research and Global health NOV 7

EFFECTS OF RITUALISTIC BATHING ON WATER QUALITY 1

Effect of Ritualistic Bathing on Water Quality of Ganga River in India

Nayan Harshadkumar Patel

Department of Public Health, Monroe College, King Graduate School

PH690- Global Health

Professor Aditi Puri

October 15, 2023

EFFECTS OF RITUALISTIC BATHING ON WATER QUALITY 2

Effect of Ritualistic Bathing on Water Quality of Ganga River in India

The issue being explored revolves around the pollution and contamination of water

bodies concerning the Ganga River. The river supports millions of people in India. As such, the

river's water quality bears significant implications for the well-being of the inhabitants and the

entire ecosystem. Pollution and contamination of the Ganga River mean people lack safe and

suitable water.

The main aspect that is involved in this case is the social element of Indian people. The

religious mass bathing events are the main reasons why the river is contaminated. The

contamination also comes about due to industrial wastes and the disposal of sewerage into the

river. The outstanding issue is that individuals suffer from health problems such as water-borne

diseases because of the pollution of the river. There have been higher incidences of diarrhoea,

cholera, pneumonia, typhoid and skin disease, especially among the fisher folk who heavily

depend on the river for water for consumption (UNEP, n.d). The diseases have remained quite

prevalent, especially because sewage treatment plants located on the Ganga have been expensive

to maintain and are ineffective during monsoons. They are unable to treat wastes such as heavy

metals, pharmaceutical products or personal care products, which can be directly traced to mass

bathing activities (UNEP, n.d).

The issue of pollution of the Ganga River must be addressed because of the fact that it

supports the basic needs of millions of people. One measure that can be useful in solving the

problem is raising awareness and educating people on the repercussions of mass bathing. Some

of the programs that have been successful in other areas have included establishing effective

sewerage treatment infrastructure and river-surface cleaning.

EFFECTS OF RITUALISTIC BATHING ON WATER QUALITY 3

Literature Review

The Ganga River has immense cultural, heritage and religious significance and, as such,

has been heavily utilized for bathing rituals that have led to pollution and contamination of

water. The events tend to substantially lower water quality, making it unsuitable for use. Given

that there is significant dependence on the river for use in other aspects of life apart from the

religious factor, it is important that the problem is addressed. The Ganga River is one of the

biggest river systems worldwide, and as such, it serves numerous communities across its basin,

with 37% of India's population inhabiting the river's basin. It covers an ecosystem spanning 2525

km while covering 26.2% of the entire land mass in India. The basin is the fifth largest in the

world, with an area of 1,060,000 km2. (Dimri et al., 2021). The research uses five peer-reviewed

journals from databases that included ScienceDirect, Researchgate and Archives of Agriculture

and Environmental Science (AESA). The key searches were “Ganga River,” “Water pollution,”

“Contamination” and “Water quality.”

Review of Literature

Dimri et al. (2021) investigated the quality of water in the Ganga River using the water

quality index and multivariate techniques. The focus of their study was the upper Ganga basin

region of Uttarakhand, India. The purpose of the study was to assess the water quality of the

Ganga River. It looked to identify spatial and temporal deviation of water quality across 24

different sampling sites in the upper Ganga basin. The researchers also looked to determine the

water parameters which are associated with the variations and the impact of the pollution.

The water samples were collected from 24 different sites and were analyzed using

multivariate statistical techniques and the water quality index (WQI). The focus area of the study

was a region covering a stretch of 294km (Dimri et al., 2021). The researchers measured 19

EFFECTS OF RITUALISTIC BATHING ON WATER QUALITY 4

physical and chemical parameters over the span of three seasons. The parameters, which

included EC, TDS, COD, Alkalinity, Hardness, MPN, Ca, and HCO3, indicated that there is a

high standard deviation, which is a result of the dispersion, and this translates to spatial variation

of the parameters. The study showed that the upper basin of the Ganga River is relatively

unpolluted because there is less interference by human beings and their activities (Dimri et al.,

2021). The majority of the parameters were deemed to be within permissible limits.

Aenab & Singh (2013) also evaluated the quality of water of the Ganga River. Their

choice of locale was Uttar Pradesh (UP). The purpose of the study was to evaluate several

monitoring stations along the river in UP state. Additionally, it was meant to create the river’s

specific water quality standards according to international standards and to provide a warning

system for users who are downstream in poor water conditions. The researchers evaluated 13

different monitoring stations using WQI analysis by the C++ program (Aenab & Singh, 2013).

Uttar Pradesh is one of the regions along the Ganga River which is faced with pollution.

