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VARANASI, INDIA, April 13, 2004: The unique property of the River Ganga, automatically cleansing itself of harmful microbes and other pollutants, could soon vanish according to an expert. Dr R. S. Dubey of the Chemical Engineering Department of the Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, told UNI that such purifying properties of the Ganga were on the verge of dying. He warned that if no efforts were made to check the pollution in the sacred river, the property of its natural conservation would completely end. He said because of the man-made problems, the elements in the river waters killing the harmful microbes could become extinct.The main cause of the ever-increasing Ganga pollution was the chemical waste from industrial units, domestic waste, insecticides and the carcasses being dumped into it, he said, adding that instead of serving as a medicinal boon, the river was only spreading diseases through its “chemical waters.” Dubey said studies had shown people living on the Indo-Gangetic plain had an increased number of jaundice patients, of late. Skin diseases, typhoid, ameobiasis and many other ailments were a common phenomena. He expressed disappointment that none of the efforts of the government as well as private agencies could help in cleansing the holy river despite several million dollars (US$) being spent on the project

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