Pollution of the Ganges Ganges River In a recent study, the authors reported an average of 11.6 g/L of arsenic in shallow wells and only 6.2 g/L in deep wells; however, average arsenic concentrations were comparatively higher in water samples from hot springs (241.4 g/L), lakes (27.5 g/L), and streams (22.1 g/L) [27]. Careers. sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal And though India is in the midst of a tech revolution, bolstered by a population set to surpass China by 2028 and developments such as its impressive space program, there has been little investment in technology to save the country's 5,219 miles of water that are, according to environmental journalist Chetan Chauhan of Hindustan Times, "not fit to support aquatic life" due to pollution. In Bangladesh, arsenic levels in vegetables including arum, pumpkin, coriander, radish, gourd leaves, spinach, red amaranth, arum stem, Indian spinach, arum tuber, beans, papaya, green chilli, and eggplant range between 11 and 464 g/kg, with the highest concentration in gourd leaves and the lowest in beans [72]. Singh S.K., Ghosh A.K. Hazards, Disasters, and Risks Excessive pollution has put the Ganges in danger of becoming a major health hazard, as coliform bacteria levels are tested to be at 5,500 a level too high to be safe for agricultural use, let alone drinking and bathing. 595-600. World Geography South Asia RG Chakraborti D., Rahman M.M., Ahamed S., Dutta R.N., Pati S., Mukherjee S.C. Arsenic groundwater contamination and its health effects in Patna district (capital of Bihar) in the middle Ganga plain, India. Novel NBN-Embedded Polymers and Their Application as Fluorescent Probes in Fe. WebWe performed extensive review of sources and level of organic, inorganic pollution and microbial contamination in Ganga water to evaluate changes in the level of various pollutants in the recent decade in comparison to the past and potential health risk for the population through consumption of toxicant tainted fishes in Ganga basin. Health risk assessment due to groundwater arsenic contamination: Children are at high risk. Fendorf S., Michael H.A., van Geen A. Spatial and temporal variations of groundwater arsenic in South and Southeast Asia. About 1,100 miles from Kanpur, in the state of West Bengal, is Sagar Island, where the Ganges drains into the Bay of Bengal. While India and the world fight the COVID-19 virus, the Ganges River is healing. "The load of human waste in Gangasagar Mela is colossal with so many people defecating and bathing within three days on a 4-square-kilometer stretch," Tuhin Ghosh, a researcher at the School of Oceanographic Studies at Jadavpur University, told the Times of India. In this section, we list some examples of the socioeconomic, psychological, and cultural implications of groundwater arsenic contamination in the GRB. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Perhaps a better indicator is that I didn't see a single piece of trash during the 30 minutes I spent meditating along the banks. WebThis PDF document provides a facilitator guide for a training program on hazard identification and prevention in the workplace. Over the last 75 years, however, the Ganga has become so polluted that now even a devout Hindu may not believe that Ganga water is safe to drink [3]. Ganga water pollution: A potential health threat to What It Takes to Clean the Ganges | The New Yorker In most developing countries, such as India, groundwater can be exploited for drinking and irrigation purposes without the permission of concerned authorities or the government. Among other cancers, skin cancers comprise the most common health effects and have been widely studied in countries where people rely on drinking and cooking water containing elevated levels of arsenic contamination. Your support ensures great journalism and education on underreported and systemic global issues, 2000 Pennsylvania Ave NW This means that poisoning by arsenic impacts their socioeconomic and health status and, as a result, puts an additional financial burden on the government, leading to massive economic inefficiencies. 3.1. However, other confounding factors might contributing to reproductive and developmental failures, such as exposure period and source, the minimum arsenic level required to trigger adverse reproductive occurrences, congenital malformation, repeated childbirth and malnutrition (very common in rural India and Bangladesh), and other unknown factors [44]. If pollution rates continue to climb, India will have a water crisis on its hands. An endogamous kinship group is the self-perceived caste of the individual Hindu, or has been at least until relatively recent times) or tribe would have had difficulty accepting that water from the Ganga River could be polluted and unsuitable for drinking. Twelve districts, including Liam, Jhapa, Morang, Udaypur, Mahottari, Parsa, Kathmandu, Lalitpur, Chitwan, Palpa, Dang, and Bardiya have been reported to have arsenic concentrations below the WHO standard. Studies conducted in the GRB confirm that chronic exposure to arsenic could lead to various respiratory disorders including cough, shortness of breath, noisy chest while breathing, and even non-malignant as well as malignant lung diseases [16,43]. The mythological story of Ganga the self-cleaning river godshe lived in heaven but chose to live on earth to purify the sins of all those she came in contact withfuels countless festivals and holidays in India. Social vulnerability to environmental hazards in the Diarrhea, often caused by exposure to fecal matter, kills 600,000 Indians per year, and waterborne diseases throughout the Ganges River basin, many a result of the polluted waters, cost families $4 billion per year. after the establishment of National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) in 2009), still the levels of some organochlorines are beyond the permissible limits for drinking water. 