Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Effective data convergence, mapping, and pollution categorization of ghats at Ganga River Front in Varanasi

  • Short Research and Discussion Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Rivers support life of Indian population but water pollution threatens human health. There is no consensus data for water quality (WQ) of rivers in India including River Ganga. For robust stakeholder participation and community involvement and governance, a consolidation of WQ parameters for River Ganga from different data sources is essentially needed. The priority to combat environmental, economic, and social dislocations due to river pollution also necessitates WQ data convergence, its availability in public domain for policy makers, citizens, researchers, etc, and mapping with respect to the flowing river. Lack of real-time data limits civic involvement in river management. This paper is a novel attempt to consolidate the WQ data available in literature for River Ganga at Varanasi during 1992–2016. Results indicate water of River Ganga to have high coliform and BOD levels due to direct discharge of sewage waste from Varuna and that from Varanasi city. Categorization of ghats based on WQ parameters reveal pollution status of ghats to vary from low to highly polluted (coliform data excluded as it changes the category of all the ghats to highly polluted). More urban population with lack of readiness of authorities to follow the law appear to be major contributors towards failure of river management strategies. The consolidated information mapped with demographic data can be used as data management tools for sustenance of River Ganga. A need for change in policy framework and publicizing the real-time data seem key solutions for improving water quality of River Ganga at Varanasi.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abed SA, Jazie AA (2014) Assessment of some physico-chemical properties for water in Ganga River at Varanasi, India. Al-Qadisiya J Eng Sci 7:148–164

    Google Scholar 

  • Almeida J, Dias R (2016) Impact of climate change on Indian water resources. J Global Resour 1(1):56–70

    Google Scholar 

  • Baker MB, Folliott PF, Edminster CB, Mora KL, Dillon MC (2000) Watershed management contributions to land stewardship: a literature review. General Technical Report RMRS-GTR-71. US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins 60 pp, 71

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhatt NJ, Bhatt KJ (2017) An analysis of water governance in India: problems and remedies. Int J Adv Eng Res Dev 4(9):279–284

    Google Scholar 

  • Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) (2012) Indian standard: drinking water- specification IS 10500 (Second Revision). Government of India. http://cgwb.gov.in/documents/wq-standards.pdf

  • Central Water Commission (CWC): India Water Portal (2011) Content for state-wise/ basin-wise information on water quality. http://www.indiawaterportal.org/sites/indiawaterportal.org/files/Water_quality_data_Ganga_CWC_2011.pdf

  • Chaudhary M, Mishra S, Kumar A (2017) Estimation of water pollution and probability of health risk due to imbalanced nutrients in River Ganga, India. Int J River Basin Manage 15(1):53–60

    Google Scholar 

  • Ching L, Mukherjee M (2015) Managing the socio-ecology of very large rivers: collective choice rules in IWRM narratives. Glob Environ Chang 34:172–184

    Google Scholar 

  • Clarke R (2013) Water: the international crisis. EarthscanRoutledge, New York ISBN 978-1-85383-105-8

    Google Scholar 

  • Conaway C (2015) The Ganga River is dying under the weight of modern India. Newsweek

  • CPCB (2013a) (Central Pollution Control Board) Pollution assessment: River Ganga. Central Pollution Control Board, Government of India

  • CPCB (2013b) Performance evaluation of sewage treatment plants under NRDC. Government of India

  • CPCB (2014) Status of water quality in India - 2012. Monitoring of Indian National Aquatic Resources, Series: MINARS/36 /2013-14

  • Daniel D, Marks SJ, Pande S, Rietveld L (2018) Socio-environmental drivers of sustainable adoption of household water treatment in developing countries. Clean Water 1:12

    Google Scholar 

  • Das S (2011) Cleaning of the Ganga. J Geol Soc India 78(2):124–130. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-011-0073-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Das P, Tamminga KR (2012) The Ganga and the GAP: an assessment of efforts to clean a sacred river. Sustainability 4(8):1647–1668

    Google Scholar 

  • Data Set (1992-2011) SankatMochan Foundation. Swatcha Ganga Research Lab, Varanasi

    Google Scholar 

  • Dubey VK, Srivastav AL, Singh PK, Sharma YC (2012) The nutrients level in middle Ganga Basin, India. J Appl Technol Environ Sanit 2:121–128

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ganga Action Plan Project Phase II (2018), Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Water Technology. https://www.water-technology.net/projects/ganga-action-plan-project-phase-ii-varanasi-uttar-pradesh/. Accessed- 02 August 2018

  • Girija TR, Mahanta C, Chandramouli V (2007) Water quality assessment of an untreated effluent impacted urban stream: the Bharalu tributary of the Brahmaputra River, India. Environ Monit Assess 130(1-3):221–236

