Meghan Hodges
India's rivers are worshipped, with the River Ganga (or Ganges) revered as the most sacred and spiritual river. However, India's rivers are facing a pollution crisis, with water pollution a significant environmental issue. The largest source of water pollution in India is untreated sewage, with other sources including agricultural runoff and unregulated small-scale industry. The Indian government has spent millions trying to clean up its rivers, but with little success. So, what is being done about river pollution in India, and will it be enough?
What is being done about river pollution in India?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Monitoring | The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has established a National Water Quality Monitoring Network comprising 1,429 monitoring stations in 28 states and 6 in Union Territories on various rivers and water bodies across the country. |
| Water samples are routinely analysed for 28 parameters, including dissolved oxygen, bacteriological and other internationally established parameters for water quality. | |
| In 2022, the CPCB reported that the most polluted rivers in India were the Cooum in Tamil Nadu, Sabarmati in Gujarat, and Bahela in Uttar Pradesh. | |
| A little over half of India's 605 rivers were found to be polluted by the CPCB in 2022. | |
| Regulation and enforcement | The CPCB, along with various state pollution control boards, undertake initiatives aimed at cleaning and conserving rivers in India. |
| In 2017, the High Court of Uttarakhand state confirmed the deified status Hindus attribute to the river and ruled that the Ganges and the Yamuna river are "living entities" entitled to human rights. | |
| The Namami Gange project was announced in 2014 to clean up the river, with an estimated ₹30 billion (US$460 million) spent by 2016. | |
| The National Green Tribunal found that the Godavari River was unfit for bathing purposes, even for rituals and festivals. | |
| Capacity building and awareness | The government has spent Rs. 13,000 crore on cleaning the Ganga river alone. |
| The government has invested in substantial new infrastructure to treat sewage and industrial waste throughout the Ganges' catchment area. | |
| The government has pledged to ban plastic and ensure proper waste disposal in cities, towns, and villages, promote awareness, organise river cleanup campaigns, and collaborate with non-profits. | |
| Research and development | The government has proposed solutions such as demolishing upstream dams to allow more water to flow into the river during the dry season and constructing new upstream dams or coastal reservoirs to provide dilution water. |
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What You'll Learn
Sewage treatment plants are defunct or not operating at full capacity
Sewage treatment plants (STPs) in India are either defunct or not operating at full capacity. This is a significant issue, as it leads to untreated sewage being discharged into rivers, which is the predominant cause of water pollution in India.
A large number of Indian rivers are severely polluted due to the discharge of untreated domestic sewage. Major cities in India produce 38,354 million litres per day (MLD) of sewage, but the urban sewage treatment capacity is only 11,786 MLD, resulting in a significant gap between sewage generation and treatment capacity. This gap leads to the release of untreated sewage into water bodies, causing high levels of organic and bacterial contamination.
The Ganga River, India's largest river, is a prime example of the impact of untreated sewage. Despite being revered as a sacred river by Hindus, the Ganga has become severely polluted. In Varanasi, the river has high levels of faecal bacteria, making it unsafe for bathing or drinking. The situation is similar in other rivers like the Yamuna, Godavari, and Gomti, where pollution levels have increased despite government interventions.
The Indian government has recognized the severity of the issue and has invested significant resources into cleaning up rivers, particularly the Ganga. However, these efforts have often fallen short due to a lack of proper municipal waste plants and sewage treatment infrastructure. To effectively address the problem of river pollution, it is crucial to ensure that sewage treatment plants are functioning optimally and that there is sufficient treatment capacity to handle the volume of sewage generated.
Additionally, it is important to address the root causes of river pollution, which include unethical behaviour by individuals, uncontrolled industrial activities, and the discharge of untreated sewage effluents. By improving waste management practices, enforcing environmental regulations, and promoting awareness, India can make significant strides towards reducing river pollution and protecting its vital water resources.
