Water of Ganga, 21 other rivers in Bihar unfit to even bathe in, finds state pollution control board

Subject: Geography

Section: Indian geography

Context:

The Bihar State Pollution Control Board’s (BSPCB) annual report for 2023-24 has declared the water quality of 22 rivers in Bihar, including the Ganga, as unfit for bathing.

Details:

Despite this, many people continue to use the river for holy dips and rituals, rejecting concerns over water quality.
The BSPCB’s findings are based on water quality monitoring at 98 locations, revealing high levels of bacterial contamination, such as faecal and total coliforms, across rivers like Ganga, Son, Punpun, and others.
The rivers whose water quality was examined are: Ganga, Son, Punpun, Gandak, Burhi Gandak, Ghaghra, Bagmati, Kosi, Sikrahna, Mahananda, Ram Rekha, Harbora, Parmar, Manusamar, Lakhandei, Kohra, Ghaunsh, Daha, Kamala, Gangi, Harha and Sirsia.
This pollution primarily stems from the discharge of untreated sewage and wastewater into these rivers.
In Patna, six sewage treatment plants (STPs) were set up under the Namami Gange project but are not fully operational, contributing to the pollution.
The capacity of these STPs is insufficient to handle the city’s effluent discharge.
The situation is exacerbated by the direct release of sewage, domestic, and biomedical waste into the Ganga, with about 20 major drains contributing to the pollution.
The number of polluted rivers in Bihar has risen from six in 2018 to 22, with thousands continuing to use the contaminated water, posing significant health risks.

Source: DTE