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • GIZ ASEM, CDD society, CRDC, and Alchemy Urban Systems Ltd (2011) City Sanitation Plan for Varanasi. Draft City Sanitation Plan- Main Document India. Varanasi Municipal Corporation. https://www.nnvns.org/data/dpr/CSP%20Ex%20Summary_VNN.pdf

  • Hamner S, Tripathi A, Mishra RK, Bouskill N, Broadaway SC, Pyle BH, Ford TE (2006) The role of water use patterns and sewage pollution in incidence of water-borne/enteric diseases along the Ganga River in Varanasi, India. Int J Environ Health Res 16(2):113–132

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamner S, Broadaway SC, Mishra VB, Tripathi A, Mishra RK, Pulcini E, Pyle BH, Ford TE (2007) Isolation of potentially pathogenic Escherichia coli O157: H7 from the Ganga River. Appl Environ Microbiol 73(7):2369–2372

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hamner S, Pyke D, Walker M, Pandey G, Mishra RK, Mishra VB, Porter C, Ford TE (2013) Sewage pollution of the River Ganga: an ongoing case study in Varanasi, India. River Syst 20(3-4):157–167

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaiswal RK (2007) Ganga Action Plan – a critical analysis. Publicatie van NGO Eco Friends. http://www.ecofriends.org/main/eganga/images/Critical%20analysis%20of%20GAP.pdf. Accessed on 29 April 2018.

  • Joshi DM, Kumar A, Agrawal N (2009) Studies on physicochemical parameters to assess the water quality of River Ganga for drinking purpose in Haridwar district. RasayanJChem 2(1):195–203

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar P, Singh AN, Shrivastava R, Mohan D (2015) Assessment of seasonal variation in water quality dynamics in river Varuna-a major tributary of River Ganga. Int J Adv Res 3(3):1176–1193

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kummu M, Guillaume JHA, de Moel H, Eisner S, Flörke M, Porkka M, Siebert S, Veldkamp TI, Ward PJ (2016) The world’s road to water scarcity: shortage and stress in the 20th century and pathways towards sustainability. Sci Rep 6:38495

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marathe NP, Pal C, Gaikwad SS, Jonsson V, Kristiansson E, Larsson DJ (2017) Untreated urban waste contaminates Indian river sediments with resistance genes to last resort antibiotics. Water Res 124:388–397

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mekonnen MM, Hoekstra AY (2016) Four billion people facing severe water scarcity. Sci Adv 2:e1500323

    Google Scholar 

  • Mishra A (2015) Wastewater management in the city of Varanasi. Doctoral dissertation, Banaras Hindu University

  • Mishra A, Mukherjee A, Tripathi BD (2009) Seasonal and temporal variations in physico-chemical and bacteriological characteristics of River Ganga in Varanasi. Int J Environ Res 3(3):395–402

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Misra AK (2011) Impact of urbanization on the hydrology of Ganga Basin (India). Water Resour Manag 25(2):705–719

    Google Scholar 

  • Nandi I, Tewari A, Shah K (2016) Evolving human dimensions and the need for continuous health assessment of Indian rivers. Curr Sci 111:263–271

    Google Scholar 

  • Nandi I, Srivastava PK, Shah K (2017) Floodplain mapping through support vector machine and optical/infrared images from Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS sensors: case study from Varanasi. Water Resour Manag 31:1157–1171

    Google Scholar 

  • Narain S (2014) Ganga: the river, its pollution, and what we can do to clean it: a Centre for Science and Environment briefing paper. Centre Sci Environ:1–32

  • Onda K, LoBuglio J, Bartram J (2012) Global access to safe water: accounting for water quality and the resulting impact on MDG progress. Int J Environ Res Public Health 9:880–894

    Google Scholar 

  • Pandey M, Pandey AK, Mishra A, Tripathi BD (2015) Assessment of metal species in River Ganga sediment at Varanasi, India using sequential extraction procedure and SEM–EDS. Chemosphere 134:466–474

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Paul D (2017) Research on heavy metal pollution of River Ganga: a review. Ann Agric Sci 15(2):278–286

    Google Scholar 

  • Rai PK, Tripathi BD (2007) Microbial contamination in vegetables due to irrigation with partially treated municipal wastewater in a tropical city. Int J Environ Health Res 17:389–395

    Google Scholar 

  • Rai PK, Mishra A, Tripathi BD (2010) Heavy metal and microbial pollution of the River Ganga: a case study of water quality at Varanasi. Aquat Ecosyst Health Manag 13:352–361

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rana PS, Singh RP (2011) Perceptions and images of tourists and pilgrims in Banaras. Holy places and pilgrimages: essays on India. Planet Earth Cultural Understanding Series, Pub, 8, 165-206

