India is a riverine civilisation. From the Ganga, Yamuna, Godavari, Krishna, Narmada, Cauvery and Brahmaputra have sustained life, culture and agriculture for millennia. Yet, as of mid-2019, almost all major Indian rivers are in severe distress. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) classifies more than 65 % of monitored river stretches as polluted, many beyond the safe limit for even bathing. At the same time, perennial rivers are turning seasonal, groundwater tables are plummeting, and urban flood-drought cycles are intensifying. The crisis is no longer gradual; it is acute.
The year 2017 witnessed the launch of “Rally for Rivers,” a nationwide campaign led by Isha Foundation and Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev aimed at creating mass awareness and pushing for policy reform. By July 2019, the campaign had collected over 162 million missed-call mandates and submitted a draft River Revitalisation Policy to the Government of India. While the campaign succeeded in putting rivers back on the national agenda, the broader challenge remains: moving from awareness to scientifically sound, enforceable and inclusive action.
This editorial examines the multi-dimensional nature of the river crisis in India as it stood in mid-2019 and outlines evidence-based solutions that combine ecology, traditional wisdom, modern technology and robust governance.
Understanding the Triple Threat: Pollution, Depletion and Ecological Degradation
Indian rivers face three interlinked problems:
- Organic and chemical pollution – Approximately 40 billion litres of wastewater enter Indian rivers daily, of which only about 30 % receives any treatment (CPCB, 2018 data). Domestic sewage contributes 70–80 %, followed by industrial effluents (textile, tannery, distillery, pharmaceutical) and agricultural run-off laden with fertilisers and pesticides.
- Flow depletion – Over-extraction for irrigation (which consumes 80 % of available surface and groundwater), inter-basin transfers, deforestation in catchments and rampant sand mining have reduced dry-season flows dramatically. The International Water Management Institute warned in 2018 that by 2030 nearly half of India’s population would live in river basins with severe water stress.
- Loss of riparian ecology – Encroachment, concretisation of floodplains, disappearance of wetlands and replacement of native vegetation with invasive species have destroyed the natural ability of river systems to retain water, filter pollutants and support biodiversity.
The Role of Riparian Forest Cover: Beyond Mere Tree Planting
One of the flagship recommendations of Rally for Rivers was to ensure at least one kilometre of tree cover on both banks (or minimum 500 m where land is constrained) along the entire river length, preferably with perennial fruit-bearing native species on private farmland and natural forest on government land.
Scientific evidence supports this approach. Studies by the Indian Institute of Science (2016–2019) show that mature riparian buffers can reduce nutrient loading by 60–90 %, stabilise banks, lower water temperature and augment aquifer recharge. However, the choice of species is critical. Planting fast-growing exotic species such as Acacia auriculiformis, Prosopis juliflora or Eucalyptus tereticornis – common in many government afforestation drives – has repeatedly backfired. These species are water-intensive or invasive and have displaced native biodiversity.
A 2019 policy must mandate only locally native, climate-appropriate trees: along the Ganga – sal, shisham, peepal, banyan, jamun; along the Cauvery – sandalwood, teak, jackfruit, tamarind; along the Godavari – mango, teak, pongamia, neem. Community-managed nurseries using seeds collected from the same bio-geographic zone should be incentivised through MGNREGA convergence.
Controlling Illegal Sand Mining – The Silent River Killer
Sand mining has emerged as one of the biggest organised environmental crimes in India. A 2018 report by the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP) documented mining in 64 out of 72 monitored stretches of the Ganga alone, despite Supreme Court and NGT bans in many locations. The economic loss due to ecological damage is estimated at over ₹1 lakh crore annually.
