The water quality of the Ganga in Bihar has been deemed unfit for bathing at most locations due to high levels of bacterial contamination, as per findings from the Bihar Economic Survey 2024-25.
 
The Bihar State Pollution Control Board (BSPCB), which monitors the river's water quality at 34 locations every fortnight, has attributed this pollution primarily to the discharge of untreated sewage and domestic wastewater from urban centers along the riverbanks, news agency PTI reported.

According to the survey, the Ganga’s water contains excessive levels of total coliform and faecal coliform bacteria, posing serious health risks.

“Faecal coliform bacteria are found in excreta that contaminates water through untreated sewage. The higher the level, the higher is the presence of disease-causing pathogens in water. According to the CPCB standards, the permissible limit of faecal coliform is 2,500 MPN/100 ml,” BSPCB Chairman D.K. Shukla told PTI.

The permissible limit for faecal coliform, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), is 2,500 MPN (Most Probable Number) per 100 ml, but recorded levels at several sites far exceed this limit.

Recent BSPCB data reveals alarming levels of faecal coliform at multiple monitoring points: Kachchi Dargah-Bidupur Bridge (3,500 MPN/100 ml), Gulabi Ghat (5,400 MPN/100 ml), Triveni Ghat (5,400 MPN/100 ml), Gaighat (3,500 MPN/100 ml), Kewala Ghat (5,400 MPN/100 ml), Gandhi Ghat-NIT (3,500 MPN/100 ml), and Hathidah (5,400 MPN/100 ml).

While other water quality parameters—such as pH levels, dissolved oxygen, and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)—remain within permissible limits, ensuring the river’s suitability for aquatic life, fisheries, and irrigation, the high bacterial load makes it unsafe for human contact.

The BSPCB has emphasized the urgent need for effective sewage treatment and is actively monitoring effluent quality from both industrial units and treatment plants.

“We have directed the authorities concerned to ensure that construction work on certain STPs in the state is completed at the earliest,” Shukla added.

Several major towns along the Ganga in Bihar, including Patna, Bhagalpur, Munger, and Begusarai, contribute to this pollution crisis. The BSPCB has collected 2,561 samples from different sources to assess contamination levels and ensure compliance with environmental standards.