Ganga Pollution and Ganga Action Plan

Session 22-24

School of Earth Sciences

Department of Geography

Submitted to Submitted by
Prof. M.S Panwar Anjali Gusain
 INTRODUCTION
•“It is a revered belief that to remit sins , one has to take a dip in river ganga , It
further channelizes the salvation”
Ganga – Holy River (Goddess) , spiritual association
•2,525 km in length in India, catchment area 8,61,404 sq. Km
•Origin - Bhagirathi ( gaumukh) Alaknanda ( yamunotri
•–satopanth glacier) meets at
Devprayag Sangam and becomes ganga thereafter.
•Numerous cities located along its bank
North Indians completely rely on it (43%).
 GANGA AS A WATER
RESOURCE
• Fulfils the Domestic need
• Tourism
• Economic purpose
• Irrigational purpose
• Hydel power Project
 GANGA POLLUTION
Suffers from extreme pollution level

(River contains 60,000 fecal coliform bacteria per

100 ml which should not be more than 500 per
100 ml )

(Varanasi releases around 200 million liters of

untreated human sewage into river every day)

Reason

Sewage
Industrial Waste
Religious Offerings
Washing , cooking , bathing in river
Waste generation and
treatment
GANGA ACTION PLAN
• Ganga Action Plan – Background
1.Water pollution problem, especially of river water, has been rising continuously because
of industrialization along the river stretches, open defecation and many other issues.
2.This problem is manifested in the dire state of Ganga river. Efforts have been made in
this regard since 1985 with the launch of the Ganga Action Plan (GAP). 
3.The idea of cleaning river Ganga ,initiated by the Government of India in 1979,
however, the Ganga Action Plan could only be initiated in 1985 after a comprehensive
survey of the river Ganga by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) 
•Ganga Action Plan Overview
1.
Ganga action plan was started in 1986
2.
GAP – centrally sponsored scheme. National River Ganga basin authority was established , declared Ganga as a national river of India
3.
. directed by Rajiv Gandhi and chief ministers of all the states in which river Ganga flows. 
4.Phase-I ( 1985) - covered three states, Uttar Pradesh (UP), Bihar and West Bengal (WB). 
5.
Phase-II (1993) covers seven states that include Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Delhi and Haryana .
6.In the 2nd phase , GAP was created for all the tributaries. The national river conservation plan was started under the same program for the 2nd phase. 
It included tributaries of Ganga like Yamuna, Mahananda, Gomti, Damodar. 
7.
The Ministry of Environment and forests - in charge of the overall design and implementation of GAP. Central Ganga Authority (CGA) came into existence under
the Environment Protection Act 1986, headed by the Prime Minister of India.
•In 2014 the present government started Namami Ganga Mission to ensure clean Ganga.it is implemented by the National Mission for Clean Ganga along with its
State Programme Management Groups (SPMGs). Union Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley announced the implementation of Namami Ganga on 10 July 2014.
 OBJECTIVE
• Aimed at controlling the pollution of the most significant river in a
systematic and planned manner. 

• improve the water quality of Ganga to acceptable standards by

preventing the pollution load from reaching the river.

To abate pollution and improve water. With the major focus in GAP I on
sewage interception and treatment facilities.

To conserve biodiversity, developing an integrated river basin management

approach, conducting comprehensive research to further these objectives,

gaining experience for implementing similar river clean-up programs in

other polluted rivers in India.

Restoration of biodiversity along the course of river Ganga.

Loopholes
1 Technological issues
(inadequate treatment
facilities)

2 Non participation of local

stakeholders

3 Political motivation ,
corruption

4 Irregular maintenance and

improper funding

5 Lack of support from

religious authorities.
 CONCLUSION
• Ganga seen as DEVI by many .why not
conserve it?
• Awareness
• Stakeholders and concerned authorities
should take responsibility
• Major resource if not conserved will be
detrimental to us in turn
REFERENCES

• www.textbookindia.com
• National Mission for Cleaning Ganga
• Central Pollution Control Board
• byjusexamprep.com
• Thelawcommunicants.com
• Outlook India
• NDTV
THANK YOU!