As the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 unfolds in Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj, millions of devotees gather at the Sangam, the sacred confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati, believing in the divinity of these waters. Pilgrims travel from every corner of the country, braving long journeys just for a few seconds in the river- seeking spiritual liberation, divine blessings, and, above all, the cleansing of sins.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth, Are they stepping into a river of salvation or a toxic cesspool of waste?

In recent weeks, reports from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) have raised serious concerns about contaminants in the Ganga and Yamuna. Fecal coliform bacteria levels have exceeded safe limits, heavy metals have been detected in alarming concentrations, and industrial discharge continues to poison the very waters that millions consider holy. The same devotees who come to seek purity may be exposing themselves to serious health risks- bacterial infections, skin diseases, and even life-threatening illnesses.

Yet, the paradox remains. The river is worshipped, yet relentlessly polluted. It is called a giver of life, yet it carries the seeds of disease.

This crisis, however, is not confined to the Maha Kumbh. It is a symptom of a larger, deeper failure- the slow death of India’s rivers. From the polluted Yamuna in Delhi to the dying Brahmaputra in Assam, from the poisoned Godavari in the south to the filthy Sabarmati in Gujarat, almost every river in India is on life support. Unchecked pollution, industrial waste, untreated sewage, and reckless religious practices have turned our rivers into carriers of disease instead of life.

Can we still save them?

To answer this, we must understand the full scale of the crisis, its impact on human health and ecosystems, and most importantly, explore real, actionable solutions.

Rivers: Worshipped Yet Neglected

For centuries, India’s rivers have been more than just water bodies. They are gods, lifelines, and the pulse of civilization. The Ganga is called ‘Mother’, believed to grant moksha (liberation). The Yamuna is Krishna’s playground, the Godavari is the Ganga of the South, and the Narmada is considered a living goddess. Every river has a story, a sacred bond with its people.

Yet, the harsh reality is that these very rivers- once pristine, flowing with life-giving waters- are now among the most polluted in the world. The same pilgrims who take a dip in the Ganga unknowingly immerse themselves in sewage, industrial chemicals, and deadly bacteria.

How did we get here? The answer lies in a combination of rapid urbanization, unchecked pollution, religious rituals, and government failures.

The Paradox of Worship and Pollution: How India’s Sacred Rivers Are Dying

For centuries, Indian civilization has revolved around its rivers. The Ganga, Yamuna, Brahmaputra, Narmada, Godavari, and Kaveri are not just water bodies- they are revered as goddesses, mothers, and lifelines of faith. Every morning, thousands gather on the riverbanks to offer prayers, perform rituals, and take a dip, believing that the waters hold divine power to cleanse sins and cure diseases.

Yet, despite this spiritual devotion, India’s rivers are among the most polluted in the world. The same hands that fold in reverence often discard plastic, flowers wrapped in polythene, ashes, and untreated sewage into the water. Religious festivals, cremation rituals, and pilgrimages bring massive crowds, leaving behind tons of waste that suffocate the river’s ecosystem.

Case Study: The Yamuna in Delhi- A River of Foam and Poison

The Yamuna, once a thriving river, is now a toxic sludge by the time it reaches Delhi. During Durga Puja or Ganesh Visarjan, thousands immerse idols painted with lead, arsenic, and mercury, poisoning the very water they worship. The river turns into a frothing mess of industrial waste, sewage, and chemicals, with ammonia levels 20 times the safe limit. By 2024, nearly 85% of Delhi’s sewage was still being dumped untreated into the Yamuna, making it biologically dead in certain stretches.

This is not just an environmental catastrophe– it is a public health emergency.

The Health Impact: How Polluted Rivers Are Making Indians Sick

Waterborne diseases kill more Indians each year than any other form of pollution. The contamination of rivers affects millions of people, particularly those who rely on them for drinking water, cooking, and daily needs.

1. Varanasi: The Ganga and the Rise of Cholera, Typhoid, and Skin Diseases

Varanasi, one of Hinduism’s holiest cities, sees more than 60,000 people bathing daily in the Ganga. Yet, the water is laced with coliform bacteria at levels thousands of times higher than safe limits. According to a 2023 study by Banaras Hindu University (BHU):

• 80% of households reported cases of skin infections and rashes among those who bathe regularly in the river.
• Cholera and typhoid cases have risen by 30% over the past five years due to contaminated drinking water drawn from the river.
• Tests found arsenic and lead levels exceeding WHO standards, contributing to long-term neurological and developmental issues.

2. Patna: Elephantiasis and Heavy Metal Poisoning from the Ganga

In Bihar, where millions depend on the Ganga, water pollution has triggered an epidemic of elephantiasis, a disease that causes severe limb swelling and disability. A study by the State Health Department in 2022 found that:

• More than 40% of drinking water sources tested in Patna had dangerous levels of fluoride and arsenic.
• Villages along the banks reported a 20% increase in cancer cases linked to prolonged exposure to heavy metals.
• Filariasis (elephantiasis) affected nearly 10% of households in certain river-dependent communities.

