Ganges River

Police found body of 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari near a bridge over the River Ganges in Rishikesh city

India has officially reported 403,281 deaths out of 29.75 million people who have contracted the virus

Bodies dumped because cremation sites overwhelmed or relatives couldn't afford wood for funeral pyres, say locals

The country reports 184,372 cases in the last 24 hours, while the deaths rise by 1,027

Believing that dying in Varanasi releases them from the eternal cycle of life and death reincarnation

These rivers are also in countries with a high rate of mismanaged plastic waste production

The Ganges is arguably one of the most revered rivers in the world - and one of the most polluted

Last week, more than 80 dead bodies, mostly decomposed skeletons and half burnt corpses, surfaced in the river