Answer:
(a) Prior to year 1985, only few
cities and towns had sewage treatment plants. Most of these wage water of urban
as well as rural areas was discharged directly into rivers resulting in their
pollution. Importance of microbial treatment of sewage was then realized and
more sewage treatment plants were established. Still, they are not sufficient
due to increasing urbanization and production of much larger quantities of
sewage as compared to earlier days. Realizing the importance of microbes in
pollution control, the Ministry of Environment and forests has initiated
development of sewage treatment plants under the National River Conservation
Authority .e.g. Ganga Action Plan (GAP) and Yamuna Action Plan (YAP) to save
these major rivers of our country from pollution.
(b) The Ganga Action Plan (GAP) was a
program launched in April, 1986 in order to reduce the pollution load on the
river. A steering committee of the National River Conservation Authority
reviewed the progress of the GAP and necessary correction .Scientists and
religious leaders have speculated on the causes of the river's apparent self-purification
effect, in which water-borne diseases such as dysentery and cholera are eliminated
by killing thin caused organisms. Thus preventing large-scale epidemics. Some
studies have reported that the river retains more oxygen than is typical for
comparable rivers; this could be a factor leading to fewer disease agents being
present in the water.
National River Ganga Basin
Authority (NRGBA) was established by the Central
Government of India, on 20th
February 2009under Section 3(3) of the Environment Protection Act, 1986. It
also declared Ganges as the National, river of India.
You need to login to perform this action.
You will be redirected in
3 sec