3. Kanpur: The Leather Industry’s Deadly Impact

The tanneries of Kanpur, which manufacture leather products for global markets, release chromium, cadmium, and toxic dyes directly into the Ganga. The consequences?

• A 2023 CPCB report found that 50% of groundwater sources within 10 km of the river are contaminated with carcinogenic chemicals.
• Cases of kidney failure, liver damage, and reproductive disorders have surged among tannery workers and nearby residents.
• Children born in affected areas show stunted growth and developmental issues, likely due to exposure to chromium and lead.

Why Are India’s Rivers in Crisis?

India’s rivers are dying a slow death, choked by industrial waste, untreated sewage, agricultural runoff, and religious rituals. Despite being revered as goddesses and lifelines of faith, these rivers are treated as dumping grounds, leading to a public health and environmental disaster.

1. Devotion Turning into Pollution

Religious sentiments play a significant role in the desecration of India’s rivers. Millions of people perform rituals, cremations, and idol immersions, often unaware of the environmental consequences.

Throwing Sacred Wastes and Flowers Wrapped in Plastic

• Every day, thousands of tons of flowers, incense, and ritual offerings wrapped in plastic are dumped into the Ganga and Yamuna.
• A 2019 study by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) found that 60% of waste in Varanasi’s Ganga ghats is religious waste.

Immersion of Idols Painted with Toxic Chemicals

• Festivals like Durga Puja, Ganesh Chaturthi, etc. witness mass idol immersions, releasing lead, mercury, and arsenic into rivers.
• The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) reported that after Ganesh Visarjan in Maharashtra, water samples showed a 100% increase in heavy metals, making it unsafe for human contact.

Cremation Ashes and Half-Burnt Bodies in the Ganga

• In Varanasi, more than 300 bodies are cremated daily at Manikarnika and Harishchandra ghats, with their ashes and remains dumped into the Ganga.
• Due to poverty, some families perform partial cremations, leaving half-burnt bodies floating in the river.
• A 2017 CPCB report found that dissolved oxygen levels near cremation sites were dangerously low, leading to fish deaths and ecosystem collapse.

2. Industrial Waste Dumping

Industries treat rivers as free disposal sites, releasing untreated effluents loaded with hazardous chemicals.

• Over 72% of India’s industrial wastewater is discharged untreated into rivers.
• The Kali River in western Uttar Pradesh is known as a “cancer river” due to the high presence of cadmium, chromium, and lead.
• The Yamuna near Delhi has ammonia levels 20 times the safe limit, making it unfit even for irrigation.

3. Sewage Overflow

India produces 72,000 million liters of sewage per day, but only 30% is treated before being dumped into rivers.

• The Ganga alone receives 2.9 billion liters of sewage every day, making its water unfit for drinking and bathing.
• The Gomti River in Lucknow has turned black due to uncontrolled sewage dumping, killing aquatic life.

4. Agricultural Runoff

Fertilizers and pesticides used in farming flow into rivers, causing toxic algae blooms that deplete oxygen and kill fish.

• The Godavari River has experienced multiple fish die-offs due to pesticide contamination.
• A 2021 study found high nitrate levels in the Kaveri River, linked to stomach cancers and kidney diseases in Tamil Nadu villages.

5. Climate Change

Global warming is reducing river flow, concentrating pollutants and making rivers even more toxic.

• The Himalayan glaciers feeding the Ganga and Yamuna are shrinking, reducing water flow by 30% in the last 50 years.
• Lower water levels increase pollution concentration, making the water unsafe even for agricultural use.

Solutions: Can We Still Save India’s Rivers?

Despite the severe crisis facing India’s rivers, all hope is not lost. Across the world, polluted rivers have been revived through scientific interventions, policy changes, and community efforts. India, too, can restore its dying rivers by combining strict regulations, innovative technologies, and public awareness. Here’s how we can turn the tide and save our rivers.

1. Strengthening Wastewater Treatment and Sewage Management

Current Situation:

• Only 30% of India’s sewage is treated before entering rivers. The untreated sewage causes mass contamination, leading to outbreaks of diseases like cholera, dysentery, and hepatitis.
• The Ganga alone receives nearly 3 billion liters of sewage daily, much of it untreated.

Solutions:
Expand and Upgrade Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs):

• Germany treats 96% of its wastewater before releasing it into rivers—India must aim for similar efficiency.
• The Namami Gange Project has helped build STPs in Kanpur, Varanasi, and Patna, but more cities need mandatory sewage treatment.
• Encourage decentralized wastewater treatment systems in smaller towns and villages.

Enforce Zero Discharge Policy for Cities Along Rivers:

• Cities like Surat and Indore have successfully implemented zero liquid discharge policies, ensuring that no untreated sewage enters rivers.
• Mandatory sewage treatment plants for all urban areas with heavy penalties for non-compliance.

