Regarded as one of the holiest rivers in the world, the Ganges' sees thousands of Hindu's throng its banks everyday, many worshipers believe that a dip in its waters will cleanse their souls of sin. While this sacred river is extremely beautiful, the sad fact is that, it has become a hole of pollution. In India 10,000 children die of diarrheal sickness every day, and Hinduism's sacred river contains bacteria levels up to 3,000 times over the safety limit.
Almost 75% of Ganga's contaminants are due to municipal sewage, while industrial discharges, pesticides and the rotting remains of dead bodies have increased pollution levels in the river over the years. Diseases including hepatitis, amoebic dysentery, typhoid, cholera and cancer threaten the roughly 400 million faithful who live along its banks. India is expected to get $3 billion in aid from the World Bank for preparing projects to clean the river Ganga. By 2020, the Mission aims to ensure that no untreated municipal sewage and industrial effluents enter the river.
