Ganga river’s lockdown avatar much cleaner in UP

LUCKNOW: The lockdown avatar of the Ganga is not only appearing more pristine, but is actually much cleaner with a substantial reduction in bacteria, as is apparent in UPPCB sampling results for March 2020. The content of total coliform (TC) bacteria found in faeces, animal droppings and agriculture run-off reduced in the river water in March 2020 at most of the 22 sampling locations compared to January 2020 and February 2020 as well as March 2019.
Kada Ghat in Kaushambi, which usually reports highest increase in pollution in terms of content of total coliform (TC) in Ganga, recorded only 4,000 TC as Most Probable Number (MPN) per 100ml of water in March 2020.The value in February 2020 was 4100 MPN/100ml and March 2019 was 26,000 MPN/100ml.
In March 2018, the value recorded for TC at the same location was 32,000 MPN/100ml. As per monitoring standards followed by UPPCB, the MPN for the bacteria in 100ml water should not be more than 5,000. But in Ganga water at Kada Ghat, the annual average value recorded for TC has increased tremendously between 2012 and 2016. In 2016 it was 41,167, a sharp increase from 4,958 in 2012. Kada Ghat is where, apart from bathing and washing, bodies are burned or disposed of half-burned or even left without being burned. Other locations which record high TC count but where lockdown led to reduction in the number of bacteria in the river water were upstream of Kanpur; Shuklaganj in Kanpur; Tarighat downstream Ghazipur; upstream and downstream of Varanasi and Rasoolabad Ghat Prayagraj where the MPN for TC was 16,000 per 100ml of water in March 2019 and 3,400 MPN per 100ml of water in March 2020.
In the downstream stretch of the river in various cities though there has not been much change in pollution indicators. The reason, sources said, could be drainage and sewage both flowing into the river. Lockdown also made more people stay at their homes than go out for work, with some working outside returning home thus adding to human and household waste from cities. Faecal Coliform also has a high concentration in Ganga water and is present in intestines of humans and warm blooded animals. Its source is bodily waste, animal droppings, agricultural run-off and sewage. Ecoli is the most harmful faecal coliform which can pollute water and cause serious illness. Drinking water infected with Ecoli can lead to nausea, intestinal disorders, diarrhoea and even death.
At Kada Ghat, in March 2020, its MPN per 100ml of water was only 2,100 and at Rasoolabad only 1,700, but the number in March 2019 was 13,000 and 9,200 respectively.
However, at sampling locations at Jajmau bridge; downstream of Kanpur; downstream of Prayagraj and at other stretches close to cities the concentration of faecal coliform in the river water has either not reduced much or even increased.
At Jajmau, the value was 26,000 MPN per 100ml of water for faecal coliform in March this year and 17,000 MPN per 100ml of water in March 2019.