A recent instagram post asserts that Ganga water remains pure even when stored in a bottle for several years, attributing this to both scientific and religious reasons. But what are the facts?
Sneha Richhariya, The Week, February 14, 2025 :
CLAIM: Ganga water has self-cleaning and self-healing properties
FACT: Insufficient scientific evidence. For over a century, scientists have documented the presence of bacteriophages—viruses that target and destroy harmful bacteria—helping keep Ganga’s water non-putrefying. However, there is no conclusive evidence of the river’s healing or medicinal properties. Experts attribute Ganga’s unique microbial composition to its course, sediment, and nutrient flow. However, since every river has a distinct chemical makeup shaped by its geography, more comparative research is needed to determine whether other rivers also share similar characteristics.
An Instagram post from the account @time4knowledge has been making rounds on social media, claiming that Ganga water has unique “self-cleaning properties” that have left scientists “shocked.”
The post consists of ten slides, with the first one reading, “Scientists are shocked after testing Ganga water.” It further asserts that Ganga water remains pure even when stored in a bottle for several years, attributing this to both scientific and religious reasons.
The post lists four key factors as the supposed explanation behind the Ganga’s purity.
“First oxygen level present in Ganga water is 25% more than any river present in the world,” it says, while adding that there are medicinal plants on the river basin, “which provides the water with many benefits.”
“Third, Ganga water flows through many mountain region which makes it rich in minerals and especially sulphur,” it continues. It lists the high levels of “a specific kind of virus called bacteriophages,” as the fourth reason as “this bacteria kills all types of harmful bacteria found in Ganga water which keeps the water clean.”
The post goes on to highlight religious beliefs associated with Ganga water, stating that it can be stored in homes for years without getting “wasted” and that its self-healing properties make it a divine element. Additionally, the post cites an Economic Times article as a source and attributes these findings to a scientist named Ernest Hanbury Hankin. However, the link shared in the comments appears to have been generated using ChatGPT, raising concerns about the credibility of the claim.
The Instagram account has 1.8 Million followers and given the widespread engagement the post is receiving, First Check delved into whether there is scientific evidence to support these assertions
What does the evidence say so far?
The Economic Times article presented as a source for this post essentially says that the Indian government started funding a ₹150 crore study to investigate the unique self-purifying properties of the Ganga River in 2014-15. It reports that scientists from premier institutions like AIIMS, IITs, and National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) analysed its microbiological properties, including the presence of bacteriophages that may eliminate harmful bacteria.
The British bacteriologist Ernest Hankin who has been attributed in the Instagram post is known to have observed bacteriophage activity in the Ganga water back in 1896. However, the article quotes that new research is needed to reconfirm this claim. The nine year old article also quotes the then Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Uma Bharti, acknowledging that Ganga retains its pristine waters only till near Haridwar, and then turns into a ‘nallah’ or sewage drain loaded with effluents as it passes through the rest of the plains.
Regarding the presence of the special virus that eats other bacteria, in 2016 ANI reported that Microbiologists from the Chandigarh-based Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH), who had studied the special characteristics of Ganges water have found, several Bacteriophages, which keeps it non-putrefying. The study was commissioned by federal Water Resources and Ganga Rejuvenation Ministry, headed by Uma Bharati, in November, 2014.
However, a 2020 study examined the impact of mass ritualistic bathing during the 2013 Maha-Kumbh on the Ganga River’s water quality, focusing on its physio-chemical properties, microbial diversity, and the role of bacteriophages in controlling bacterial populations.
Results showed a significant increase in pollutants, while dissolved oxygen (DO) levels declined. The study finds that Ganga water contained more bacteriophages than the Yamuna, which helped control bacterial growth and prevent putrefaction. The study concluded that while the Ganga has unique self-cleansing properties, rising pollution levels are overwhelming its natural purification abilities.
What the experts say?
For more than a century, scientists documented the “self-cleansing and special healing properties” of Ganga water and identified bacteriophage as the reason behind the same.
Omkar Gaonkar, an environmentalist specialized in soil and water pollution monitoring, explains that this characteristic is largely influenced by the river’s geographical course, sediment composition, and the nutrients it carries.
“The microbial makeup of Ganga water is determined by factors such as the salts present, the sediment composition, pH levels, and overall nutrient content,” says Gaonkar. He points out that no two rivers have identical chemical compositions, which explains why the Ganga’s properties differ from those of the Yamuna. “The course a river takes significantly influences its water composition, and since the Yamuna flows through a different terrain before joining the Ganga, its microbial profile is distinct.”
When asked about the commonly held belief that Ganga possesses healing properties, Gaonkar clarifies that extensive scientific research need to be conducted to establish this claim.
However, he acknowledges that bacteriophages found in the river can play a crucial role in combating bacterial infections. “These viruses attack harmful bacteria, which could have implications for disease prevention, but extensive research is still needed to confirm any healing properties of the water itself,” he says.
As for whether any other Indian rivers share similar characteristics, Gaonkar notes that comparative studies are lacking. “We would need comprehensive research comparing the Ganga’s composition with that of other rivers across India and globally to make such a determination.”
This story is done in collaboration with First Check, which is the health journalism vertical of DataLEADS.