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Industrial waste is dumped untreated into rivers
India's rivers are severely polluted due to the discharge of untreated industrial waste. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported that as of 2016, there were 746 industries directly depositing wastewater into the Ganga, India's largest river. This wastewater contains heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, copper, chromium, zinc, and arsenic, which are harmful to both aquatic life and human health. The Ganga softshell turtle, for example, is a vulnerable species that inhabits the Ganges and is particularly susceptible to heavy metal pollution.
The pollution of the Ganges is a significant threat to both the environment and human health. The river supplies water to approximately 40% of India's population across 11 states, serving an estimated 500 million people. Despite its importance, the river has failed to meet the standards for safe drinking, bathing, or agricultural use due to high levels of coliform bacteria and toxic chemicals. The leather industry in Kanpur, for instance, uses toxic chromium compounds that have contaminated the river despite the establishment of a common treatment plant.
Industrial waste is also polluting other rivers in India, such as the Godavari, which is considered unfit for bathing even for rituals and festivals. The industrial waste is higher in the districts of Adilabad, Karimnagar, Warangal, and Khammam. Similarly, the Ajnar river in Madhya Pradesh has been affected by chemical waste dumped in open fields by industries, resulting in the death of many cattle, aquatic animals, and wild animals.
To address the issue of river pollution from industrial waste, the Indian government has established a National Water Quality Monitoring Network comprising 1,429 monitoring stations in 28 states and 6 Union Territories. However, the problem persists due to a lack of sufficient treatment capacity and the failure of existing sewage treatment plants to operate effectively. There is a need for increased investment in infrastructure to treat industrial waste and sewage, as proposed in the Namami Gange project, to improve water quality in India's rivers.
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Religious practices contribute to river pollution
India's rivers, which number more than 400, are the main source of water, supplying 90% of the country. However, the Central Pollution Control Board has warned that the water in half of the nation's rivers is unsafe to drink and at least a quarter of the rivers cannot be used for bathing. While there are many factors contributing to this issue, such as dumped industrial and household waste and open defecation, religious practices also play a surprisingly significant role.
The Ganges is one of the most revered and most polluted rivers in India. It is considered sacred in Hinduism and is designated as the "National River of India". It is estimated that 70 million Hindu people bathe in the Ganges during festive seasons to cleanse themselves of their past sins. However, this ritual bathing practice contributes to the river's pollution as people leave behind food, waste, and leaves in the water. In addition, traditional Hindu beliefs hold that cremating a body on the banks of the Ganges and allowing it to float down the river will cleanse the sins of the deceased and carry them to salvation. In the Hindu holy city of Varanasi alone, approximately 40,000 bodies are cremated and deposited into the river each year. Many of these bodies are only partially burned due to the high cost of cremation wood, further adding to the pollution.
The immersion of statues of deities in the river during religious festivals also contributes to pollution. These statues are often painted and decorated with materials that are not environmentally friendly, leading to water contamination and negatively impacting the flora and fauna.
The Godavari River, also known as Dakshin Ganga or the Ganges of the South, is another example of a river affected by religious practices. It has 31 polluted stretches, and its principal sources of pollution are untreated sewerage and industrial effluents. The water quality has deteriorated to the extent that it is unfit for bathing rituals and festivals.
Ritual bathing is a prominent religious activity associated with the Ganges, with millions participating in this practice during festivals and large-scale gatherings. While this tradition holds significant cultural and spiritual importance, it also contributes to the river's pollution load, particularly when combined with other factors such as untreated sewage and industrial waste.
Addressing the pollution caused by religious practices requires a multifaceted approach. Some have suggested providing alternatives, such as creating immersion sites for religious ceremonies near rivers. Others advocate for tougher legislation and education to raise awareness about the environmental impact of these practices.
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Government initiatives to clean up rivers have failed
Government initiatives to clean up India's rivers have largely failed. Despite spending over Rs 32,000 crores since 2014, 71% of monitoring stations in the Ganga reported very high levels of faecal coliform in 2022. The Ganga, India's largest and most sacred river, is now one of the most polluted bodies of water in the world.