Use Wetland-Based Wastewater Treatment (Natural Filters):

• Kolkata’s East Kolkata Wetlands naturally treat 600 million liters of sewage daily, providing a model for other cities.
• Constructed wetlands and bioremediation ponds can naturally filter pollutants and restore water quality.

2. Industrial Regulations

Current Situation:

• Over 72% of India’s industrial wastewater is released untreated into rivers.
• The Yamuna near Delhi has ammonia levels 20 times above safe limits due to chemical industry waste dumping.

Solutions:
Mandatory Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) for Industries

• Strict enforcement of “polluter pays” principles—industries must recycle and treat all wastewater.
• CPCB must introduce AI-based real-time monitoring of industrial waste discharge, ensuring factories do not bypass regulations.

Shut Down or Penalize Polluting Industries

• Tamil Nadu shut down the polluting Sterlite Copper plant after it contaminated groundwater—similar action is needed for riverside polluters.
• Heavy fines, criminal charges, and license revocation for repeat offenders.

Promote Eco-Friendly Industrial Practices

• Use green chemicals and biodegradable dyes to prevent heavy metal pollution.
• Incentives for industries that adopt water recycling and zero-discharge policies.

3. Controlling Religious and Domestic Waste Dumping

Current Situation:

• 60% of waste in Varanasi’s Ganga ghats is religious waste, including flowers, plastic-wrapped offerings, and cremation remains.
• Idol immersions release toxic chemicals like lead and mercury into the water.

Solutions:
Eco-Friendly Alternatives for Religious Practices

• Promote bio-degradable idols made of clay and natural colors.
• Separate “Puja Waste Bins” at ghats and temples, where flowers and offerings can be composted instead of being dumped into rivers.
• Awareness campaigns in religious places to encourage rituals that don’t harm nature.

Regulated Cremation Practices

• Encourage electric and gas crematoriums to reduce the number of half-burnt bodies entering rivers.
• Offer free cremation facilities for poor families to prevent incomplete cremations.
• Vedic cremation models, where lesser wood is used, must be revived.

Ban Plastic Wrapping of Offerings

• Implement strict fines for plastic use in religious offerings at riversides.
• Create eco-friendly Puja kits made from biodegradable materials.

4. Addressing Health Impacts of Contaminated Water

Current Situation:

• Over 1.5 million children die annually due to waterborne diseases.
• Elephantiasis, typhoid, and cholera are rampant in Varanasi, Patna, and rural areas near polluted rivers.

Solutions:
Provide Safe Drinking Water in Affected Areas

• Install low-cost community water filters in villages near polluted rivers.
• WHO-certified water testing kits must be distributed in high-risk zones.

Public Health Campaigns on Waterborne Diseases

• Schools and local organizations must educate people on boiling water and sanitation practices.
• Governments should provide free vaccines against cholera and typhoid in severely affected regions.

Strict Regulation of Agricultural Runoff

• Subsidies for organic farming to reduce chemical pesticide contamination.
• Buffer zones with natural vegetation along riverbanks to filter agricultural runoff before it enters rivers.

5. Rivers Can’t Be Saved Without People

No river revival project can succeed without the involvement of the people who depend on it.

Local Monitoring Committees

• Empower riverbank communities to report pollution through mobile apps and helplines.
• Train local volunteers to monitor water quality and alert authorities.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in River Cleaning

• Big industries should be required to adopt and clean nearby river stretches under their CSR programs.
• Successful models like the Adyar River Restoration in Chennai, led by citizen groups and corporate funding, should be expanded nationwide.

River Festivals to Promote Awareness

• Instead of polluting river festivals, celebrate “Clean Ganga Day” and “Yamuna Utsav” to promote awareness.
• Engage religious leaders in spreading messages of eco-friendly worship.

Learning from Global Success Stories

India can adopt successful river restoration models from other parts of the world:

Thames River, UK – Once a Dead River, Now Revived

• In the 1950s, the Thames was declared “biologically dead”, but strong environmental laws and waste treatment revived it.
• India can implement similar “River Protection Laws” with strict penalties for polluters.

Yangtze River, China – Strict Industrial Waste Control

• China banned chemical industries along the Yangtze, significantly improving water quality.
• India must relocate heavily polluting industries away from rivers.

Sabarmati River, India – Riverfront Restoration Model

• Ahmedabad transformed the dying Sabarmati into a clean river with proper sewage treatment and pollution control.
• Other cities must replicate this approach to clean urban rivers.

India’s rivers are at a tipping point– either we act now, or we lose them forever. But if Germany can clean the Rhine, the UK can revive the Thames, and China can restore the Yangtze, India too can bring back the purity of the Ganga, Yamuna, and other rivers.

With scientific interventions, stricter laws, community involvement, and responsible religious practices, India’s rivers can be saved- ensuring clean water, healthier lives, and a sustainable future. The choice is ours- whether to act or to let our sacred rivers become streams of poison.