Samples were collected in Uttar Pradesh, and relevant parameters were chosen to

establish consistent water quality measurements. The C++ program, also known as hybrid

language, helped evaluate the different parameters used in the research. The results indicated that

the standards of water along the river in the state of Uttar Pradesh are quite poor. The water was

regarded as being unsuitable for use. The recommendation was that individuals who live

downstream should be aware of the quality of water and its consequences, given that they rely on

Ganga River's water for their daily use.

The purpose of the study by Kumar et al. (2018) was likewise based on the assessment of

the quality of water in the Ganga River. The researchers studied the impact that religious

activities, particularly Kanwar Mela, have on the state of water in the river. The study featured

EFFECTS OF RITUALISTIC BATHING ON WATER QUALITY 5

multiple sites which carry religious and cultural significance in Haridwar City. Kanwar Mela is a

religious celebration carried out annually in July and entails individuals taking baths and

conducting other religious activities in the river. In total, five sampling sites associated with the

festival during its peak days were involved in the research process (Kumar et al., 2018). The

samples were analyzed for several aspects, including physico-chemical, microbiological and

heavy metals viz., total solids (TS), electrical conductivity (EC), temperature and total dissolved

solids (TDS).

Analysis of data involved the use of analysis of variance (ANOVA) in determining the

difference between the parameters that were utilized with respect to pre and post-celebration.

Standard deviation was assessed through the use SPSS12.0, MS Excel 2016 and Sigma Plot,

2000 (Kumar et al., 2018). The study showed that the physico-chemical and microbiological

parameters of the river varied across the sampling sites. What was gathered from the results is

that the mas celebrations significantly altered the quality of water, as indicated by the before and

after measurements. The recommendation from the study is that there is a need for managing and

controlling the gatherings and activities that take place. It suggested raising awareness among

pilgrims about the concerns of water pollution.

The research by Sharma et al. (2012) was predicated on examining the impact of mass

bathing on the quality of water in the Ganga River. It investigated the effects that arise from the

rituals that are associated with religious activities. The researchers focused on one specific event

of mass bathing, the Maha Kumbh, which took place from January to April 2010. This event is

regarded as the biggest festival, which takes place every 12 years and is attended by millions of

people (Sharma et al., 2012). The emphasis of the study was on Royal Bathing dates.

EFFECTS OF RITUALISTIC BATHING ON WATER QUALITY 6

Three different sites were incorporated into the research. Samples were collected from

the sites following the event. The key parameters involved in the study included Temperature,

pH, Conductivity, TDS, DO, Turbidity, BOD, Chloride, Hardness, TSS and TS. Some

parameters, such as temperature and pH, were analyzed on the spot, while others were analyzed

in the laboratory. The findings showed that overall, the environmental conditions significantly

worsened after the event (Sharma et al., 2012). Different sites were affected differently following

the celebrations. The Ghat area of Sapt Rishi Ashram was least affected as it was the least used

for mass bathing. At Har- ki- Pauri, all parameters were affected as it was the area that was most

used for bathing.

Srivastava et al. (2016) focused on assessing the level of water pollution in the Ganga

basin. The purpose was to comprehend the role that mass religious gatherings play in influencing

water pollution. Samples were collected from 60 different sites, and various parameters were

measured. These sites were based in Uttarakhand district, specifically the regions of Rishikesh,

Haridwar and Roorkee within the Ganga basin. These parameters included pH, electrical

conductivity, dissolved oxygen (DO) and turbidity. Apart from the samples which were assessed

in a laboratory for quantitative results, real-time (RT) sensing and crowd-sourced, qualitative,

sensing with a mobile application were also utilized (Srivastava et al., 2016).

The researchers assessed both upstream and downstream regions of the basin in order to

understand the effect of mas bathing. The main variations were at Haridwar, which has bathing

Ghats. The study outcomes showed clear connections between the religious ceremonies and a

rise in pollution of the Ganga River. Srivastava et al. (2016) recommended that other researchers

use data from their study to develop actionable insights and decision aids that can be applied in

EFFECTS OF RITUALISTIC BATHING ON WATER QUALITY 7

more use cases. Other studies can also feature the collection of more data, which can contribute

to the platform.

Analysis of Literature

The main takeaway from the studies that were included in the literature review is that

religious activities that take place along the Ganga River are instrumental in enhancing the

pollution and contamination of river's water. The Ganga basin is large and supports hundreds of

millions of people in India. These persons depend on water from the river for day-to-day

activities. Millions more people visit during the festivities, with some of them happening

annually and others being occasional. The rituals which entail mass bathing substantially affect

the water mass, thus making the water unfit for human use.