The main sources of pollution are untreated sewage, industrial waste, and agricultural runoff. Sewage discharged from cities, towns, and villages is the predominant cause of water pollution in India. Major cities produce 38,354 million litres per day (MLD) of sewage, but the urban sewage treatment capacity is only 11,786 MLD. As a result, untreated sewage is discharged into rivers, causing high levels of organic and bacterial contamination.
Industrial waste is also a major contributor to river pollution in India. From 2016 to 2017, it is estimated that 7.17 million tonnes of hazardous waste were produced by industrial plants, with 746 industries directly depositing wastewater into the Ganga alone. This wastewater contains heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, copper, chromium, zinc, and arsenic, which are harmful to both aquatic life and human health.
Agricultural runoff, carrying fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, also contributes to river pollution by increasing nutrient loads, causing eutrophication and oxygen depletion, and introducing toxic pollutants harmful to aquatic life.
Various government initiatives have been undertaken to clean up India's rivers, but they have failed to produce significant results. In 2014, the Indian government announced the Namami Gange project, with an estimated ₹30 billion (US$460 million) spent on cleaning up the Ganga by 2016. However, these efforts have not been successful. The proposed solutions, such as demolishing upstream dams or constructing new ones, are expensive and may not be effective.
The failure of government initiatives can be attributed to several factors, including a lack of infrastructure and proper waste management systems, inadequate sewage treatment capacity, and uncontrolled industrial activities. Additionally, cultural and religious practices, such as the cremation of bodies and the disposal of waste into sacred rivers, further contribute to the pollution.
To address river pollution in India, the government and society must work together to implement measures such as banning plastic, ensuring proper waste disposal, promoting awareness, organising river cleanup campaigns, and regularly monitoring water quality. Without a circular waste management system and stricter enforcement of environmental laws, India's river pollution crisis will persist.
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Poor waste segregation practices
India's rivers are severely polluted, with the predominant cause being the discharge of untreated sewage from cities, towns, and villages. This, combined with industrial and agricultural waste, has resulted in high levels of organic and bacterial contamination in water bodies across the country.
One of the main issues with waste segregation in India is the lack of source segregation. Municipalities struggle to implement effective solid waste management systems that integrate technology with household-level segregation. As a result, waste often ends up in landfills instead of being processed and reused. While some cities, such as Mumbai, have made segregation of municipal waste mandatory, many other urban areas lack the necessary infrastructure and systems to effectively separate and treat waste.
The management of landfills is another critical aspect of improving waste segregation practices. The MSW (draft) Rules, 2015, emphasize that landfills should only be used for residual waste that is non-usable, non-recyclable, non-biodegradable, non-combustible, and non-reactive. However, enforcement of these rules remains a challenge, as city governments' contracts with private concessionaires often incentivize bringing larger volumes of waste to dumpsites.
Furthermore, India's diverse religious groups, cultures, and traditions can complicate waste management practices. For example, the Ganges River, considered sacred in Hinduism, faces significant pollution due to the disposal of food, waste, and leaves by those bathing in the river or cremating their loved ones along its banks. While initiatives like the Namami Gange project have been launched to address this issue, the river remains severely polluted.
To address these poor waste segregation practices and reduce river pollution, India needs to focus on implementing sustainable waste management systems, improving infrastructure for treating sewage and industrial waste, and enforcing regulations that promote proper waste segregation and landfill management.
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Frequently asked questions
The predominant cause of river pollution in India is untreated sewage discharged from cities, towns, and some villages. Other sources of pollution include agricultural runoff and unregulated small-scale industry.
The Indian government has implemented various initiatives to combat river pollution, including the Namami Gange project, which aims to clean up the Ganges river. The Central Pollution Control Board has established a National Water Quality Monitoring Network to monitor water quality across the country. Additionally, government organisations and society are working to implement measures such as banning plastic, promoting proper waste disposal, and organising river cleanup campaigns.
River pollution in India has severe health impacts. According to the World Bank, the health costs attributed to water pollution in India total nearly $6.7-8.7 billion annually. Additionally, an estimated 37.7 million people in India suffer from waterborne illnesses each year, and over 300,000 Indian children die annually from drinking contaminated water.
