Sankat Mochan Foundation: the future of Ganga in Varanasi ???

Sankat Mochan Foundation

Objectives:

Restore the Ganges through the water treatment and awareness of the people of Varanasi.

Varanasi is the holiest city for Hindus. 60,000 pilgrims and devout Hindus come to Varanasi daily to practice Pujas and ablutions along the Ghats. The bath in the Ganges supposed to wash all sins. The Ganges is also bathing and laundry place for the poor. However many studies show that beyond sanctity of the Ganges, it is far from unpolluted. Indeed, the problem of sewage discharges from home or business in the Ganges is well known. Benares is a city generating 300 million liters of wastewater per day. In 1986, Ganga Action Plan Project (GAP) would allow in several steps to recover the parameters for bathing and for the use of the Ganges water for cooking and drinking. An association Sankat Mochan Foundation has created a laboratory for analysis to monitor the project in Varanasi, measuring some parameters (biological oxygen demand, coliform coliform, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and solids suspension) in water for over 12 years.
The results are alarming:
- Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) of the order 40 mg / L
- No. of fecal coleiforms: 42,000 to 20,000,000 MPN/100 ml
Indian and European standards for water swimming are:
- BOD below 30 mg / L (India) and 24 mg / L (EU)
- Fecal coleiform: 2500 MPN/100ml (EU and India)

In Varanasi and in one year, Hamner et al. Observed that 66% of the population would develop a disease (Gastro-intestinal, cholera, dysentery, hepatitis A or typhoid fever) related to water use
Ganges (bathing, cooking ...).

The situation today in Varanasi:
The various projects (Ganga Action Plan) have led to the construction of three wastewater treatment plants to wastewater from Benares:
- A plant capable of processing 80 million liters of waste per day located 16km
- A plant capable of processing 12 million liters of waste per day located 2km
- A plant that can handle 8 million liters of waste per day 2km

These plants are electrically dependent. The power cuts, frequent in India, cause ineffectiveness of these plants and then direct discharge of sewage into the Ganges. So the treatment plants are not operate at 100% capacity. Moreover during the monsoon which causes an increase in the level and in the flow of the Ganges, stop pump and drainage of sewage to processing units are overflow.

By a rough calculation, it appears that GAP project cannot succeed: Benares: 300 million liters per day of release - Treatment capacity: less than 100 million liters day = 200 million liters of release in Ganges daily.

The measurements show no improvement by SMF parameters of the Ganges during the time of monitoring (for more information, or site SKF Hamner et al., 2006) and after GAP actions.

History Association
This association was founded in 1982 by residents and engineers from Varanasi. Its chairman is Professor Bhandra Veer Mishra, Head of Department civil engineering at Banaras Hindu University and also Mahant of Sankat Mochan Temple. In 1992, the "Swatch Ganga Research Laboratory is created with the support of the "Swedish Society for Nature Conservation, it can follow the evolution of biological parameters and bacteriological Ganges at different points Benares. In 1998, the "Swatch Ganga Environmental Education Centre is located in Varanasi with the support of the environmental association "OZ-Green" it provides effective support to the work of awareness and discussion about pollution of the Ganges and solutions to reduce the footprint of each capita pollution of the Ganges.

SMF offers an alternative for several years in raising three points
1) Changing the habits of the inhabitants of Benares because 95% of the pollution from the waters of the Ganges wastes. They hold regular meetings streets, discussions with women, boatmen, sinners, priests, briefings and awareness in schools, etc.. Reducing the volume of wastewater, it will be an important way to reduce the gap between treatment capacity and the volume of discharge. This work is long and requires much patience, pedagogy and motivation of members of the association. During my meeting with RK Mishra (laboratory Analysis of Sankat Mochan Foundation), he proves me that after over 18 years of work, he shows a real joy and sincere motivation.
2) Drainage of wastewater:
a. Creating a drain between the last line of building and river. This drain is sized to naturally drain all waste water (gravity) to the center of downstream processing. The advantage is that it requires no energy or electric pump. The designer (slope and diameter) of drain takes into account the flood (increased pressure on the drains) and provides a speed flow.
b. Drains go to a treatment center located 8 km downstream of Varanasi.
3) Installation of a treatment plant 300 million liters of wastewater with technology AIWPS (Advanced Integrated Wastewater Oxidation Pond System). The technology was developed by Berkeley scientists (W. Oswald Bailey Green). This patented technology is used to
USA. The four major advantages of this technology are
a. low cost
b. low energy
v. elimination of bacteria
d. no residue

