{"id":70607,"date":"2025-12-17T23:32:28","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T23:32:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/energytracker.asia\/?p=70607"},"modified":"2025-12-17T23:32:32","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T23:32:32","slug":"most-polluted-river-in-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/energytracker.asia\/most-polluted-river-in-india\/","title":{"rendered":"The Most Polluted River in India Is Not the Ganga or Yamuna"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The most polluted river in India<\/strong> today is not the Ganga or the Yamuna, as many might assume \u2014 it is the Cooum River, a severely contaminated waterway that winds through the southern metropolis of Chennai.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For decades, the Ganga and Yamuna have dominated headlines around river pollution. Yet the country\u2019s most toxic stretch of water now flows quietly through Tamil Nadu, its condition emblematic of a nationwide crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rivers across India, lifelines for millions, are choking under unprecedented levels of contamination. Their decline threatens public health, destroys fisheries, jeopardises agriculture and destabilises fragile ecosystems. For the poorest communities, who rely most heavily on rivers for daily survival, the consequences are devastating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the latest assessment<\/a> by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), 46% of India\u2019s rivers are now considered polluted. Its 2022-2023 review found that 296 river stretches failed to meet safe water-quality criteria \u2014 a slight improvement from 351 polluted stretches in 2018, but still an alarming indicator of the scale of India\u2019s water crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where India\u2019s Most Polluted Rivers Flow<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

India measures water pollution largely through Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), an indicator of organic contamination. Water becomes unsafe for bathing when BOD exceeds 3 mg\/L. But several river stretches record BOD levels above 30 mg\/L\u2014classified as Priority I, the most polluted category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These Priority I stretches span 14 states, including Assam, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the country\u2019s most industrialised corridors fall within these zones, from the Yamuna in Delhi to the Sabarmati in Ahmedabad and the Sutlej in Punjab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pollution sources remain depressingly consistent: untreated municipal sewage, toxic industrial discharges, agricultural runoff and rampant dumping of solid waste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Almost 40 million L of wastewater<\/a> enter India\u2019s water bodies each day. DevelopmentAid estimates<\/a> that 90% of sewage is discharged without any treatment, while industries contribute 300-400 million tonnes of waste annually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which Is the Most Polluted River in India?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Cooum\u2019s stretch between Avadi and Sathyanagar in Tamil Nadu now holds the grim distinction of being the most polluted river in India<\/em>, with BOD levels soaring beyond 345 mg\/L, according to Central Pollution Control Board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 72-km-long river, once celebrated as the \u201cThames of South India,\u201d is now suffocated by industrial discharge, domestic sewage and mountains of solid waste. It flows through some of Chennai\u2019s most densely populated zones before meeting the Bay of Bengal \u2014 carrying with it a toxic load accumulated from decades of neglect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Untreated Sewage Plagues Cooum<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Instances of illegal dumping persist. In March 2024, residents reported witnessing a private tanker<\/a> emptying untreated sewage from Mogappair bridge. A year later, little had changed. With sewer lines disconnected from treatment plants, entire neighbourhoods \u2014 including Rail Nagar with its 2,000 residents \u2014 were allegedly releasing sewage<\/a> directly into the river.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Locals told The Times of India<\/a> the situation had become \u201cunbearable,\u201d particularly during the monsoon season when contaminated water spills onto roads and stagnates for days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Sewage Treatment Plants and Infiltration Systems<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Efforts by the Chennai Rivers Restoration Trust and Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board have struggled to keep pace with the scale of pollution. While new sewage treatment plants and infiltration systems are under development<\/a>, experts warn that temporary fixes \u2014 such as laying sewer lines over the riverbed \u2014 could worsen leakage risks<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to ecological platform Ecohubmap, specialists argue<\/a> that strengthening Chennai\u2019s existing sewage infrastructure must take precedence if the Cooum is ever to recover.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

