An early morning view of River Ganga, at Pandaye Ghat, on December 17, 2018 in Varanasi, India. (Photo by Rajesh Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images)
An early morning view of River Ganga, at Pandaye Ghat, on December 17, 2018 in Varanasi, India. (Photo by Rajesh Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty Images) 
Insta

Ganga Again ‘Life-Giving’: Marine Life Set To Flourish As Water Quality Shows Marked Improvement, Says Report

BySwarajya Staff

Experts carrying out research on the Ganga river water have found a marked improvement in the quality of the river’s water and say that the aquatic life in set to flourish at the back of the improvement, Hindustan Times has reported.

Apart from the dissolved oxygen levels, pH levels at various points in the river too have been found to be ‘highly satisfactory’, a development the researchers have termed ‘encouraging for aquatic life’, according to the researchers.

The pH level is now stands at 8.5 milligram per litre and the dissolved oxygen level is 2.5 milligram per litre. In the last decade, the pH level had deteriorated to below 6 milligram per litre while the oxygen level was about 3.5 milligram per litre making it difficult for the aquatic life to sustain.

“The river water has now become friendly for marine life. The ideal water condition for marine life requires pH level at 6.5 to 8.5 milligram per litre of water and the dissolved oxygen level less than three milligram per litre. But marine life can also survive if the dissolved oxygen level is higher but it is not good for human use,” said UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) regional officer Kuldeep Misra while corroborating the research team’s data with his own findings.

The research team includes experts from various institutes such as the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The researchers have based their claim on analysis water samples from 20 of the most polluted parts of the river, them being Ganga Barrage, Bhaironghat, Parmat, Shuklaganj, Wajidpur among others. The project will continue for two years.

The change in water quality is being attributed to the recently instituted checks on tannery waste dumping and putting an end to big drains flowing into the river as part of the ‘Namami Gange’ programme.

Note: The original report by Hindustan Times cites the pH in Hydrogen concentration in milligram per litre metric. The metric has been used in this report to ensure conformity with quotes by officials.