Take action against ‘carcinogens’ in Ganges: Centre to UP govt
20 Aug 2014 4:03 AM IST
In the wake increasing trend of ‘carcinogens’ at river Ganges in Uttar Pradesh, the centre has informed the state government to take punitive measures against tanneries, which are discharging the chromium laced wastewater in to the river.
Recently, the ministries of environment and Ganga Rejuvenation respectively has expressed its concern over the presence of ‘carcinogens’ in river Ganges through a report released by the Atomic Energy National Centre for Compositional Characterization of Materials (AENCCCM) in Hyderabad.
The AENCCCM falls under the Department of Atomic Energy.
Though the presence of ‘carcinogens’ in the river was below the permissible limit as per AENCCCM but this could led to a disaster if tanneries and factories close to the river could not find an alternative way rather then releasing the wastewater containing chromium in to the river.
It has also warned both the ministries that this could also have an adverse affect on the marine ecology and could disturb the nature of water in terms of its enrichment.
Considering, that the problem could turned bitter and proved to a be major hurdle before the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream to clean the river Ganges under its rejuvenation plan, the UP government after being advised by the center has already started preparing a project proposal for installation of a Chromium Recovery Unit (CRU) for the cluster of tanneries for the precipitation and recovery of carcinogenic elements from the wastewater.
It was learnt that minister of state for personnel, public grievances & pensions and PMO Jitendra Singh is personally monitoring the matter and already got approval from the concerned ministers including ministry of finance for the set up of another CRU at Jajmau to contain the problem.
It was learnt that a sample of Ganges water, collected during the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, was also tested to find Chromium (VI) content at about 1 microgram per liter. But, the permissible limit as per the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and World Health Organization (WHO) is 50 microgram per liter.
However, Environment Health Hazard Assessment office in US in a circular to all the countries had proposed the Public Health Goal (PHG) of 0.02 microgram per liter for Chromium (VI) in drinking water.
Recently, the ministries of environment and Ganga Rejuvenation respectively has expressed its concern over the presence of ‘carcinogens’ in river Ganges through a report released by the Atomic Energy National Centre for Compositional Characterization of Materials (AENCCCM) in Hyderabad.
The AENCCCM falls under the Department of Atomic Energy.
Though the presence of ‘carcinogens’ in the river was below the permissible limit as per AENCCCM but this could led to a disaster if tanneries and factories close to the river could not find an alternative way rather then releasing the wastewater containing chromium in to the river.
It has also warned both the ministries that this could also have an adverse affect on the marine ecology and could disturb the nature of water in terms of its enrichment.
Considering, that the problem could turned bitter and proved to a be major hurdle before the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream to clean the river Ganges under its rejuvenation plan, the UP government after being advised by the center has already started preparing a project proposal for installation of a Chromium Recovery Unit (CRU) for the cluster of tanneries for the precipitation and recovery of carcinogenic elements from the wastewater.
It was learnt that minister of state for personnel, public grievances & pensions and PMO Jitendra Singh is personally monitoring the matter and already got approval from the concerned ministers including ministry of finance for the set up of another CRU at Jajmau to contain the problem.
It was learnt that a sample of Ganges water, collected during the Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, was also tested to find Chromium (VI) content at about 1 microgram per liter. But, the permissible limit as per the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and World Health Organization (WHO) is 50 microgram per liter.
However, Environment Health Hazard Assessment office in US in a circular to all the countries had proposed the Public Health Goal (PHG) of 0.02 microgram per liter for Chromium (VI) in drinking water.
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