Abstract: According to a World Bank Sponsored Study (State of Environment Report- U.P.) (In: Mallikarjun, 2003), pollution levels in the Ganga are contributing 9-12% of total disease burden in Uttar Pradesh (U.P.). The coliform bacteria levels are in excess of 2 lakh MPN as against the national water quality standard of 5000 (Mallikarjun, 2003). The report estimated total health damage on account of water pollution in up to is around 6.4 million daily (Disability Adjusted Life Year). According to the CPCB survey report, the total municipal sewage generated in the identified 25 towns in 1985 was of the order of1340 million litres per day (mld). Apart from this sewage, 260 mld of industrial wastewater, runoff from 6 million tons of fertilizers and 9,000 tonnes of pesticides used in agriculture within the basin, large quantities of solid waste, including thousands of animal carcasses and human corpses were being released into the river every day. Out of this, works corresponding to 873 mld only (65%) were taken up under the first phase of GAP. The remaining sewage was to be taken up under the 2nd phase of GAP which is already in progress. The Action Plan primarily addressed itself to the interception and diversion for treatment of the targeted municipal sewage of 873 mld. According to report of Water Resources Planning Commission (May, 2009), the programme GAP and NRCP has been positive. Water quality monitoring done by reputed independent institutions indicates some improvement in the water quality over pre-GAP period. The water quality analysis of samples collected at 16 stations on River Ganga during 1986 and 2008 shows improvement in Dissolved Oxygen (DO) levels at 4 locations namely up and down streams of Allahabad and Varanasi. All the 16 stations except Patna downstream and Rajmahal show reduction in Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) values. The BOD level show marked reduction in Allahabad and Varanasi indicating improvement in the water quality ov