Over two-third of Earth’s surface is covered by water and still, we are facing a water crisis. River pollution is one of the biggest problems that we are facing today. The toxic wastes from industries, agriculture and urbanization projects have saturated our rivers. Here is a list of top 7 most polluted rivers around the world. These rivers are so polluted that one cannot even imagine to live near them and use their water.
Yamuna River, India
The river is crystal clear and blue near its source in the Himalayas but as the river flows down the water becomes extremely polluted with sewage, industrial garbage, agricultural run- off etc. Millions of litres of raw sewage are directly disposed of in the Yamuna river every day. The water in New Delhi is the poorest in quality. The lack of a number of sewage treatment plants has led to this increased pollution in the river. The Indian government has initiated several plans to clean the Yamuna but these initiatives have not worked properly and the river is still very dirty.
Ganges River, India
The Ganges River is considered the most sacred river in India by the Hindus. It is the third largest river in the world and it is believed that its water can cleanse the sins of people. The importance of this river cannot be underestimated as it affects the life of various people living around it. The increasing population of India has increased the pressure on this river. Around 1 billion liters of raw and untreated sewage is directly dumped into the river daily and when this water is used for drinking, bathing and cooking it gives rise to various water borne diseases. The Ganga Action Plan which began in 1985 was a major initiative taken by the government. But it proved to be a complete failure as it is underfunded.
Yellow River, China
The Yellow River of China is drying up fast due to the expansion of factories, cities, agricultural farms etc. and whatever water is left is contaminated badly. The water is so much toxic that it is not even fit for agriculture. The pharmaceutical and chemical factories are the main cause of the contamination of this river. More than 4 billion tons of sewage is dumped into the river every year. The pollution of the Yellow river is the result of rapid industrialization in China.
Marilao River, Philippines
The Marilao River flows through the Bulacan Province Philippines and empties into Manila Bay. The main sources for polluting this river are tanneries, textile factories, piggeries, gold refineries and municipal dumps. The river is the main source of drinking and irrigation for the people but despite this fact, the pollution continues. There are high levels of toxic chemicals and heavy metals present in the water that are actually worrisome, as they pose a major health hazard.
Buriganga River, Bangladesh
Buriganga is also known as the Old Ganges in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries around the world and is right now suffering from every kind of pollution that exists. The aquatic life has hugely suffered due to this pollution and fish have died. Human waste has also contributed to the current state of this river and turned the river black. The main sources of the pollution are the various tanneries located on the banks of this river.
Citarum River, Indonesia
The Citarum River is known as the most polluted river in the world and is located in West Java, Indonesia and flows through a basin where a vast population resides. The river is so polluted that one can’t even see the water. The people living near the river use the water for their livelihood. A large number of factories are located near this river and it is the waste coming out of these factories that is the major source of pollution.
Mississippi River, USA
The Mississippi River in the USA is also known as the ‘Big Muddy’ as the water of this river is usually brown because of pollution. In 2014 there was an incident of crude oil spills reported in the river which has made the water toxic and is poisonous to the marine life. Also in 2012 a report brought out by Environmental American Research and Policy Center stated that nearly 12.7 million pounds of toxic chemicals like mercury, nitrates, benzene were found in the river.
