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Biological water quality assessment of the river ganga (2017-18)

The report summarises water quality of the river during four rounds of biological testing in the Uttarakhand stretch, and reveals that at the Haridwar barrage biological water quality improves from slight pollution to clean. Biological monitoring of the Ganga has shown that two major tributaries, Pandu and Varuna, are increasing pollution load of the river as they are “severely polluted” before their confluence point, a Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report has said. In Uttarakhand, the outlet from a sewage treatment plant in Jagjeetpur is also “adding a lot of pollutants” as observed by the change in biological water quality from Category B (outdoor bathing) to Category C (drinking water source after conventional treatment) downstream of the plant, the report says.