Our Rivers Are Dying

This is not a protest. This is not an agitation. This is a campaign to raise awareness that our rivers are depleting. Everyone who consumes water must Rally For Rivers. - Sadhguru

India’s rivers are undergoing a drastic change. Due to the pressures of population and development, our perennial rivers are becoming seasonal. Many of the smaller rivers have already vanished. Flood as well as drought are becoming increasingly frequent, as rivers turn unruly during the monsoon, and vanish once the rainy season is over.

The Stark Facts

25% of India is turning into desert.
In 15 years, we may have only half the water we need for our survival.
The Ganga is one of the most endangered rivers in the world.
The Godavari was dry along much of its length last year.
The Kaveri has lost 40% of its flow. Krishna and Narmada have lost around 60%

In every state, perennial rivers are either becoming seasonal or totally going dry. In Kerala – the Bharatpuzha, in Karnataka – the Kabini, in Tamil Nadu – the Kaveri, Palar and Vaigai, in Odisha – the Musal, in Madhya Pradesh – the Kshipra. Many smaller rivers have already vanished.

Most major rivers are the subject of interstate water disputes.

How This Affects You

Estimates say 65% of our water needs are met by rivers.
2 out of 3 major Indian cities already deal with daily water shortage. Many urban residents pay ten times the normal amount for a can of water.
We consume water not just to drink or for domestic purposes. 80% of water is used to grow our food. Each person’s average water requirement is 1.1 million liters a year.
Flood, drought and rivers turning seasonal are increasingly leading to crop failure across the country.
Climate change is expected to cause worse floods and droughts within the next 25-50 years. During the monsoon, rivers will flood. The rest of the year, drought will follow. These trends are already beginning.

River Ganga

Know Our Dying Rivers

Ganga

Godavari

Cauvery

Krishna

Narmada

Yamuna

Brahmaputra

Noyyal

Kabini

Musi

Bhima

Gomti

Mahanadi

Sabarmati

Thamirabarani

Vaigai

Where Do You Live?

This is a crisis affecting the entire nation. Some snapshots from across the country:

Andhra Pradesh

In October 2009, the state moved from drought to flood as the Krishna recorded its highest flood levels in a century, marooning 350 villages and leaving millions homeless.

Bihar

In May 2016, the Ganga went so dry, people were walking across the river bed. Three months later, record floods submerged many places in the state.

Gujarat

With the Narmada not reaching the ocean many months of the year, the sea is moving in, leading to salinity, soil degradation and losses to industries.

Karnataka

The Kaveri went dry at its source as rainfall fell by 40-70%, halving crop production.

Kerala

Suffered its worst drought in 115 years in 2017. Farmers suffered crop failures as rivers went dry.

Madhya Pradesh

60 of the Narmada’s 101 tributaries have gone dry.

Maharashtra

In 2016, the Krishna and the Godavari, among the largest rivers in the country, went dry at their very source.

Manipur

Water scarcity swept Manipur in 2014, as drought-like conditions prevailed and rivers dried up in 2009, and again in 2014.

Tamil Nadu

Suffered its worst drought in 140 years in 2017. Crop failures resulted.

Telangana

In 2015, as the Manjeera river went dry, crocodiles entered villages in search of water.

Uttar Pradesh

The completely dry Yamuna has led to concerns that the Taj Mahal could start sinking because of lack of moisture in its foundations.

Uttarakhand

A third of over 800 perennial streams have become seasonal or vanished. Water levels have dropped by over 65%.

The situation is grim. But with a comprehensive policy and resolute government action, our rivers can be nurtured so that they nourish future generations as well. Read more about the proposed solution to revitalize our rivers.

Learn More

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