3.1. And this is to say nothing of dengue, which is endemic all over India, and of chikungunya, a viral disease of which India has had several outbreaks in the past few years. Stuckey J.W., Schaefer M.V., Kocar B.D., Benner S.G., Fendorf S. Arsenic release metabolically limited to permanently water-saturated soil in Mekong Delta. Smith A.H., Smith M.M.H. Received 2017 Nov 27; Accepted 2018 Jan 19. India has declared 2015-2016 as Jal Kranti Varsh, or Water Revolution Year. Arsenic victims also encounter critical social and economic challenges in the form of social isolation and hatred by their respective communities and loss of jobs, respectively. But a hotel manager, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of damaging the Radisson's relationship with government regulators, tells me that after dealing with the SPCB for four years, he is confident that the hotel "will not receive any fine" and "will not receive any sanctions." Why do indians shit in ganges river? - World rivers PLoS One. However, skin cancer could be an indication of more serious internal types of cancer [16,44]. Arsenic poisoning in the Ganges delta. "Millions of Hindus want to die or at least have their ashes spread in the Ganges here," said Nandan. HHS Vulnerability Disclosure, Help Flood control Ganges Brims With Dangerous Bacteria A high intake of arsenic through drinking water doubles the likelihood of age-specific health-effects, as the daily water intake per unit of body weight (mL/kg per day) of an infant is three to four times greater than that of an adult. The cumulative effect of all this meant Sophie's mental health was suffering. New investigations have identified several patients with various peripheral neuropathy symptoms including limb pain, hyperpathia or allodynia, distal paresthesia and hypesthesia, calf tenderness, distal limb symptom, and diminished tendon reflexes in West Bengal, India [16]. Conversely the inorganic pollutants, particularly carcinogenic elements have increased several folds. This was the scenario when the WHO and the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) proposed that underground water from tube-wells should be used for drinking water as it would be relatively free from pathogens. When Modi took office in May 2014, he famously thanked two mothers. Bioaccumulation of toxicants in fishes of Ganga water and potential health hazards to humans through consumption of tainted fishes was evaluated. Waste generated from their activities and runoff from agricultural fields rich in fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, etc. As I sat in the boat with Nandan that morning, I wasn't struck so much by the burning bodies as by how, in water just a few feet from floating corpses, young boys rinsed their mouths and spat the water high into the air. The appearance of arsenical skin lesions depends on various factors including the concentration of arsenic in the drinking water, amount of water consumption, exposure period, and the nutritional and health status of the person exposed to arsenic. However, currently available scientific literature reveals that the Ganga is considered to be one of the worlds most polluted rivers, containing a number of toxins including arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, and mercury, as well as pesticides and pathogenic microbes nearly 3000 times greater than the safe limit prescribed by the Floods pollution, dams and removal of too much water (mostly for agriculture) have affected the flow and health of this vital river. Webhealth hazard: Etymology: AS, haelth + OFr, hasard a danger to health resulting from exposure to environmental pollutants, such as asbestos or ionizing radiation, or to a life-style choice, such as cigarette smoking or chemical abuse. Such irrigation is described in scriptures and mythological books written more than 2,000 years ago. The deadliest form of malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, is on the rise in India, and the worst may be yet to come: Dr. Franois H. Nosten of the Shoklo Malaria Research Unit in Thailand believes the drug-resistant strain of the disease-causing parasite his team is struggling to combat in Southeast Asia is "bound to spill over into India." Groundwater Arsenic Contamination in the Ganga River Basin: A Bangladesh is located in one of the largest floodplain and delta areas in the world, formed mainly by three mighty rivers: the Ganges (2510 km), the Brahmaputra (2900 km), and the Meghna (946 km).The GangesBrahmaputraMeghna (GBM) catchment area includes parts of