Rivers are the lifeblood of the Earth. They provide us with food and water, which is why rivers have traditionally been revered and worshipped as mothers. It is impossible to imagine the development of human civilization without rivers. They have sustained humanity and played a vital role in its progress, meeting countless everyday needs. Traditionally, human societies recognized and respected this intimate relationship with rivers. Today, however, rivers are under severe pressure because of an ever-growing culture of greed and profit. The expanding influence of market-driven development is also a major factor in their destruction.
The world has now entered an era of what can be described as global water bankruptcy. In many river basins and aquifers, long-term water use has already exceeded the limits of natural recharge and sustainable extraction. In several river basins, legally sanctioned water rights, informal expectations and development commitments have surpassed the declining water-carrying capacity of these systems. Yet effective institutional mechanisms to deal with this emerging water bankruptcy remain inadequate.
Whenever we discuss rivers, the conversation tends to focus primarily on the major ones. We often overlook the smaller rivers and streams that feed these perennial rivers and sustain their flows. Many of these smaller rivers are now facing an unprecedented crisis. Several have either disappeared altogether or have been reduced to seasonal drainage channels that carry water only during the monsoon.
If we want to save the major rivers, we must pay attention to the smaller ones. Conserving small rivers is essential.
India is regarded as a land of rivers, with more than 4,000 large and small rivers. According to pollution control authorities monitoring the water quality of 521 rivers, only 198 are considered clean. A significant proportion of these are smaller rivers. Rapid urbanization, industrialization and unplanned development have made the condition of India's rivers increasingly alarming over the past several decades. The very existence of many tributaries has been threatened.
Research by Professor Anshu Mali of the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering at IIT Dhanbad and his team has reportedly found that nearly 1.8 million water channels associated with the Ganga river system have disappeared over the past 50 years. The researchers studied seven small rivers and 56 watersheds in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh that eventually drain into the Ganga.
The real cost of river pollution is also borne by the agricultural sector. Polluted river water is used for irrigation, carrying contaminants onto agricultural land from which our food is produced. On the one hand, farmers use hazardous fertilizers and other inputs in an effort to increase agricultural productivity; on the other, polluted irrigation water can further compromise the health and quality of the food produced.
Sand mining presents another serious threat to river ecosystems. It can damage riverbeds, destroy aquatic habitats and reduce biodiversity. It can alter river flows and sedimentation patterns, increasing the risks of flooding and erosion. It can also increase turbidity, reduce dissolved oxygen and lower groundwater levels, potentially contributing to shortages of drinking water for local communities. By disrupting the natural balance of rivers, sand mining places the survival of local aquatic species at risk.
Sand mining is therefore having a serious impact on river ecosystems. A dedicated monitoring mechanism should be established to track illegal sand-mining activities. Those engaged in illegal mining should face strict action, and their equipment should be confiscated. At the same time, the development and use of alternative sources of construction sand should be encouraged.
The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 distinguishes between major and minor minerals. Much has changed since 1957, and the use of sand has increased manifold. Given the scale of the environmental damage associated with sand mining, sand should no longer be treated merely as a minor mineral. It should be brought under a stricter regulatory framework, with stringent environmental clearances for its extraction.
Today, rivers are increasingly being treated as instruments for generating profit by companies, corporations and governments. Instead of relying solely on administrative management, we need monitoring and governance mechanisms based on ecological management. Such mechanisms must include experts with an understanding of ecosystems, climate change and biodiversity.
Dams constructed on rivers have undoubtedly delivered various benefits, but they have also affected tribal and fishing communities and caused damage to river ecosystems. According to Down To Earth journalist Richard Mahapatra, more than 62,000 large dams and millions of smaller barriers have been constructed on rivers around the world. According to Dam Removal Europe (DRE), 23 countries removed 542 barriers in 2024.
Removing dams and other barriers is increasingly being recognized as a means of restoring river health. This trend has gained particular momentum in Europe and North America, where old, unsafe, obsolete or economically unviable dams are being removed.
The Narmada River is now facing a deep ecological crisis because of human intervention, climate change and indiscriminate exploitation. Thirty major dams have been proposed in the Narmada Valley, and several have already been constructed. It is therefore essential to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the carrying capacity of the Narmada River and the cumulative impacts of all these dams. No further dam in the Narmada Valley should be considered without first conducting a comprehensive assessment of the combined impacts of existing projects.
Fish are aquatic organisms that depend entirely on the aquatic environment and play a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance. If a body of water has no fish, it is a strong indication that its biological condition is not normal. Scientists regard fish as important bioindicators of aquatic ecosystem health.
The Narmada originates at Amarkantak and flows into the Gulf of Khambhat. Over the past several decades, the construction of multiple dams has disrupted its natural flow, placing the survival of the mahseer, the state fish of Madhya Pradesh, under increasing threat.
The National Green Tribunal has issued several important orders concerning the conservation of India's rivers. These orders have focused, among other things, on preventing river pollution, controlling illegal mining, ensuring proper waste management and maintaining the uninterrupted flow of rivers. Protecting India's rivers requires pollution control, preservation of natural flows, riverbank management, public participation and effective legal measures.
The government has launched initiatives such as Namami Gange, but meaningful success will come only when local communities, governments, industries and citizens work together to protect rivers—not merely as resources, but as living systems.
Rivers are not simply sources of water. They are the foundation of civilization, culture, agriculture, biodiversity and the livelihoods of millions of people. River conservation, therefore, cannot be reduced to pollution control or river-cleaning campaigns. The true health of a river is determined by its uninterrupted flow, clean water, natural tributaries and streams, groundwater recharge, biodiversity and the rights and well-being of the communities that depend upon it.
To save the major rivers, we must save their smaller tributaries, streams and watersheds. River management will remain incomplete unless the cumulative impacts of sand mining, pollution, encroachment, unplanned urbanization and dams are assessed comprehensively.
In the case of rivers such as the Narmada, individual projects should not be examined in isolation. What is needed is an assessment of their cumulative impact on the entire river basin. Local communities, fishers, farmers and tribal societies must be placed at the heart of river-conservation policy.
Most importantly, we must change the way we look at rivers. A river should not be regarded merely as an economic resource to be exploited; it must be understood as a living ecosystem with its own ecological needs.
World Rivers Day gives us an opportunity to return to this fundamental question: How much can we take from our rivers? But alongside that question, we must also ask: How much are we willing to give back to keep them alive?
Ultimately, if the river survives, water will survive. If water survives, life and civilization will survive.
---
*With Bargi Dam Displaced and Affected Persons Association
Comments