  • Samir (2017). PM to lay foundation stone of STP to be built at Varanasi under NamamiGange Programme. Press Information Bureau, Government of India: Ministry of Water Resources. (Accessed on 4 December 2018)

  • Sarkar UK, Pathak AK, Sinha RK, Sivakumar K, Pandian AK, Pandey A, Lakra WS (2012) Freshwater fish biodiversity in the River Ganga (India): changing pattern, threats and conservation perspectives. Rev Fish Biol Fish 22(1):251–272

    Google Scholar 

  • Sawal M (1986) General standards for discharge of environmental pollutants environ. Rules 2:545–560

    Google Scholar 

  • Sharma RK, Agrawal M, Marshall F (2007) Heavy metal contamination of soil and vegetables in suburban areas of Varanasi, India. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 66(2):258–266

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh RPB (1993) Varanasi, a World Heritage City: frame, and historical accounts. In: Singh, Rana PB (eds) Banaras (Varanasi), Cosmic Order, Sacred City, Hindu Traditions. Tara Book Agency, Varanasi, pp 297–307

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh N (2010) Physicochemical properties of polluted water of River Ganga at Varanasi. Int J Energy Environ 1(5):823–832

  • Singh RP (2011) Varanasi, India’s cultural heritage city: contestation, conservation and planning. In: Singh, Rana PB (eds) Heritagescapes and cultural landscapes. Subhi Publication, New Delhi, pp 205–254

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh TN, Singh SN (1994) Bacteriological quality of river “Varuna” water at Varanasi - a preliminary survey. Chem Environ Res 3(1 and 2):143–276

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh S, Singh KN (2010) Physico-chemical analysis of sewage discharged into Varuna river at Varanasi. Curr World Environ 5:201–203

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh KP, Mohan D, Sinha S, Dalwani R (2004) Impact assessment of treated/untreated wastewater toxicants discharged by sewage treatment plants on health, agricultural, and environmental quality in the wastewater disposal area. Chemosphere 55:227–255

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh S, Malik D, Thakur J, Kaur A, Singh RK, Nijhawan SA (2014) Comparative analysis of the physico-chemical properties and heavy metal pollution in three major rivers across India. Int J Sci Res 3:1936–1941

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh P, Chaturvedi RK, Mishra A, Kumari L, Singh R, Pal DB, Giri DD, Singh NL, Tiwary D, Mishra PK (2015) Assessment of ground and surface water quality along the river Varuna, Varanasi, India. Environ Monit Assess 187:170

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh N, Verma E, Mishra AK (2016) Isolation, characterization and molecular phylogeny of multiple metal tolerant and antibiotics resistant bacterial isolates from River Ganga, Varanasi, India. Cogent Environ Sci 2:1273750

    Google Scholar 

  • Tare V, Bose P, Gupta SK (2003) Suggestions for a modified approach towards implementation and assessment of Ganga action plan and other similar river action plans in India. Water Q Res J 38(4):607–626

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • UNICEF TL (2010) Water, sanitation and hygiene annual report. UNICEF New York. https://www.unicef.org/wash/files/UNICEF_WASH_2010_Annual_Report_15_06_2011_Final(1).pdf

  • USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) (2017) Learn about lead. https://www.epa.gov/lead/learn-about-lead. Accessed Aug. 2018

  • Vaseem H, Banerjee TK (2013) Contamination of the River Ganga and its toxic implication in the blood parameters of the major carp Labeorohita (Ham). Environ Sci Pollut Res 20:5673–5681

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • WHO, UNICEF (2017) Progress on drinking water, sanitation and hygiene: 2017 update and SDG baselines, Geneva

  • Wohl E (2010) A world of rivers: environmental change on ten of the world's great rivers. University of Chicago Press, Chicago

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank USIEF; the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development, BHU; Department of Geography, BHU; Sankat Mochan Foundation; Utpal Pathak; Devendra Singh; Nomi Tripathi; and Ms. Chitra Pokharia for their contributions to this research.

Funding

This research was made possible by a Fulbright Nehru Student Research Grant to Ms. Olivia Trombadore.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India

    Olivia Trombadore, Ipsita Nandi & Kavita Shah

  2. USIEF FullBright Fellow, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA

    Olivia Trombadore

Authors
  1. Olivia Trombadore
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ipsita Nandi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kavita Shah
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Data collection, compilation, and analysis were carried out by OT. IN and KS contributed towards classification of ghats and writing and editing of the MS.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kavita Shah.

Ethics declarations

Competing interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interest.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Electronic supplementary material

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Trombadore, O., Nandi, I. & Shah, K. Effective data convergence, mapping, and pollution categorization of ghats at Ganga River Front in Varanasi. Environ Sci Pollut Res 27, 15912–15924 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-06526-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-06526-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation