By – Mani Meghana Godavarthi

Abstract

Water is essential for survival; however, one of the biggest concerns that the world is facing today is that of river pollution. This article utilises secondary data to establish that regardless of how a river is perceived, it inevitably falls at the mercy of the polluters using secondary data. The Musi in South India and the Ganges, spread across the northern parts of India, are two rivers that are not treated the same but are subjected to the same level of pollution, not just due to industrialisation but personal beliefs as well. Thus, resulting in depleting water quality and subsequently deteriorating quality of life. It is this cyclic manner of degradation that underscores just how important conservation is at this stage.

Introduction

Across India, rivers are treated as more than just water bodies. They are considered sacred and equated with gods, especially in religious communities. Rivers play a critical role in shaping a society’s culture, economy, and environment. Civilisations were built around rivers! Rivers shaped us into who we are. 

India’s rivers are dying. Industrialisation, which many consider a boon to the Indian economy, turned out to be a bane for the Rivers. However, it is far-reaching to state that industrialisation is the sole culprit of the deteriorating state of water quality in India. Ecological disregard due to human actions through excessive water extraction, religious and cultural practices, agriculture, and its ancillary activities are among many causes for the same.

In this article, I aim to draw a parallel between two rivers with contrasting perceptions in the country- one is treated as an open sewage, the other as a living goddess. The Musi, which is a tributary of the Krishna River, flows in the state of Telangana, and the Ganga, or the Ganges, flows through almost 11 states. 

Case Study I – The Musi

Originally called Muchukunda, the Musi River originates in Ananthagiri Hills and flows down around 240 Km to join the River Krishna. The city of Hyderabad was built on the banks of this river, with the river dividing the city into Old City and New City. As this river flows through the city of Hyderabad, it narrows down, equated almost with a drainage, and the rich legacy it shared with the Nizams of Hyderabad comes crumbling down into becoming one of the most polluted rivers in the country. A pristine and clean river just 40 years ago is now reduced to an open sewer that flows through the city. 

Industrialisation is the main cause of pollution in the Musi, with hundreds of industries, especially Pharmaceutical companies, releasing effluents into it daily. This discharge rose exponentially, with 350 million litres discharged in 2020, and by 2022, the number roughly quadrupled, with 1625 million litres of discharge being dumped into the river. The water is so polluted that areas up to 70 Km from the river are contaminated. The river water is so dangerous that studies suggest that the level of contamination will cause an invaluable loss of life. In a project titled “Pharmaceutical pollution in world rivers,” the Musi river that flows through Hyderabad was placed between the 80th and 90th percentile, in the 22nd place amongst 137 rivers that were studied. The Central Pollution Control Board classified the Musi River as a Category I critically polluted river. Such severe contamination affects the local communities and their livelihoods, and also the fauna native to the area.

A study revealed that the Musi water is the main cause of arthritis, diarrhoea, jaundice, skin allergies, malaria, food poisoning, and many other problems in the area. The inferior water quality forces the residents in the city to purchase drinking water and simultaneously kills many professions that thrive on a river body, such as fishing, agriculture, and stock-breeding. Musi River, interestingly, is also a source of income for the unorganised sector, with small businesses growing around the water body.  The local communities are severely affected by increased pollution in the river. This turned Musi into a sewer drain with no demand for the paddy cultivated in the areas due to the highly toxic content of the water. It also severely endangers local biodiversity, especially aquatic life, due to the chemical effluents in the water. “Chandamama” (moon) is one such fish that is now endangered.

The Telangana Government announced a 1.5 lakh crore Musi RiverFront Development Project to improve the state of the river. However, a mere 2.53% of the total budget is allocated towards cleaning the river, while the rest is allocated towards beautifying the river to boost tourism. Local MPs and MLAs hold awareness campaigns on the project by suggesting that it would provide a better life for farmers if the least is done on that front. I doubt that a farmer will benefit from the beautification of a “deemed sewage” to promote tourism! The government also took up demolition drives to eliminate encroachments on the rivers; however, it is primarily the economically weaker sections that dwell on the river banks, bearing a heavy impact on the poorer sections of society. There is little public awareness of river preservation, nor is much being done about it. 

Case Study II – The Ganges 

The Ganges is mentioned in ancient Hindu scriptures such as the Vedas and the epics; it holds a spiritual and religious significance in Hinduism, where it is worshipped as a goddess. It is widely believed that the water from this river has purifying and healing powers. The basin of this river accounts for one-fourth of India’s water resources and is home to one-third of India’s population. Not limited to Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs, among others, also hold the Ganga in high esteem. This river is also economically significant for industries such as transportation, hydropower, and agriculture, which depend on the river for survival.  