India, Nepal, Bhutan, and China (Tibet) as well as Bangladesh, and Thousands joined in the Ganga Aarti festival, a spiritual gathering that happens every day at dusk for worshippers to receive Ganga's blessing. Saving the Ganga is the saving of humanity." September 23, 2015. official website and that any information you provide is encrypted AA. Story Regular direct or indirect utilization of contaminated Ganga water and/or consumption of contaminated fish form Ganga may cause various health hazards, such official website and that any information you provide is encrypted Heavy metal pollution in surface water of the Upper Ganga River, India: human health risk assessment. Over the past decade, the government and other agencies have installed various arsenic-safe sources of water including deep tube-wells, purified surface water, and arsenic removal plants (ARP) in arsenic-affected areas of India and Bangladesh. The author of a recent study has recommended that a cost-effectiveness analysis of existing or proposed arsenic mitigation technologies could help in identifying the most cost-effective options if resources are limited [75]. Rathindra Nath Dutta contributed the dermatological findings; Subhas Chandra Mukherjee contributed neurological section; Shyamapada Pati contributed for the obstetric outcome and reproductive section and Probir Bijoy Kar contributed cancers section. Will the scientific community accept this decision of the BIS? Environ Geochem Health. Rahman M.M., Ng J.C., Naidu R. Chronic exposure of arsenic via drinking water and its adverse health impacts on humans. [(accessed on 15 August 2017)]; Drinking Water Specification (First Revision Incorporating Amendments 1 and 2). Such psychological hazards as anxiety are also included as workplace health hazards. Waterborne diseases increased because of the amplified presence of pathogens in surface drinking water. Glacial change and hydrological implications in the Himalaya and Kanpur, known as the "Leather City of the World," is at the center of this lucrative industry. While, the north-central and southern regions of the Ganges River delta show low As-hazard (<10 g/L), the western and north-eastern regions demonstrate elevated hazard level (>10 g/L). Ahmed K.M., Bhattacharya P., Hasan M.A., Akhter S.H., Alam S.M., Bhuyian M.H., Imam M.B., Khan A.A., Sracek O. Arsenic enrichment in groundwater of the alluvial aquifers in Bangladesh: An overview. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (, arsenic, Ganga River basin, drinking water, health effects, cancerous, social issues, mitigation. The Ganges 8600 Rockville Pike However, the significance of this information went unremarked at the time. Bioaccumulation of toxicants in fishes of Ganga water and potential health hazards to humans through consumption of tainted fishes was evaluated. Binay Singh / TNN / May 6, 2010, 22:17 IST. Ahamed S., Sengupta M.K., Mukherjee A., Hossain M.A., Das B., Nayak B., Pal A., Mukherjee S.C., Pati S., Dutta R.N. Dutta K., Prasad P., Sinha D. Chronic low level arsenic exposure evokes inflammatory responses and DNA damage. Dipankar Chakraborti planned and designed the whole review with the association with other co-authors; Sushant K. Singh and Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman, both reviewed the literatures, collected data from literature, critically analyzed all published studies and then prepared the manuscript. Singh S.K., Vedwan N. Mapping composite vulnerability to groundwater Arsenic contamination: An analytical framework and a case study in India. The infamously polluted body of water begins in the Himalayan town of Devprayag and winds throughout the country for over 1,500 miles before draining into the Bay of Bengal. This is a possible explanation for why new arsenic patients with skin lesions were not detected in these regions, indicating that the people in these villages are not drinking arsenic-contaminated water. To safeguard their countrymen from the pandemic, each country declared lockdown time to time in phased manner (Chauhan and Singh Citation 2020). FOIA Present research indicates that all rivers, susceptible to arsenic contamination through arsenic-containing sediment loads originate in the Himalayan Mountains and the Tibetan plateaus [16]. By Geeta Pandey BBC News, Delhi India's holiest river, the Ganges, has been swollen with bodies in recent days. A $1 billion initiative, the NGRBP looked to create bank investments in the water sanitation department and develop better waste management control in India. Yogis and meditators devoted their morning service to worshipping Ganga, but in the afternoon were throwing their candy bar wrappers and plastic bottles into it. However, currently available scientific literature reveals that the Ganga is considered to be one of the worlds most polluted rivers, containing a number of toxins including arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, and mercury, as well as pesticides and pathogenic microbes nearly 3000 times greater than the safe limit prescribed by the World Health Organization (WHO) [3,4]. This different preference for arsenic-safe drinking water sources depends on arsenic awareness, the willingness to pay for arsenic mitigation technologies, communities