Indian Rivers Deserve Better and Urgent Need for Water Conservation

SAIKAT K BASU, UMA SHANKAR SINGH

The rivers in India, which have historically been lifelines of its civilization, are in a dire state due to pollution, overextraction, and ecological mismanagement. India's rivers are on the brink of ecological collapse. Addressing these issues requires stricter enforcement of environmental laws, community involvement, sustainable water management practices, and greater political commitment. Without immediate action, the degradation of rivers will have severe implications for health, livelihoods, and biodiversity. A detailed investigation of the unprecedented challenges faced by rivers across India is presented below:

1. Severe Pollution: Factories discharge untreated waste directly into rivers. For instance, the Yamuna and Ganga are heavily contaminated with chemicals and toxins.  Cities and towns along riverbanks dump untreated sewage into rivers. According to studies, around 70% of India's surface water is polluted. Rivers are choking on plastic and garbage, further degrading water quality and harming aquatic life.

2. Declining Water Flow: Excessive water withdrawal for agriculture, industry, and drinking water has reduced the flow of many rivers. Rivers like the Cauvery and Godavari often run dry in stretches. The Himalayan rivers such as the Ganga and Brahmaputra are impacted by the retreat of glaciers due to climate change, threatening their perennial flow.

3. Encroachments and Sand Mining: This depletes riverbeds, causing erosion, disrupting ecosystems, and lowering groundwater recharge. Construction on riverbanks, narrows rivers, restricts flow, and increases the risk of flooding.

4. Loss of Biodiversity: Polluted and disrupted ecosystems have led to the decline of native aquatic species. Iconic creatures like the Ganges river dolphin are now endangered. Dams and barrages have fragmented river ecosystems, blocking fish migration and altering sediment flow.

5. Religious Practices: Rituals such as idol immersion, cremation, and offerings contribute to pollution, despite efforts to promote eco-friendly alternatives.

6. Climate Change:  Altered rainfall patterns lead to more intense floods and prolonged droughts, exacerbating the stress on rivers.

Rising temperatures increase evaporation, reducing water levels.

7. Ineffective Policies and Implementation:

Despite programs like Namami Gange aimed at rejuvenating rivers, the results have been limited due to corruption, lack of coordination, and inadequate enforcement of laws.

8. Urbanization and Industrialization:  Rapid urban sprawl has overwhelmed river systems, particularly in metropolitan areas like Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Mumbai, leading to the loss of natural floodplains and increased contamination.

Plight of Cauvery

Let us take the case of the river Cauvery for an example. Saving Cauvery is urgent; otherwise a civilisation will be lost for all time to come; and to save Cauvery means to save the Kodagu forest. This has been found that between March and May this year, Kodagu was facing a drought like situation and water had become a scarce commodity, more precious than gold.  The underlying reason is that the catchment of the Cauvery has been unable to hold water. There are multiple reasons for this but chiefly it includes a complete degradation of the Cauvery’s catchment, Kodagu’s newly-established plantation economy, change in land-use patterns along the river, tourism, climate change and illegal sand mining. Paddy farming has become unviable in the region as the cost of production for the crop has risen. Consequently, the numerous rice paddies which have dotted the region since centuries, are now diminishing. For instance, in 2010-11, 35,000 hectares (ha) of land in the catchment of the Cauvery and its tributaries like Hemavati and Lakshmanteerth were under paddy cultivation.

By 2018, this had reduced to 27,000 ha. These paddy fields had acted as natural feeders to the Cauvery. With paddy farming decreasing, the vacant land has either been diverted for non-agricultural use or for a plantation economy. The area under plantations of crops such as coffee, palm oil and areca nut has increased in the state. However, the problem with these industry-driven plantations is that unlike traditional trees, they don’t have deep root and hence, cannot hold soil or water. A whole lot of traditional trees like Nandi, Rosewood, Jackfruit and all varieties of bamboos have been removed for cultivation of coffee. Another problem is the development of infrastructure and urbanisation in the catchment. This report states that Kodagu lost around 3,000 ha of tree cover in the last 17 years. The impacts of decreasing tree cover are now visible as the Cauvery dried up in March-May.

Save Our Rivers

Saving Indian rivers from degradation requires a multi-pronged approach involving policy reforms, community participation, and scientific interventions. Here are key strategies:

1. Reduce Pollution:  Implementing of stringent regulations on industrial effluents, untreated sewage, and agricultural runoff entering rivers. Increasing the number of sewage treatment plants (STPs) and ensure they operate at full capacity will be very important. Reducing plastic pollution by banning single-use plastics and promoting alternatives is the need of the hour. Using organic farming techniques and controlled application of fertilizers and pesticides for reducing chemical runoff to the riverine and freshwater water ecosystems are urgently needed.