The studies have provided different perspectives, with all of them leading to the same

conclusion. Dimri et al. (2021) showed how the upper basin, which is relatively unused for

rituals, is considerably less polluted. Aenab & Singh (2013) chose an area that is quite prominent

for the activities. Kumar et al. (2018) provided key insights through assessing water before and

after the events. Sharma et al. (2012) focused on the impact of the largest event, while Srivastava

et al. (2016) used different techniques to evaluate pollution along the river. The studies looked at

the problem in different ways, which helped in compounding the understanding of the problem.

The results of the studies complemented each other.

The major similarity between the studies is the outcomes. They all pointed out that

religious rituals are directly associated with the pollution of the river. All of the studies involved

the collection of water samples from different sites and testing for different parameters that

revealed the connection between mass bathing and contamination. Srivastava et al. (2016) went

the extra mile by using two more techniques to assess the quality of water in the river. All

EFFECTS OF RITUALISTIC BATHING ON WATER QUALITY 8

regions featured in the study were located along the Ganga basin with Kumar et al. (2018),

Srivastava et al. (2016) and Dimri et al. (2021) evaluating sites that are located in the

Uttarakhand district.

The studies used different parameters in the research process, though a number of them,

such as pH, electrical conductivity dissolved oxygen (DO) and turbidity, were uniform across the

three studies. Only Sharma et al. (2012) and Dimri et al. (2021) utilized an extensive number of

parameters that also included TSS, TDS and measurement of hardness. The analytical methods

used also differed. Most of them featured multivariate analysis due to the consideration of

multiple variables. Kumar et al. (2018) used ANOVA, SPSS12.0, MS Excel 2016 and Sigma

Plot, 2000, while Aenab & Singh (2013) used a C++ program. There was not much focus on

providing recommendations among the resources. Srivastava et al. (2016) recommended that the

findings be used to inform subsequent studies and plan for future events. Kumar et al. (2018)

recommended that the activities be checked and controlled, while Sharma et al. (2012)

recommended that the findings apply in influencing efforts to improve the quality of water.

EFFECTS OF RITUALISTIC BATHING ON WATER QUALITY 9

References

Aenab, A. M., & Singh, S. K. (2013). Evaluating water quality of Ganga river within Uttar

Pradesh state by water quality index analysis using C++ Program. Civil and

Environmental Research, 3(1), 57-65.

https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/30633097/Evaluating_Water_Quality_of_Ganga_R

iver_Within_Uttar_Pradesh-libre.pdf?1391832450=&response-content-disposition=inline

%3B+filename

%3DJanuary_edition_of_The_International_Ins.pdf&Expires=1697055549&Signature=S

jzcoNcSNl~MJ3cMrA9~d15y1HLPyg~kwyGOV0VvI4ZxOaYnsl~4lCgPZovckTIf3PAj

5e4HX9P2N1SvC1eHPPLuati8I4E0Q0TmlfhNUzy53x4J6vFlrDL0iB9uWFYoH7Fg8g~

mlC4MxTcvA7vB0JitGZ-vKQi6oD7LxEbLiIfJ-

UjGgmwYJquVjFT5siwZCZK5ID4Rx7Q3LEsdjMTimfesDKa5k2xSIp5Am1zweOcZ12

kHTjbZh6MH0ZXd0FOVpirG9S7IlAxTAQ7t6qqJQLI6cx9SJwMl1z5CesPDEoq2FP4A

jWXe~Aeid6d4Tcd73uh2etbHj-~~xvt9gbnZMg__&Key-Pair-

Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA

Dimri, D., Daverey, A., Kumar, A., & Sharma, A. (2021). Monitoring water quality of River

Ganga using multivariate techniques and WQI (Water Quality Index) in Western

Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India. Environmental Nanotechnology, Monitoring &

Management, 15, 100375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enmm.2020.100375

Kumar, V., Kumar, S., Srivastava, S., Singh, J., & Kumar, P. (2018). Water quality of River

Ganga with reference to physico-chemical and microbiological characteristics during

Kanwar Mela 2017, at Haridwar, India: A case study. Archives of Agriculture and

Environmental Science, 3(1), 58-63. https://doi.org/10.26832/24566632.2018.030108

EFFECTS OF RITUALISTIC BATHING ON WATER QUALITY 10

Sharma, V., Bhadula, S., & Joshi, B. D. (2012). Impact of mass bathing on water quality of

Ganga river during Maha Kumbh-2010. Nature and Science, 10(6), 1-5.

http://www.sciencepub.net/nature

Srivastava, B., Sandha, S., Raychoudhury, V., Randhawa, S., Kapoor, V., & Agrawal, A. (2016).

An open, multi-sensor dataset of water pollution of Ganga Basin and its application to

understand the impact of large religious gatherings. arXiv preprint arXiv:1612.05626.

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.1612.05626

UNEP. (n.d). Better sewage treatment is critical for human health and ecosystems.

https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/better-sewage-treatment-critical-human-

health-and-ecosystems