Ganges – the river of life, witness to history and the challenges of today

The Ganges is one of the world’s most famous rivers, having played a key role in culture, religion and economy for centuries. While its sacred current symbolizes spiritual purification, today it is in need of healing itself – the river’s waters are becoming increasingly polluted, and the challenges of protecting it are ever increasing.

Ganges environmental crisis

The Ganges, although considered sacred for centuries, paradoxically also remains one of the world’s most polluted rivers. It receives more than 3 billion liters of untreated sewage every day, and only about 30 percent of it undergoes any kind of filtration. The concentration of e.coli bacteria exceeds standards by up to tens of thousands of times. But that’s not all – a report published in the Journal of Water and Health showed the presence of more than 200 species of bacteria in its waters, many of which are resistant to antibiotics.

In addition, heavy industry, especially tanneries in Kanpur, has been discharging toxic waste, containing chromium, mercury or arsenic, into the Ganges for years. These substances do not disappear. They seep into the groundwater, poisoning the river and the ecosystem around it. Heavy metals accumulate in fish, and then end up on the tables of people, who often don’t realize that what they eat is contaminated. In addition to industry, waste from religious traditions, such as flowers covered with chemicals and ashes from funeral ceremonies, are a significant source of pollution.

It was an extraordinary experience, recalls one pilgrim who came to Varanasi to – according to tradition – deposit his father’s ashes in the waters of the Ganges. My parents raised me in the spirit of Hinduism, but it was only there, during this ritual that had been performed for thousands of years, that I felt a real connection to my ancestors(The World, 2015).

It’s not just industry or religious waste that’s the problem – huge damage is also being done by agriculture. The use of excessive fertilizers and pesticides causes nitrogen and phosphorus to run off into the water, promoting massive algal blooms, which in turn leads to a sharp drop in the river’s oxygen levels. As a result, fish and other aquatic organisms die, and the Ganges, instead of being a source of life, begins to resemble an ecological bomb. The problem is so serious that the international community is increasingly calling for urgent action to clean up the river and halt its further degradation.

Genomics to the rescue of the Ganges

Cleaning up the Ganges is a huge challenge, but scientists are not laying down their arms. They’re using modern technology to better understand what’s actually happening in the river. One of the breakthrough tools is genomic sequencing – it can literally scan the water, allowing precise identification of pathogens and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. What’s more, advanced methods such as next-generation sequencing (NGS) make it possible to track these threats almost in real time. This can change the rules of the game: the better we know what we’re up against, the more effective wastewater treatment can be.

In addition to microbial research, AI intelligent monitoring is playing an increasingly important role. It’s no longer just classic water quality analysis – now artificial intelligence processes huge amounts of data in real time and can predict where the situation will deteriorate. As a result, the response can be immediate, and preventive measures can be better tailored to real threats.

The need for international cooperation

Modern technologies offer hope, but they alone will not solve the problem. The key is their consistent implementation, and this requires not only the commitment of scientists, but also real support from governments and local communities. Without adequate regulations and effective cleanup programs, even the most advanced scientific research or technical inventions will not be enough to stop further destruction of the river ecosystem.

Since the Ganges is a transboundary river, i.e. it flows through India and Bangladesh, both countries should take care of its condition. This sounds reasonable in theory, but in practice, no lasting agreement on resource management has been reached for years. While there are international examples of effective cooperation to improve the quality of rivers, such as the Mekong Commission and the Indus Waters Treaty, the two countries have been unable to develop a long-term strategy to safeguard this crucial ecosystem. Unfortunately, the lack of a unified water policy and the conflicting economic interests of the two countries lead to a constant escalation of problems – from water shortages in the dry season to catastrophic flooding during the monsoon season.

What is the conflict of interest? India, focused on economic development and the expansion of its cities, ignores the river’s ecological degradation, while Bangladesh, as a country lower in the Ganges basin, bears most of the environmental consequences of its actions, with no real influence on its neighbor’s behavior. If nothing changes, limited access to clean water could provoke population migration and further political destabilization of the region in the future.

The Ganges, a river that for centuries has been a symbol of spiritual transformation, today reflects a reality full of contradictions. Its fate depends on decisions that are made here and now – on the willingness to introduce modern solutions, international cooperation and reverse the effects of years of neglect. If the Ganges reflects the civilization that surrounds it, then its condition becomes a testament to its values, priorities and ability to repair the damage done to aquatic ecosystems. May this symbol of restoration not forever become a symbol of missed opportunity.

pic. main: Arti Agarwal / pexels