The Riverine Pollution-A Critical Review to Study the Water Quality and Pollution Load of Some Major Rivers of India

Abstract

Every life form on earth need water, which is one of the basic resources.. India is a country of rivers and some of the rivers are considered sacred and are associated with religious importance. However, the rapid increase in population, urbanization, and increased anthropogenic invasions has resulted in the deterioration of the water quality. Rivers are always seen as the easiest sinks to dispose of all kinds of wastes; hence the majority of treated and untreated industrial, domestic and anthropogenic wastes are disposed into these rivers.  The rivers passing through the major urban cities, semi-urban towns, and villages consume all kinds of urban wastes, agricultural runoffs, religious offerings, and other various kinds of anthropogenic invasions.  This exploitation of rivers is evident in almost every river and its tributaries. The river water has become unfit for any human consumption and domestic usage, thus posing a possible threat of diseases outbreak due to the direct exposure of people and other life forms to hazardous substances and heavy metals through contaminated river water, there is a danger of developing several fatal diseases. The objective of this study is to evaluate the pollution load and causes of water contamination in major Indian rivers and their potential risk to human health.