Varanasi: On January 14, although devotees from all over thronged Prayagraj's Sangam to take a dip in the holy river, the water quality remains a topic of concern. With nearly 30 drainage lines directly emptying into the river, the water quality has become even worse recently.
Locals say any sort of cleaning work is only taken up at the ghats and river whenever any VIP is going to visit. The condition is so bad that people refrain from bathing in the Ganga on normal days.
The sailors at the Ganga Ghat said that the water is not even worth taking a bath due to all the untreated sewage that flows into it. They added that after the flood, the Ganges automatically becomes clean.
The Nagwa drain, Assi Nala and Rajghat drain cause the most damage to the Ganges since they release 150 MLD sewage daily into the river. Of these, 40-42 MLD sewage is falling daily from Nagwa drain affecting the cleanliness of the water.
Status not improved even after taping
Under the two sewage treatment plants in the city, several drains were closed by taping them. But, even after that,
Despite so much pollution, Kalika Singh, an official of the Central Pollution Control Board, an organization that monitors the Ganga for cleanliness and bathing oxygen said that the river has an adequate amount of oxygen required to bathe.
Singh added that after the commencement of Ramna and Ramnagar STP plants located outside the city, the water of the Ganges will become even cleaner. He also informed that the drains falling in the Ganges from Ghat and Ramnagar will be closed soon improving the overall health of the river.
