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And in India the holy River Ganges is now one of the dirtiest in the world. Decreasing water levels, excessive silt deposits and decreased flow are being blamed for the increase in pollution.

It might be considered holy by Hindus, but the Ganges River in India is now one of the dirtiest rivers in the world.

Due to falling water levels and excessive silting, the flow of the Ganges has slowed.

This in turn has increased the pollution in the river.

[B. D. Tripathi, Ganga Basin Authority]:
"For the past two decades, we are finding that more than pollution, the Ganges is being affected by the flow of water. When the flow of water is less, then there are many major drawbacks. The first thing that happens due to low flow of water is that siltation begins. Then silt deposits rise, the river shrinks, its carrying capacity decreases, and pollutants and industrial residues increase automatically, even if we control pollution."

The head of the Ganga Pollution Research Center blames poorly constructed hydropower projects and dams for the low water levels.

[P. K. Choudhary, Ganga Pollution Research Center]:
"In Varanasi, the Ganges water has become totally black in color, and in Allahabad it is brown in color. As the dilution factor and water level decrease, the river will become a mere stream."

The cities of Kanpur, Varanasi, Allahabad and Mirzapur are where the river is the most polluted.