Varanasi: Students in Varanasi have taken the lead in cleaning up the Ganga after many government- sponsored projects failed to make the river free of pollutants. Hindus believe that a dip in its holy waters cleanses them of their sins.

"In Varanasi, the Ganga is more dirty when compared to its course along other cities. We have roped in small children to clean the river. We also train them how to do it. We are sure that one day people will realise that Ganga has to be cleaned," said Chandrashekhar Tulsiani, who has engaged student volunteers from local schools for the job.

The Ganga runs its course of over 2,500 kilometres (1,562 miles) from Gangotri in the Himalayas to Ganga Sagar in the Bay of Bengal.

Though a Ganga Action Plan was set up by the Union government in 1986 to cleanse the river, much of the "action" remains on paper. In 1996, the Supreme Court had banned the discharge of effluents from the various tanneries located on its banks in the Kanpur city.

It is estimated that about 1.05 billion litres of sewage is being emptied daily in the river, which also has to bear the immersion of partially cremated bodies.

Over the past few years, hundreds of hotels, which have sprung up on the river's banks to cater to the constant rush of devotees, have also been dumping their waste there.

Nearly $ 72 million have been spent on the project so far, but the problem is far from over.

With one billion tonnes of waste being dumped into it everyday, the Ganga remains the most polluted river in the world.

ANI