The Environment Magazine

The main causes of pollution in the Ganges River are human sewage and animal waste, and industrial waste.

It is also one of 10 rivers responsible for 90% of the plastic that ends up at sea.

• Main Pollutants: Raw sewage, plastic debris, chemical effluents
• Source: Urban and rural runoff from 500+ million residents
• Affected Areas: Varanasi, Patna, Kanpur, Kolkata
• Impact: Cholera and hepatitis outbreaks are endemic; religious rituals continue in waters deemed “unsafe for bathing” by the CPCB
• Historical Note: Central to Hinduism, life, death, and pilgrimage
• Notable Fact: Cremation ashes and industrial dye waste co-mingle in sacred bathing ghats

Curtesy of http://www.theenvironmentalblog.org