2. Afforestation and Riverbank Protection

Planting trees along riverbanks and creating green buffers to prevent soil erosion and regulate water flow are necessary for survival of our rivers. Maintaining thick natural vegetation belts along riverbanks for ecological balance is also important.

3. Restoration of the Natural Flow: Ensuring Minimum Environmental Flow (E-Flow) and  regulating dam operations to allow adequate water flow downstream for ecological sustenance. Removing illegal encroachments and clearing illegal constructions blocking natural river channels and floodplains can speed up the river flow.

4. Rejuvenation Projects: Adopting to Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) is a sustainable strategy for successful river conservation initiatives. Holistic planning at the watershed level to address issues of water management, pollution, and biodiversity are absolute necessity. Promoting and supporting local community-driven river rejuvenation programs, like those seen in the success of projects like the Narmada and Ganga cleanups are very good examples in sustainable river conservation.

5. Awareness and Community Involvement: There is an urgent need to rise awareness about the importance of rivers and the consequences of their degradation; and encourage citizen-based monitoring and surveillance. Fostering community involvement in reporting pollution and illegal activities can help river conservation initiatives significantly.

6. Improved Urban Planning: Enforcing zoning laws to keep construction away from floodplains and riverbanks; and designing urban drainage to prevent untreated stormwater runoff from entering rivers could serve as effective strategies.

7. Adopt Technology:  Extensively using satellite technology to monitor river health and detect illegal activities like sand mining; and installing sensors to continuously track pollution levels and act promptly.

8. Financial Incentives: Providing incentives to industries and farmers adopting eco-friendly practices; and strictly promoting

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to encourage private companies to fund river conservation projects.

9. Cultural and Religious Practices: Promoting alternatives for rituals that traditionally involve polluting the rivers; and engaging religious leaders by partnering with spiritual communities to spread awareness about protection and conservation of rivers.

10. Policy and Governance: Updating and enforcing policies like the National Water Policy with a focus on river rejuvenation; and addressing disputes to jointly manage rivers shared between states is important strategy for protecting our riverine resources. Creating dedicated bodies for specific river basins for continuous oversight is urgently needed. It is also encouraging to mirror success stories like the Namami Gange Programme that aims to rejuvenate the Ganga River through pollution abatement, afforestation, and biodiversity conservation. The Rally for Rivers Campaign focusing on public awareness and long-term policy changes to protect India’s rivers needs to be actively supported across the nation. Developing sustainable comprehensive action involving governments, communities, and individuals is crucial for long-lasting impact are also needed.

Urgent Need for Water Conservation

Under these circumstances there in urgent need for water conservation. It  is crucial for our survival because water is a finite and irreplaceable resource that sustains all life on Earth. Humans depend on freshwater for drinking, agriculture, sanitation, and industrial processes, but only about 1% of Earth's water is readily accessible for human use. As populations grow and economies develop, the demand for water increases, putting immense pressure on available freshwater supplies. Many regions of the world, especially in arid and semi-arid areas, already face severe water shortages. Climate change, overuse, and pollution are depleting freshwater resources, making water conservation essential to ensure long-term availability. Water is essential for growing crops. Agriculture accounts for about 70% of global freshwater usage, and conserving water ensures that we can continue to produce enough food for a growing population.  Freshwater ecosystems, including rivers, lakes, and wetlands, rely on consistent water availability to support biodiversity. Overuse and pollution of water resources threaten these ecosystems, which are crucial for maintaining ecological balance. Water is required for generating electricity, particularly in hydroelectric power plants and cooling systems for thermal power plants. Efficient water use helps ensure the sustainability of energy production. Access to clean water is vital for health, hygiene, and sanitation. Without water conservation, millions of people face the risk of waterborne diseases and poor living conditions.

The world population has grown rapidly, increasing the demand for water for drinking, agriculture, industry, and sanitation. Expanding industries require significant amounts of water for production and cooling processes, contributing to higher consumption and pollution of freshwater sources. The growth of cities has led to increased demand for water, often leading to the over-extraction of nearby water sources and contamination from urban runoff. Industrial waste, agricultural runoff, and inadequate sewage treatment have polluted many freshwater sources, reducing the availability of clean water. Rising global temperatures are altering precipitation patterns, causing more frequent droughts in some areas and severe flooding in others, both of which affect water availability. In many parts of the world, water is wasted due to inefficient agricultural practices, leaky infrastructure, and poor water management, exacerbating the scarcity problem. To secure the future, adopting water conservation measures such as reducing waste, recycling water, improving irrigation techniques, and protecting water sources is essential.