trust in institutions and their social capital. Rahman M.M., Asaduzzaman M., Naidu R. Consumption of arsenic and other elements from vegetables and drinking water from an arsenic-contaminated area of Bangladesh. Around 80% of people in arsenic-affected villages showed an elevated level of arsenic in their biological samples (hair, nails, and urine) indicating they were sub-clinically affected. health Arsenic Contamination in the Ganga River The irony is that the states and countries located in the GRB still follow the guideline of 50 g/L of arsenic as the standard for drinking water. In estimating the loss due to arsenic poisoning, the adverse impact on the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country must be calculated. Gastrointestinal and enteric diseases are widespread. However, nearly 50% of the underground water and ARP filtered water contains arsenic between 10 g/L and 50 g/L, and 10% of water contains between 51 g/L and 100 g/L [62]. 1. Garai R., Chakraborty A., Dey S., Saha K. Chronic arsenic poisoning from tube-well water. Alaknanda river (length 190 km) is the left bank tributary of Ganges. In this context, Smith et al. With that, he claimed he would clean the river by October 2019, the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's birth. We feel that after 29 years of arsenic research in the GRB, we have seen the tip of the iceberg with respect to the actual magnitude of the catastrophe; thus, a reduced arsenic standard for drinking water, testing all available drinking water sources, and sustainable and cost-effective arsenic mitigation programs that include the participation of the people are urgently needed. Suite #7000 Most of these arsenic-affected populations are from a poor socioeconomic background, and the individuals suffer from malnutrition that makes them more vulnerable to the adverse health effects of arsenic contamination [61]. [1] People are baptised in the river and the ashes of people who have died are poured into the river. Entire businesses along the basin depend on the river, adding an economic dependence to it as well. Water quality of river Ganga has Ganga water pollution: Ganga is now a source of cancer. Chakraborti D., Rahman M.M., Mukherjee A., Alauddin M., Hassan M., Dutta R.N., Pati S., Mukherjee S.C., Roy S., Quamruzzman Q. Many people actually feel disrespected when such an idea is presented," Sadhviji says. Moderate to severe anemia, conjunctival congestion, and leg edema were also reported in chronically arsenic-exposed communities. Limited studies in Tibet have shown that arsenic contamination in various surface and groundwater sources is linked to carbonite abundance, and arsenic levels have demonstrated a westward gradient within the region [27]. 5.1 Flooding. Figure 1 shows arsenic-contaminated areas in the GRB. Bookshelf Evaluating Hydrogeological and Topographic Controls on Groundwater Arsenic Contamination in the Mid-Gangetic Plain in India: Towards Developing Sustainable Arsenic Mitigation Models. Health hazard Groundwater Arsenic Contamination and Health Effects in Bihar and Up. Currently, the groundwater in 25 of 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh, 22 of 38 districts of Bihar, three of 24 districts of Jharkhand, three of 33 districts of Rajasthan, 14 of 22 districts of Haryana, two of 27 districts of Chhattisgarh, one of 11 districts of Delhi, and 14 of 19 districts of West Bengal, is contaminated with arsenic above the WHO standard of 10 g/L [20]. Tragically, though, it's often respect for Ganga the god that leads to disrespect for Ganges the river. Ganges river originated at Gangotri glacier (Sharma, Meher, & Mishra, 2012) is the second longest (2507 km) river of India having one of the most heavily populated basin areas in the world with an average density of 520 persons/km 2. government site. This site needs JavaScript to work properly. Study on arsenic level in ground water of Delhi using hydride generator accessory coupled with atomic absorption spectrophotometer. In the 1950s, India took a step forward by pursuing a green revolution using chemicals and underground water. According to India's National Green Tribunal, these tanneries are one of the worst sources of pollution to the Ganges; cancer rates are higher in these areas, and it's believed that many children have gone blind as a result of the industry. This study has been carried out to analyze and report the river bank erosion hazard due to morphometric change of the Ganga River (also called Ganges in English) in SPCB regional officer Ankur Kansal told The Times of India, "We have made it very clear to them that untreated water flowing into the Ganga will not be tolerated." Due to her reproductive failure, her mother-in-law wanted her son to marry again. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279993. Over the years, arsenicosis seized him with its initial physical weakness and illness. Meharg A.A. Arsenic in rice-understanding a new disaster for South-East Asia. WebGanges River - Ganges River - Irrigation, Fishing, Trade: Use of the Ganges water for irrigation, either when the river is in flood or by means of gravity canals, has been common since ancient times.

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