Principle: Technology based on a fermentation anaerobic methane-producing and algae culture producing strong oxygen through photosynthesis.
1) Fermentation deep pond
a. This pond is maintained in anaerobic atmosphere,
b. It allows a total fermentation of Contents organic
v. This pond of fermentation eliminates all solid particles and 60% reduction in demand biological oxygen demand (BOD) (Veer Bhadra Mishra, 2005)
d. Pesticides are biodegraded in this pond (Veer Bhadra Mishra, 2005)
e. Heavy metals were also retained (Veer Bhadra Mishra, 2005)
f. Fermentation of suspended solids produces methane that is captured and converted to energy.
2) Pond culture of algae
a. This second pond has a propeller mixing allowing cultivation of algae and the re-release of oxygen from photosynthesis.
b. The growing conditions of algae are optimized for discharges. The algae absorb all nutrients.
v. The increase in pH due to hyper-oxygenation the medium to precipitate the magnesium and calcium.
3) Pond algae control
a. This basin allows algae to sediment to recover them or the pump and then drain them on a dry bed filter.
b. It is not necessary to recover all algae in this pond because they can be used as food for fish if the conditions are acceptable for fish and algae life. The Algae are an excellent fertilizer.
4) Pond maturation
a. The waters are kept from 10 to 12 days in this pond to ensure a level of disinfection acceptable for irrigation.
b. Algae can be used to feed animals. Thus carp or catfish can be grown in these waters.

Today, what happens?
The project of a pilot plant (37 mld) proposed by SMF need a deeper proposal (Requested by the Government of India). The answer is expected within 6 months by RK Mishra and members of SMF.
The results of this pilot plant condition the future of this project so the project is selected by the Indian government ...
As Veer said in a conference Bhandra Mishra: "We started working when our hair were black, we are still being working to clean up the Ganges, while our hair is gray. (...) We always keep the same enthusiasm in 1982 "(Veer Bhadra Mishra, 2005)
Every year March 22 is formed a human chain along the Ghats of Benares for the Day water. It brought together more than 10,000 people this year ...

The problem of pollution of surface waters by urban waste is a major problem in India. The water sources are not inexhaustible and money invests in various projects of treatment and intercepting wastewater (for the Ganges: GAP-I, GAP II, for the Yamuna: YAP-I, YAP-II, etc..) is far from reaching the goals. Today, despite significant investments in projects (51 billion rupees or more than 8 billion expended only for the Ganges), many rivers in India remain largely polluted.
Beyond the addition of new pipelines and new filtration units, thought should also focus on water reuse and waste treatment as well as on operating costs and maintenance of sewerage systems and treatment. A book of "Center of Science and Environment "points to the cost of maintenance pipelines, pumping problems, low efficiency filtration units linked to problems of maintenance and energy as well as long distances between the filter units and locations collection of wastewater.
The redesign project for capturing and processing wastewater require new approaches such Sankat Mochan Foundation proposed or Center of Science and Environment in the Yamuna.

The positive point is that citizen mobilization begins to be heard in front of the of pipelines and treatment units.

For more information on Sankat Mochan Foundation:
Website: www.sgrlvaranasi.in
Hamner S., Tripathi A., Mishra R.K., Bouskill N. Broadaway SC, Pyle, B., T. Ford, The Role of Water use patterns and sewage pollution in incidence of water- Point / enteric diseases Along the Ganges River in Varanasi, India. International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 2006, 16 (2): 113-132
Bhandra Veer Mishra, The Ganga at Varanasi and has Her work to stop abuses. Current Science, 2005; 89 (5): 755-763
For more information on pollution of the Ganges and remediation projects, I recommend the following book in English:
"Sewage Canal How to clean the Yamuna" written and published by Centre of Science and Environment in 2007.