Answer:
The answer is B. People do not drink the water because it is so polluted.
Explanation:
In spite of the river’s importance and its place in the spiritual lives of Indians, the quality of the water has become poor. Chemicals used in fertilizer and industry are washed into the river every day. Human and animal waste also foul the river. The bodies of dead animals as well as the cremated remains of human beings (bodies that are burned after death and whose ashes are scattered in the river) regularly float down the river. In spite of this, many Indians bathe in the Ganges. They also use the water for drinking and cooking. Cities along the Ganges have the highest rates of water-born diseases (diseases found in drinking water) of any who live in India. Still, these cities pour millions of gallons of sewage (water that contains waste products) into the river to be carried to cities and villages farther south. Outbreaks of such diseases as cholera, dysentery, typhoid, and hepatitis are common. Most officials say polluted river water is part of the reason. India did begin a program called the Ganges Action Plan in 1985 to try to clean up the river. Many sewage and water treatment plants have been built along the river. However, the growing population of India and the run-off from industrial and farm production have meant that clean-up efforts fall short of what is needed.