The Ganges flows around 2525 Km through northern India. Due to its vast presence, it has attracted several sources of pollution, with untreated effluents being discharged from a sewage treatment plant near the River origin in Uttarakhand. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) classified the Ganga as a category II  severely polluted river. The Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board classified the Ganga water in Haridwar as unsafe for drinking. Untapped drains discharge 3513.16 Mld (Million Liters per Day) of wastewater into the river. The main polluter of the Ganges, other than industrial wastes and lack of waste disposal,  is the religious waste. Tens of millions of pilgrims take a dip in the Ganga every year. Ashes of the departed are mixed in the river with a belief that the deceased would attain peace. I have personally heard accounts from the locals that claim that partially cremated bodies are pushed into the river, having a horrific scene of half-burnt bodies of the deceased floating in the river, and this was seen especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. This must raise concerns about contamination in the river. The most recent is the Maha Kumbh Mela, held every 12 years, which is happening in 2025. Prayagraj is one of the key cities; however, the city alone generates 468.28 Mld of sewage into the river. The central and local governments took two whole months to ensure the water of the Ganga is fit for a holy dip. However, there were reports in January indicating that the water quality did not meet the bathing criteria in most locations. The CPCB also claimed that the maximum faecal coliform should be 2500 units per 100ml of bathing water; however, areas of Maha Kumbh Mela had levels above the limit, dramatically increasing the risk of waterborne illnesses. The question is whether the holy Ganga Jal (Ganga Water), which is considered to have purifying powers, is clean, holy, and pure.

Namami Gange is a conservation mission to conserve and rejuvenate the Ganga River. This program was introduced in June 2014 with a budget of 20,000 crore rupees for the period up to 2019-2020. The same mission was adopted by the state of Uttarakhand to aid in the effective conservation of the Gangotri basin in the state. But it is concerning that a program that was started more than a decade ago still couldn’t effectively clean up the Ganges to an acceptable level.

Insights and Broader Implications

A quick comparison between the two rivers shows how two rivers with drastically different perceptions are still heavily polluted. A river is triaged as sewage is taken for granted and more and more waste is dumped into it, for “it is after all a muscle.” In Hyderabad, the word Musi is equated with drainage. On the other hand, religious beliefs run rampant, polluting the Ganges without a proper treatment system. The Ganga, however, has 20,000 crore allocated for its clean up, while the Musi has much more allocated for its beautification and not just for its clean up. This also indicates the lack of concern and increasing neglect of the river bodies in India.  

Most of the rivers in India are polluted. The Yamuna ranks higher than the Musi in the “pharmaceutical pollution in world rivers” project. On December 1, 2024, a thick layer of toxic foam was observed floating on the Yamuna. Crocodiles and a large number of fish were found dead in the Krishna River due to suspected pollution from a Sugar mill. The Sabarmati River, in 2023, was classified as the second most polluted river in India after the Cooum in Tamil Nadu. 

Rapid urbanisation paired with increasing population, climate change, and lack of stringent environmental policies are the reasons why the state of rivers never seems to improve in India. We need stronger regulations for industries and corporate accountability. We must invest in wastewater treatments, adopt a sustainable approach to life, and encourage community participation. At the same time, strict enforcement of laws and regulations is essential to ensure we protect the rivers from further contamination.

Conclusion

The deteriorating state of the Musi and the Ganga screams for urgent intervention and stricter environmental regulations, sustainable waste management, and industrial accountability at the very least. The Musi is dismissed as nothing more than a sewer, while the Ganga is worshipped yet polluted for the same reason. Rivers are not just water bodies; they are the reason why we exist and develop. Their deterioration is not just an environmental concern but a social, cultural, and economic crisis. We cannot have the government spend crores beautifying a dead river without reviving it, and another pours money into clean-up drives that never seem to deliver results. It lies in changing the way we look at rivers—not as objects of worship or dumping grounds but as living, breathing entities that sustain us. If we don’t act now, we risk losing these vital lifelines forever. The time to save our rivers is now.

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Author’s bio

Mani Meghana Godavarthi is a second-year BBA LLB student at Jindal Global Law School. She is interested in Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, and Company Law. She is also fascinated with the working and implementation of environmental laws in the context of businesses.

Image Source : Sea of sewage: Musi reduced to a stinking slurry – The Hindu