Sunday, December 24, 2006
Joyful News for Xmas !: The Holy Ganges River has improved water quality.
New Delhi, 24 December: The river Ganges, the most important river system in India, is more fit for taking a holy dip than it used to be 20 years ago.
This being said, I advise sticking to the higher reaches, as far upstream as possible,well above the polluted cities and not drinking any of the water at all, even if it looks fairly clean. Many Hindu pilgrims are reported to be refusing (rightly for medical reasons) to immerse themselves in its waters in their ritual bathe. Read here and here, not just here.
Not only has the holy river become better for holy bathing, there is more oxygen to breathe for the riverlife in it, according to figures available with the Environment and Forests Ministry. Since the launch of Ganga Action Plan in 1986, the Bio-chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), an increase in which reduces the chances of survival of riverlife, has fallen from 6.2 milligramme per litre (mgl) to 2.7 mgl in latest count last year. On the other hand, the Dissolved Oxygen (DO), essential for underwater flora and fauna, has shown a marginal increase from 7.22 mgl in 1986 to 7.73 mgl in 2005.
Both figures spell good for the humans as well as the fish and waterlife, who depend on the river for a myriad reasons. DO and BDO are two key indicators of a river's health. On an average a river is considered to be fit for bathing if it has dissolved oxygen above 5.0 mgl and biochemical oxygen demand below 3.0 mgl.
The model of clean Ganga campaign has not been emulated by the state governments entrusted with cleaning of all major rivers flowing in 14 river basins in the country under National River Conservation Plan, the report observed. The ministry underscored the need of sensitizing the people about the importance of cleanliness of the rivers, saying their cooperation is must to achieve the goal of cleaning the rivers in the country.
This being said, I advise sticking to the higher reaches, as far upstream as possible,well above the polluted cities and not drinking any of the water at all, even if it looks fairly clean. Many Hindu pilgrims are reported to be refusing (rightly for medical reasons) to immerse themselves in its waters in their ritual bathe. Read here and here, not just here.
Not only has the holy river become better for holy bathing, there is more oxygen to breathe for the riverlife in it, according to figures available with the Environment and Forests Ministry. Since the launch of Ganga Action Plan in 1986, the Bio-chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), an increase in which reduces the chances of survival of riverlife, has fallen from 6.2 milligramme per litre (mgl) to 2.7 mgl in latest count last year. On the other hand, the Dissolved Oxygen (DO), essential for underwater flora and fauna, has shown a marginal increase from 7.22 mgl in 1986 to 7.73 mgl in 2005.
Both figures spell good for the humans as well as the fish and waterlife, who depend on the river for a myriad reasons. DO and BDO are two key indicators of a river's health. On an average a river is considered to be fit for bathing if it has dissolved oxygen above 5.0 mgl and biochemical oxygen demand below 3.0 mgl.
The model of clean Ganga campaign has not been emulated by the state governments entrusted with cleaning of all major rivers flowing in 14 river basins in the country under National River Conservation Plan, the report observed. The ministry underscored the need of sensitizing the people about the importance of cleanliness of the rivers, saying their cooperation is must to achieve the goal of cleaning the rivers in the country.
# posted by uv : 11:33 AM
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