Published Paper Details:

This paper reveals that the Ganga is considered sacred by people of India for providing life sustenance to environment and ecology. Anthropogenic activities have generated important transformations in aquatic environments during the last few decades. Human civilization has put serious questions to the safe use of river water for drinking and other purposes. The river Ganga water pollution due to heavy metals is one of the major concerns in most of the metropolitan cities of developing countries. Heavy metal concentration in sediments of Ganga River was studied significant difference between sites situated upstream and downstream of Varanasi urban core. Metal concentration increased consistently along the study gradient, indicating the influence of urban sources. These toxic heavy metals entering the environment may lead to bioaccumulation and bio- magnifications. These heavy metals are not readily degradable in nature and accumulate in the animal as well as human bodies to a very high toxic amount leading to undesirable effects beyond a certain limit. Heavy metals in the river, environment represents an abiding threat to human health. Exposure to heavy metals has been linked to developmental retardation, kidney damage, various cancers, and even death in instances of very high exposure.