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Photos: Ganga’s pristine waters take a toxic turn coursing through India

Ganga, the holiest of India's rivers takes hits to the purity of its waters, traced in these images from the point of its main stem in Devprayag to its emptying into the Bay of Bengal.

Updated on: Jul 11, 2017 1:53 PM IST

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The River Ganga begins as a confluence of the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers high in Devprayag with its waters crystal clear, but pollution and excessive human influence transform it into toxic sludge as it courses through India’s holiest cities, agricultural and industrial belts, merging finally into the Bay of Bengal. (Danish Siddiqui / Reuters)

Updated on Jul 11, 2017 1:53 PM

The River Ganga begins as a confluence of the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers high in Devprayag with its waters crystal clear, but pollution and excessive human influence transform it into toxic sludge as it courses through India’s holiest cities, agricultural and industrial belts, merging finally into the Bay of Bengal. (Danish Siddiqui / Reuters)

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Priests sit inside a cave as they perform evening prayers on the banks of the river Ganga in Devprayag, Uttarakhand, the location of the confluence and renaming of two rivers into Ganga. (Danish Siddiqui / Reuters)

Updated on Jul 11, 2017 1:53 PM

Priests sit inside a cave as they perform evening prayers on the banks of the river Ganga in Devprayag, Uttarakhand, the location of the confluence and renaming of two rivers into Ganga. (Danish Siddiqui / Reuters)

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A devotee bathes at the confluence of the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers which form the Ganga in Devprayag, Uttarakhand. The waters here are starkly clear in comparison to further downstream. (Danish Siddiqui / Reuters)

Updated on Jul 11, 2017 1:53 PM

A devotee bathes at the confluence of the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers which form the Ganga in Devprayag, Uttarakhand. The waters here are starkly clear in comparison to further downstream. (Danish Siddiqui / Reuters)

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Devotees offer evening prayers on the banks of the river Ganga in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. As the river flows down, it comes into greater contact with civilisation, altering the composition of the water depending on the regions it passes.

Updated on Jul 11, 2017 1:53 PM

Devotees offer evening prayers on the banks of the river Ganga in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. As the river flows down, it comes into greater contact with civilisation, altering the composition of the water depending on the regions it passes.

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A man sits next to a damaged idol of the goddess Kali which was taken out after its immersion in the river Ganga in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. (Danish Siddiqui / Reuters)

Updated on Jul 11, 2017 1:53 PM

A man sits next to a damaged idol of the goddess Kali which was taken out after its immersion in the river Ganga in Haridwar, Uttarakhand. (Danish Siddiqui / Reuters)

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Dyed leather pieces set out to dry near the banks of the river Ganga in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Industrial waste and effluents from towns and cities along the Ganga makes their way into the water. (Danish Siddiqui / Reuters)

Updated on Jul 11, 2017 1:53 PM

Dyed leather pieces set out to dry near the banks of the river Ganga in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Industrial waste and effluents from towns and cities along the Ganga makes their way into the water. (Danish Siddiqui / Reuters)

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Polluted water with chemical waste from tanneries is seen in the Ganga at Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Despite the Ganga Action Plan and the more recent ‘Namami Gange’ plans focussing on issues like effluent run-off and biodiversity conservation, the dumping of untreated waste continues to be an impediment to such efforts. (Danish Siddiqui / Reuters)

Updated on Jul 11, 2017 1:53 PM

Polluted water with chemical waste from tanneries is seen in the Ganga at Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. Despite the Ganga Action Plan and the more recent ‘Namami Gange’ plans focussing on issues like effluent run-off and biodiversity conservation, the dumping of untreated waste continues to be an impediment to such efforts. (Danish Siddiqui / Reuters)

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Untreated sewage flows from an open drain into the river Ganga in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, a carpet and brass manufacturing hub. (Danish Siddiqui / Reuters)

Updated on Jul 11, 2017 1:53 PM

Untreated sewage flows from an open drain into the river Ganga in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, a carpet and brass manufacturing hub. (Danish Siddiqui / Reuters)

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An employee works inside a leather tannery at an industrial area in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. (Danish Siddiqui / Reuters)

Updated on Jul 11, 2017 1:53 PM

An employee works inside a leather tannery at an industrial area in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. (Danish Siddiqui / Reuters)

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Relatives immerse a body in the river Ganga prior to cremation in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Countless Hindu devotees come to the ancient holy city and cremate the dead, immersing their ashes into the ghats along the banks in hope of salvation. During major festivals offerings and the residual waste generated add to the human impact on the Ganga. Widely held beliefs of bathing and drinking the water from the river pose health risks in such circumstances. (Danish Siddiqui / Reuters)

Updated on Jul 11, 2017 1:53 PM

Relatives immerse a body in the river Ganga prior to cremation in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. Countless Hindu devotees come to the ancient holy city and cremate the dead, immersing their ashes into the ghats along the banks in hope of salvation. During major festivals offerings and the residual waste generated add to the human impact on the Ganga. Widely held beliefs of bathing and drinking the water from the river pose health risks in such circumstances. (Danish Siddiqui / Reuters)

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Garbage is cleaned along the banks of the river Ganga in Kolkata, West Bengal. From its pristine waters in the Devprayag region to the final mixing of littered and polluted water emptying into the Bay of Bengal, the transformation that occurs in the quality of the water is apparent. (Danish Siddiqui / Reuters)

Updated on Jul 11, 2017 1:53 PM

Garbage is cleaned along the banks of the river Ganga in Kolkata, West Bengal. From its pristine waters in the Devprayag region to the final mixing of littered and polluted water emptying into the Bay of Bengal, the transformation that occurs in the quality of the water is apparent. (Danish Siddiqui / Reuters)

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A lamp lit by a pilgrim is seen at the confluence of the river Ganga and the Bay of Bengal, at Sagar Island, south of Kolkata, West Bengal. (Danish Siddiqui / Reuters)

Updated on Jul 11, 2017 1:53 PM

A lamp lit by a pilgrim is seen at the confluence of the river Ganga and the Bay of Bengal, at Sagar Island, south of Kolkata, West Bengal. (Danish Siddiqui / Reuters)

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