Lockdown led to a 50% reduction in chemical concentration of Ganga: study

The nationwide lockdown, imposed to tackle Covid-19, led to a 50% reduction in the chemical concentration of the river Ganga, a new study conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology- Kanpur has found. The impact of restricted anthropogenic activities was studied at Prayagraj from 25th of March till 13th of May. Researchers concluded that due to a reduction in industrial discharge, there was a decrease in heavy metal concentrations by at least 50%. They noted that a reduction in industrial wastewater can reduce heavy metal pollution in Ganga considerably, in a span of a few months. The study also revealed that Uttar Pradesh alone contributes nearly 54% of total industrial wastewater generation in the Ganga