River Ganga’s Natural Flow at Loss due to Hundreds of Dams Built over It

Guwahati: Researchers and environmentalist, after a thorough study of River Ganga have come to this conclusion that due to the hundreds of dams being built over the river has done much harm to the might river. Notably, there are not less than 900 dams over the river which keeps hold of the natural water flow leading to other damages like a restricted flow and lack of rejuvenation.

The environmentalists have also recommended that if the river needs to be rejuvenated then its natural flow will have to be brought back. In addition to that, the huge amount of solid waste that is imposed in the river from the cities will also have to be stopped.

However, it is not that the environmentalist alone are worried about the River Ganga, as the government too is akin to save the river and started concentrating on cleaning the Ganga. Hence, environmentalist and water management expert Ravi Chopra suggested the government to improve the flow of the river as that will only rejuvenate it.

Speaking at an event entitled ‘Can India Rejuvenate Ganga’, the environmentalists have made this claim that there are as many as 940 dams, barrages and weirs over the Ganga river and these are the main hurdles behind the restriction of Ganga’s natural flow.

Manoj Misra, an environmentalist who was also present at the event, said that the solid waste discharges from cities, municipal and industrial wastes into the river have led the mighty river to be polluted in such a heavy rate. Misra added, “Sewage causes 80 percent of the total pollution in Ganga and 52 percent of the total sewage is released in the river in untreated form.”

Speaking specifically about the states that have the most of the waste discharges dumped in the river, Mishra said that Uttar Pradesh discharges 761 tonnes of sewage per day. The other state next to Uttar Pradesh is Bihar with 99.50 tonnes of wastes per day and then comes West Bengal at 97 tonnes per day.

Former special secretary, water resources, Shashi Shekhar, too expressed the same concern and suggested a similar solution to rejuvenate the historic river of the country. He said, “We are only attacking sewage waste in the river but the solution is in improving the flow. Solution to pollution is by dilution which would come with better flow.”

Also read: Agrawals Slam Narendra Modi for ‘Exploiting’ Ganga River