Metals enter the river as point source pollutants from industrial wastewater discharges and non-point source from atmospheric deposition that contaminates runoff entering the river. One example included the discharge of organic pollutants during a fire at the Sandoz chemical manufacturing plant in Basel, Switzerland, on November 1, 1986. Approximately 90 different chemicals including 20 types of pesticides were stored at this facility. The human population is approximately 220 million within the watershed. The river is considered a holy river by India s Hindus.
Thousands come daily to wash and bathe, to pray, and even to die in the river.
As previously mentioned, the Ganges region is less industrialized than the European countries along the Rhine. The leather industry is the major source of industrial pollutants, especially chromium. However, industrial pollutants are minor compared to the volume of untreated sanitary wastewater discharged into the Ganges. Other pollutant sources include the disposal of ashes from human cremations, which are sometimes incompletely burned, leaving partial decomposed carcasses in the river. In addition, decomposing cattle and other dead livestock are also found floating in the river.