Key Points:
India’s Sacred Rivers- Ganga and Yamuna continue to face severe water pollution crisis. British biologist Jeremy Wade conducted a simple chemical test showing that several stretches of Ganga’s waters contain large amounts of human fecal material.
The DPCC report (Jan 2026) revealed Yamuna's fecal coliform at 92,000, around 37 times higher than safe limits. Oxygen levels in stretches like ISBT Bridge dropped to zero, scientifically declaring the river “dead.”
Although government reports claim progress under Namami Gange, Opposition leaders question the unutilized ₹42,000 crore funds and lack of accountability.
The Ganges- revered by the Indian civilisation as sacred and holy, is facing a severe water pollution crisis. Jeremy Wade, a British biologist and water bodies expert, famous for his River Monsters and Mighty Rivers Series, says that the river Ganges is declining its health continuously. “This is the Ganges water… it means fecal coliform bacteria – basically, the water here is full of human waste,” Wade declared after conducting a simple test that proves the Ganges water contains large amounts of human fecal materials.
Mighty Rivers, originally aired in 2018 in the UK, is a documentary series where Jeremy Wade investigates world’s major rivers to check their declining health. The series is also available on YouTube on the River Monsters YouTube Channel. Wade’s documentary features investigations on the holy river Ganges in India, the Danube river in Europe, Yangtze river in China, Zambezi river in Africa, the Mississippi river in the United States of America and the Amazon river in South America.
The test Jeremy Wade used involves a simple test tube and water sample. He poured a drop of Ganga Water into the test tube containing a simple reagent for the chemical test. The solution turned brown, indicating heavy faecal contamination. Ideally, it should have turned pink.
While the report is from six years ago, conditions remain critical even now. The problems of large amounts of sewage waste and industrial chemicals dumped into the river, far exceeding prescribed government norms, cause the Ganga’s health to significantly deteriorate. While the originating waterbody in the Himalayan mountains and nearby cities in Uttarakhand are clean and pristine, the river accumulates raw waste, trash and industrial effluent as it flows downstream before separating into its tributaries and falling into the Bay of Bengal basin.
The Yamuna river, Ganga’s largest tributary, also suffers from the major crisis of water pollution. As one can observe, toxic froths lie on the surface of the water body, caused due to industrial waste, sewage and pollutants dumped in the Yamuna. A DPCC (Delhi Pollution Control Committee) report from January 2026 reveals that the Yamuna pollution is worsening, unfit for bathing and drinking. DPCC had withheld its November 2025 and December 2025 reports, and released them in January 2026.
DPCC reports state that the fecal coliform increased to 92,000 approximately 37 times higher than the standard limit of 2500. Levels of dissolved oxygen (BOD) at various stretches of the river such as ISBT Bridge and Asgarpur, were found to be zero, indicating no aquatic life in the water body. As Dr. Munish Kumar Raizada (President, Bhartiya Liberal Party, New Delhi, and Neonatologist practicing in USA from last 23 years) aptly puts it: “Basically Yamuna is scientifically dead. There are very low to zero oxygen levels in the body.”
The report also revealed that 12 out of 37 STPs (Sewage Treatment Plants) did not meet operating standards, and fecal coliform levels were extremely high in major STPs like Okhla, Vasaant Kunj and Yamuna Vihar. The delay in publishing the reports also questions the transparency and accountability of the government.
Since the 1980s, India has launched multiple river-cleanup schemes. The current flagship is Namami Gange (launched in 2014), a ₹42,000+ crore mission for sewage treatment, riverfront development and biodiversity. An official press release (December 8, 2025) from the Ministry of Jal Shakti, titled “Current Progress of the National Mission for Clean Ganga”, claims major progress. The report states that 344 projects have been completed, 138 new sewage plants have been functioning, and dissolved oxygen and pH levels meet bathing norms. The report also states that dolphin counts in Ganga have doubled since 2009.
Although the official records display an improvement, many scientists and analysts have refuted the claims, putting government accountability in question. The opposition has on multiple occasions criticised the ruling BJP government for failing to clean Ganga, despite sanctioning projects worth thousands of crores of taxpayers money. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, said in March 2025 in Rajya Sabha that majority (over 55%) of the funds of the Namami Gange project had been unutilized. He also mentioned that roughly 38% of Namami Gange projects remained unfinished, and 39% of sewage plants built were not operating.
According to a report from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) released in September 2025, several water stretches of river Ganga had deteriorated water quality. The assessment report states that the Ganga basin continues to face crucial challenges of river pollution, annual flooding, groundwater depletion, and contamination.
Critics have argued that the government’s execution has lagged behind rhetoric.
One of India’s leading river activists, Prof. Guru Das Agarwal (IIT Kanpur), even died on a 111-day hunger strike in 2018, demanding a clear Ganga Protection law and halting of new dams (which disrupt flow). Modern audits echo his concerns: a think-tank’s (TaxTMI) report found industrial waste discharges unchecked and sewage capacity only about half the target
The indifference of Prime Minister Narendra Modi led BJP government sparks heavy scrutiny, with many citizens saying that while on one hand, the BJP reveres Maa Ganga and holds Yamuna sacred, it is performing no concrete actions to clean the aforementioned rivers.
The problem of pollution is not only attributed to failure in governance, but citizens inaction also. Millions of people pollute India’s rivers by dumping toxic idols, garbage and waste. The use of chemicals such as soaps and shampoos while bathing also deteriorates the water quality of Ganga and Yamuna.
The deteriorating situation of Ganga’s and Yamuna’s pollution is aptly described in a song by Kailash Kher- Bol re Dilli Bol. “Kooda, Karkat Aur Gandagi, in sabse ab roz bandagi”, (Citizens are bound by the garbage, waste, and dirt lying all around) highlight the crisis people face everyday. Although the song is used in the series Transparency/Pardarshita which highlights failed governance of AAP (Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi), the lyrics strike a chord reflecting water pollution crisis in the national capital.
Dr. Munish Kumar Raizada, who produced the aforementioned series (released in 2022) reflects on current political and governance failures that Delhi continues to face. He says: “Aapda gayi, Bipda Aayi, Dilli Ki Sudh Kisi Ko na Ayi” (Calamity went, but peril continues, no one is paying any heed to Delhi), highlighting that while the previous AAP government couldn’t concretely resolve Delhi’s air and water pollution crisis, the current BJP government’s inaction leaves Delhi in distress.
The Ganga and Yamuna rivers are not just water bodies, they are lifelines for millions and sacred symbols of India’s heritage. But without immediate and serious action, their future hangs in the balance. Cleaning them requires strong political will, strict enforcement of environmental laws, and full transparency in government actions.
Authorities must ensure all sewage is treated before entering rivers, shut down illegal waste-dumping industries, and hold polluters accountable, whether individuals or corporations. Citizens too must change their habits: avoiding chemical use during rituals, not dumping waste, and joining local cleanup drives. Religious leaders, schools, and communities should spread awareness about protecting these rivers. Only when the government and the people act together, with urgency and honesty, can we restore the health of Ganga and Yamuna and ensure clean water for future generations.
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