Riverbeds deepen because of indiscriminate dredging, lowering the water table, increasing salinity ingress in coastal areas and making rivers more prone to flash floods. The only long-term solution is a phased but complete shift to manufactured sand (M-sand) and alternative materials (fly-ash bricks, recycled construction debris). Tamil Nadu and Karnataka had already begun large-scale M-sand production by 2019, proving viability. A nationwide ban on river-sand mining coupled with 100 % GST rebate on M-sand and strict enforcement through drone surveillance and river police units is urgently required.
Decentralised Sewage Management and Zero-Liquid-Discharge Goals
Namami Gange, launched in 2014, sanctioned 297 projects worth ₹28,000 crore by mid-2019, yet only 30–35 % of targeted sewage treatment capacity had become operational. The primary reasons: poor maintenance, power shortages, silted interceptors and inadequate downstream reuse planning.
Best practices already exist within India:
- Alappuzha (Kerala) achieved near 100 % decentralised wastewater treatment through household and community-level biogas-linked toilets and piped drainage to treatment units.
- Devanahalli (Karnataka) treats town sewage entirely through constructed wetlands and reuses the water for airport landscaping.
- Pune’s 11 constructed wetland projects treat 35 MLD at 10–15 % the cost of conventional STPs.
A 2019 policy framework should mandate:
- 100 % segregation at source (wet & dry waste)
- Compulsory treatment and reuse within 10 km of generation
- Hybrid models combining constructed wetlands, anaerobic baffled reactors and polishing ponds
- Strict industrial zero-liquid-discharge enforcement with real-time effluent monitoring
Reviving Traditional Water Wisdom
India once possessed one of the most sophisticated decentralised water management systems in the world. Johads in Rajasthan, ahar-pyne in Bihar, eri tanks in Tamil Nadu, phad in Maharashtra and surangam in Kerala demonstrate extraordinary hydrological understanding. Many of these structures have fallen into disrepair.
The Jal Shakti Ministry’s “Catch the Rain” concept (though formally launched later) was already gaining traction in 2019 through civil-society efforts. State governments should map, desilt and revive at least one traditional system per district, linking them to MGNREGA and Compensatory Afforestation Fund resources.
Community Ownership and Behavioural Change
Technology alone cannot clean rivers if citizens continue to treat them as dumping grounds. Idol immersion, floral offerings, open defecation and plastic waste continue unabated in many cities. Successful models of community-led river rejuvenation already exist:
- Pune’s “River Guardians” programme trained local youth to monitor pollution and conduct clean-ups.
- Indore’s transformation from one of India’s dirtiest to cleanest cities showed the power of source segregation.
- Varanasi’s “Mani Karnika Initiative” introduced eco-friendly clay Ganesh idols and collection bins.
Scaling such models requires municipal budgets to allocate at least 2–3 % for citizen engagement and school curricula on river ecology and strict penalties for direct waste disposal into rivers.
The Road Ahead – From Campaign to Concrete Policy (2019 Perspective)
By July 2019, the Rally for Rivers draft policy was under consideration by NITI Aayog and the newly formed Jal Shakti Ministry. For the campaign’s momentum to translate into results, the final policy needed to incorporate:
- Legally enforceable minimum ecological flow (E-flow) norms for every river stretch
- River basin authorities with statutory powers cutting across state boundaries
- Integration of river health into Smart Cities and AMRUT missions
- Dedicated funding window under the 15th Finance Commission for river rejuvenation
- Independent third-party monitoring with real-time public dashboards
India’s rivers are not merely water channels; they are cultural, ecological and economic arteries. Their revival demands more than symbolic campaigns or piecemeal projects. It requires a paradigm shift – from treating rivers as resources to be exploited to living entities to be nurtured. The mass awareness created between 2017 and 2019 provides a historic opportunity. If government, scientists, civil society and citizens align behind a scientifically robust, socially inclusive and strictly enforced national river policy, India can still restore its lifelines before the 2030 water crisis deadline.
The task is enormous, but so is the collective will that has begun to stir. The question is no longer whether India’s rivers can be saved, but whether we will act with the urgency and coherence the crisis demands.
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