A survey recently conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board has shown that there are six major points on the 2500 km course of the Ganga from Gangotri to the sea, where its water is polluted. The most heavily polluted spots are Kanpur and Calcutta. Somewhat less heavily polluted areas are Varanasi and Kannauj, and still less polluted are Allahabad and Patna.
Recent studies conducted by the West Bengal Water Pollution Control Board have revealed alarmingly high bacteria counts in the Ganga water between Uluberia in Howrah district and Diamond Harbour. This water is now considered unsafe even for irrigation.
Probably the biggest source of pollution in the Ganga is the industrial effluents, and the next serious source is the raw, untreated sewage discharged from drains into the river. Another significant source is the dumping of dead bodies, animal carcasses, and corposes into the holy river. Washing of dirty things in the water, and human excreta along the river banks also contribute to pollution. One major source is the large number of dairy farms in urban areas; these discharge their wastes into the river.
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The crowded fairs along the Ganga contribute significantly to its pollution. The bacterial counts of the water rise sharply with the arrival of pilgrims. Experiments conducted by the Central Pollution Control Board at the Ardh Kumbha Mela at Prayag in 1981 showed that a 72-hr pre-chlorination programme kept the bacterial counts in check, and this treatment is now recommended for such occasions.
Another suggestion to stabilize the waste systems at initial low costs is to introduce fisheries between municipal outlets of big cities and the Ganga River. Installation of electric crematoria can reduce pollution caused by half-burnt dead bodies thrown into the river.