Ganga is not just the name of a river, but she has acquired the status of Goddess and synonyms of all the rivers in which pure water is flowing. Likewise, "GangaJal" has become the synonyms of Pure, Pavitra and Drinkable. She is a faith, more than a river with which people of India are attached to; spiritually and emotionally for their psycho-religious and socio-cultural activities from times immemorial.

It is wonder of all wonders that the water of Ganga which has been considered as nectar on earth has been so much polluted that it is now total poisonous and disease bringer. The very water which has been sent to distant lands and was kept pure fresh and unchanged for many days is fully of injurious, fatal and a living organism. A few years back it has been full of curative power and hence brought to medical use is today much alarming and instinct with heavy metal, bacterial pollution and unfit for human consumption.

• In the upper reaches (Himalayan segment) numerous hydel projects (commissioned as well as planned) threaten the river ecosystem by depriving it off the environmental flows.
• In the stretch beyond this (till Patna) the growing cities and industrial clusters have increased the pollution load discharged into the river.
• In the stretch beyond Patna, the river is relatively clean. But growing cities and lack of assimilation is making the river dirtier.

In the lower reach (West Bengal)the river is indiscriminate exploited by industrial effluent