur and Pahadi are 45mld and 25mld respectively. Again, 400mld of water are discharged into Ganga in Patna. Even if we take into account the three plants, the total capacity stands at 105mld."
He stated so far no concrete step has been taken by the Centre or the state to clean the Ganga. "All the work are confined to papers," he added.
