Rivers provide all types of benefits to humans and biodiversity. These rivers also pollute and they need to be cleaned and maintained. River pollution is a growing concern around the globe. The domestic, municipal, industrial and agricultural demand for water from rivers is affecting the water quality.
Rivers are getting polluted as a heavy load of untreated sewage and industrial effluents are getting released into it. That’s why even though most countries have such problems such as pollution due to human activities, India faces such issues at an alarmingly large scale.
Causes of river Pollution
- Oil & Natural Gas Exploration: Understandably, India needs to attain self-sufficiency in energy. Hence, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas routinely auctions oil and natural gas blocks to Indian companies for exploration in various river basins.
- Chemicals & Effluents: Industrialisation along the river belt is polluting the water with chemicals and other industrial effluents. While large corporations adopt advanced techniques to treat effluents and chemicals to negate or reduce their toxicity, smaller firms often have no such considerations and violate environment safety standards.
- Garbage Dumping: High population density around the river banks and the reckless dumping of non-biodegradable waste, especially plastics, is further adding to water pollution.
- Washing & Sewage: Laundering clothes on river banks is a common sight in India. Modern detergents are made of chemicals that contaminate river waters. Defecating around river banks is yet another horrible practice in rural parts of the country that contributes to rising pollution of rivers in India.
- Cremation & Last Rites: Devout Hindus attach a lot of significance to life after death. Hence, cremation grounds in rural India are located on the banks of rivers. Varanasi, also known as Kashi, is one such place with cremation grounds located right on banks of river Ganga which is also one of the longest rivers in India.
- Sand Dredging: High-quality sand from river beds is needed for India’s booming construction industry. This has led to rising pollution in Indian rivers.
