Snapshot: Tackling pollution in the Ganges

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Neil Palmer

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Landscape Restoration

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Water

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This photo blog is part of a new monthly Snapshot series.

Pollution in the Ganges

Photo: Neil Palmer

Partially treated sewage and industrial effluent is pumped into irrigation channels in Jajmau, a suburb of the Indian city of Kanpur. What isn’t used by farmers eventually flows into the Ganges, one of the country’s most polluted rivers.

The CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE) has just started work with the Indian government to develop ways to tackle the pollution problem. One method could involve diverting wastewater onto specially created wetlands and letting the natural process of filtration and absorption remove pollutants. Another uses large areas of sand to filter the water before it reaches the river.

For more information: https://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/2015/02/cleaning-the-ganges/