Saving the Sacred Waters of The Ganges

Start Date: Late 2023

Timeframe: Up to 10 years

Budget: $8 billion |

Start Date: Late 2023 Timeframe: Up to 10 years Budget: $8 billion |

The Ganges is more than a river to millions, but also a goddess, Ganga. It is a vital source of water and life for more than 40 per cent of India's billion-plus population. Sadly, it absorbs more than 4 billion litres of waste each day, making it one of the world’s most polluted rivers.

To Do:

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Water treatment
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Wastewater treatment
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Solid waste removal
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Biological waste removal
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Industrial waste treatment
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Process optimisation
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Medical services
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Training and education
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Infrastructure development
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Government advocacy
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The river has little life left in it once it has passed through Delhi. It picks up untreated effluent from sugar refineries, chemical plants, textile mills, slaughter houses, distilleries, pulp and paper mills and tanneries.

“This is known to have a heavy disease burden: each year, 37.7 million Indians are affected by waterborne diseases, 73 million working days are lost, and 1.5 million children are estimated to die from diarrhea alone”

— Water Aid

After passing through Varanasi, and receiving 200 million litres of raw sewage from the city each day, the concentration of fecal coliforms in the river's waters rises from 60,000 to 1.5 million, with observed peak values of 100 million per 100 ml.

Act Now!