There were many schemes for pollution abatement of River Ganga. Ganga Action Plan (1 and 2) and thereafter NRCD and National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGBRA) launched by Government of India. But these plans focused only on big cities and did not take into account pollution generated in the entire stretch/catchment. In their efforts small cities, semi urban settlements, Industries and pollution from rural sector were not addressed. As a result program had limited success and the improvement in water quality of River Ganga was limited. The impact of human activity or a project on an environmental resource or eco-system may be considered insignificant when assessed in isolation, but may become significant when evaluated. This study aims at studying the assessment of assessment of pollution load on point source discharges in river Ganga catchment from Haridwar to Garhmukteshwar (160 km) based on field visits , satellite data supported with details from Survey of India topographical sheets, census data, district Industry data, water quality and discharge data. In study area seven point sources were identified based on the criteria of either existence of class I or class II city/town in the catchment of drain or falling of industrial effluent in drains.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. STUDY AREA
3. METHODOLOGY
4. RESULT
4.1 Status of sewage generated in study catchment
4.2 Treatment capacity in study catchment
4.3 Pollution from industrial sources
4.4 Spatial and temporal trend of water quality at Haridwar and Garhmukteshwar
5. Conclusion
Objectives & Topics
The primary objective of this study is to assess the pollution load from point source discharges within the River Ganga catchment area between Haridwar and Garhmukteshwar (a 160 km stretch). The research addresses the gaps in previous large-scale government initiatives that often overlooked small-scale urban, semi-urban, and rural industrial contributions to water degradation.
- Analysis of domestic and industrial wastewater generation in urban and rural sectors.
- Evaluation of existing sewage treatment capacities and the identified gap in infrastructure.
- Spatial and temporal assessment of water quality parameters (DO, BOD, Total Coliform).
- Calculation of pollution load based on field visits, satellite data, and topographic surveys.
Excerpt from the Book
STUDY AREA
Major point sources of pollution in study stretch are sewage from urban and rural areas, treated/untreated/partially treated waste water from industrial units. Many rivers and drains joins the river stretch from Haridwar to Garhmukteshwar which are Haridwar drain, Laksar drain, Solani river, Malin river, Pili river, Rawasan river, Kotawali river, Chhoiya River, Baia, Garh drain (also shown in the line diagram in figure 1). In the present study, due to time constraint we are considering only seven point sources which are Haridwar drain, Laksar Drain, Solani River, Garh drain, Malin River, Chhoiya River, and Baia River based on the criteria of either existence of class I or class II city/town in the catchment of drain or falling of industrial effluent in drains.
Summary of Chapters
INTRODUCTION: Provides an overview of the Ganga river basin's significance, its geographical extent, and the escalating pollution concerns resulting from industrialization and urbanization.
STUDY AREA: Defines the specific 160 km river stretch under investigation and identifies the seven critical point source drains selected for pollution monitoring.
METHODOLOGY: Outlines the scientific approaches used, including arithmetic and geometric mean methods for population projection and flow discharge estimation formulas for open channels.
RESULT: Presents quantitative data on sewage generation, the deficit in treatment plant capacity, industrial discharge contributions, and water quality trends measured via DO, BOD, and Coliform levels.
Conclusion: Summarizes the total waste generation and underscores the insufficiency of current treatment infrastructure while suggesting future research directions regarding biodiversity and environmental flow.
Keywords
Ganga action plan, pollution load, water quality, river Ganga, sewage treatment, industrial effluent, BOD, dissolved oxygen, total coliform, catchment area, Haridwar, Garhmukteshwar, wastewater generation, point source discharge, urban settlements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The research focuses on assessing the pollution load from point source discharges into the River Ganga specifically along the 160 km stretch between Haridwar and Garhmukteshwar.
What are the primary thematic fields covered?
The work covers wastewater management, industrial pollution analysis, water quality monitoring (DO, BOD, Coliform), and the evaluation of sewage treatment capacity gaps.
What is the main research question or objective?
The objective is to quantify the pollution generated by urban and rural areas that was previously ignored by larger, city-centric government initiatives, and to evaluate the impact of these discharges on the river's water quality.
Which scientific methods were employed?
The authors utilized arithmetic and geometric mean methods for population projection, standard formulas for calculating discharge in open channels, and laboratory analysis for assessing water quality trends.
What is discussed in the main body?
The main body discusses the status of sewage generation in the catchment, the discrepancy between generated wastewater and treatment capacity, specific industrial contributions, and the temporal trends of pollution markers.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Ganga action plan, pollution load, water quality, industrial effluent, sewage treatment, catchment area, and specific pollutant markers like BOD and total coliform.
Why is the Haridwar downstream location considered critical?
It is a critical location because both treated and untreated sewage from Haridwar and its adjacent towns are discharged into the river at this point, leading to increased organic pollution.
What does the study reveal about existing sewage treatment?
The study reveals a significant gap, noting that there is approximately 117 MLD of urban waste generated while only 26.1 MLD of treatment capacity exists in the study catchment.
How does the BOD load vary among the identified drains?
The BOD load is highly uneven, with the Chhoiya River accounting for the majority of the pollution load (63.20%) on the studied stretch.
- Quote paper
- Prabhakar Shukla (Author), 2014, Assessment of pollution load on river Ganga from Haridwar to Garhmukteshwar, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/284637
