In Varanasi, 100 Mn Litres of Untreated Sewage Water Flows Into Ganga Every Day

Video Producer: Shohini Bose

Video Editor: Abhishek Sharma

At Varanasi's Assi Ghat, one can see black, stinky, dirty, semi-treated sewage water flowing into the Ganga, openly. Crores have been spent on the 'Clean Ganga' project but authorities agree that nearly 100 million litres of semi-treated or untreated sewage water flows into the Ganga, unchecked, every day.

BD Tripathi, Chairman, Mahamana Malviya Ganga Research Centre at Banaras Hindu University, says that several treatment plants are operating in the city, but reports show that only partially-treated sewage water flows into the Ganga.

He adds that there aren't sufficient sewer lines to take all the sewage water through treatment plants.

The experts urge immediate check on sewage water flowing into the holy river.

"Not even a drop of sewage water should enter the river stream. There’s no way to separate sewage water from the river water once it enters the river stream. So, it must be ensured that sewage is properly treated first," says Vishwambhar Nath Mishra, Mahant, Sankat Mochan Temple, and Professor at BHU.

The local residents claim that in terms of cleaning the Ganga, the situation has improved but a lot more needs to be done.

Bhumi Nishad, a boatman in Varanasi, says that ghats are cleaner now and there is no open defecation happening at the ghats anymore. But lack of public toilets across the ghats is still "a cause of concern".

The environmentalists urge that people should realise the value of every drop of water.

"Clean, blue water is very precious. We must understand the value of every drop of blue water. There are people who are reeling under extreme water crisis and here we are polluting an entire river," adds Vishwambhar Nath Mishra.