River Pollution Threatens Sabarmati<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Gujarat, the Sabarmati \u2014 Ahmedabad\u2019s historic lifeline \u2014 is now India\u2019s second most polluted river<\/a>, with the stretch between Raysan and Vautha recording BOD levels of 292 mg\/L.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This pollution is driven by dense clusters of textile, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Recent studies<\/a> show high concentrations of antibiotics in the water, threatening aquatic life and raising concerns about antimicrobial resistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities have cracked down, severing drainage connections to 393 industrial units<\/a> in 2022 for illegal waste dumping. In June 2025, a massive cleanup mobilised over 90,000 volunteers and removed 945 metric tonnes of waste<\/a> \u2014 the river\u2019s most significant cleaning effort in six years. Yet, the deeper causes remain unaddressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is Yamuna More Polluted Than Ganga?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Both rivers remain heavily polluted, but CPCB categorises all assessed stretches of the Yamuna as Priority I, making it one of the country\u2019s worst-performing major rivers. The Ganga, by comparison, falls under Priority IV or V across most locations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2024\u201325, faecal coliform levels in the Yamuna skyrocketed to 4.9 million mpn (most probable number) per 100<\/a> mL, far exceeding safe limits. Officials removed 1,300 tonnes of waste<\/a> in March 2025, but by November, toxic foam \u2014 caused by detergents and industrial chemicals \u2014 had returned with<\/a> force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Environmental activist Vimlendu Jha warns<\/a> that the foam is a symptom of deeper contamination. \u201c[Defoamers] simply remove the foam, giving the impression that the river is cleaner [\u2026] The river is completely dead,\u201d he says. \u201cCPCB data classifies Yamuna\u2019s water quality as E class \u2014 unfit even for animal bathing, fit only for industrial cooling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A new study<\/a> by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) on microplastics prompted India’s Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa to call for a multi-pronged strategy involving sewage treatment, industrial regulation, solid waste management and public awareness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe findings shared by TERI give us a roadmap to tackle microplastics, frothing and other pollutants,\u201d Sirsa told<\/a> local media.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, Delhi lacks facilities to treat the high levels of surfactants entering the Yamuna daily. Officials say<\/a>, \u201cIt will take a long time to control surfactants unless there is a determined limit for surfactant levels.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No Silver Bullet For Water Pollution in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The central government\u2019s three-year plan<\/a> to clean the Yamuna has sparked scepticism. Shailendra Yashwant, senior advisor to Climate Action Network South Asia, argues<\/a> that focusing on cleaning rather than preventing pollution is flawed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs long as the focus remains on cleaning the river and not stopping the pollution, it is not possible to clean up the Yamuna,\u201d says Yashwant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He adds that unplanned development along riverbanks, rampant sandmining and weak enforcement make restoration nearly impossible. \u201cIndustries that were shut down because they were polluting the river have been allowed to reopen [\u2026] despite being illegal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ganga fares no better. In West Bengal alone, the National Green Tribunal found 258.67 million L<\/a> of untreated sewage flowing daily into the river in 2024. During the 2025 Kumbh Mela<\/a> \u2014 a religious gathering that attracted over 660 million visitors \u2014 despite extensive preparations, several stretches still recorded unsafe BOD and faecal coliform levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even large-scale cleanups \u2014 such as the 3,500 kg of waste<\/a> removed from Patna ghats in October 2025 under Namami Gange \u2014 barely scratch the surface. Despite more than USD 2.6 billion<\/a> spent on Ganga and Yamuna cleanups since 1993, meaningful recovery remains elusive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

India Is Running Out of Time To Save its Highly Polluted Rivers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

India\u2019s polluted rivers are not merely an ecological tragedy \u2014 they are an unfolding public health emergency and a stark indictment of decades of mismanagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the Cooum to the Ganga, each polluted stretch tells the same story: fragmented policies, inadequate sewage treatment, unchecked industrial discharge and enforcement systems stretched far beyond capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cleaning rivers is no longer enough. India must prevent pollution at its source, overhaul wastewater infrastructure, enforce environmental regulations and restore natural river flows that have been crippled by dams and urban sprawl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without swift, systemic action, the country risks not only losing some of its most sacred and historic waterways, but also jeopardising the health, livelihoods and future of millions who rely on them every single day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

India\u2019s river pollution crisis has a new face: the Cooum in Chennai, now considered the country\u2019s most polluted waterway. Across 46% of India\u2019s rivers, contamination from untreated sewage, industrial discharges and waste is threatening public health, livelihoods and ecosystems, with major stretches, such as the Yamuna and Sabarmati, illustrating the depth of the challenge. The drivers, impacts and the urgent policy gaps must be addressed to reverse decades of neglect.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":70621,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[360],"tags":[],"hashtags":[],"class_list":["post-70607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-india"],"acf":{"custom_author_name":"","article_pdf_file":false,"poll_vote":0,"manage_the_date":"global","show_in_lastest_from_the_region":"0","order":"","short_desc":"India\u2019s river pollution crisis has a new face: the Cooum in Chennai, now considered the country\u2019s most polluted waterway. Across 46% of India\u2019s rivers, contamination from untreated sewage, industrial discharges, and waste is threatening public health, livelihoods, and ecosystems, with major stretches, such as the Yamuna and Sabarmati, illustrating the depth of the challenge. This piece traces the drivers, impacts, and the urgent policy gaps that must be addressed to reverse decades of neglect."},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/energytracker.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70607","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/energytracker.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/energytracker.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/energytracker.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/45"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/energytracker.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=70607"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/energytracker.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70607\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":70742,"href":"https:\/\/energytracker.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/70607\/revisions\/70742"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/energytracker.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/70621"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/energytracker.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=70607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/energytracker.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=70607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/energytracker.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=70607"},{"taxonomy":"hashtags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/energytracker.asia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtags?post=70607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}