Devising a people-friendly test kit for overcoming challenges in the assessment of water quality and analysis of water pollution in the river Ganga

Abstract:  The Ganga is the most sacred Indian river, and it influences the lifestyle of ∼400 million people. However, owing to several anthropogenic activities, biotic and abiotic pollutants have increased substantially. The water quality assessment of the Ganga river has indicated that the water is not potable along most of its stretch. Most of the pollutants originate from a lack of responsible waste dumping from industrial, farming, sewage sectors and religious activities and cremation practices. The level of dissolved oxygen and biological oxygen could be the reason for serious concerns about aquatic life and human health risks. In this context, the challenges associated with formulating a standard testing kit for the Ganga water from people friendly viewpoint and utilising their knowledge base is presented. Overall identified data from available sources have been classified in terms of sources, such as industrial, farming, various religious activities, cremation practices, and their possible effects on aquatic life and human health. The present level of pollution from all sources and accepted standards are discussed. Further, we have highlighted the need for understanding pollution from the people's perspective involved in various activities and postulated the information regarding the sensors that have been developed to identify a variety of pollutants in the water.