India, with its extensive network of rivers, is grappling with serious water pollution issues harming ecosystem health, livelihoods, and public safety. Even after attempts at cleaning and rejuvenating these rivers, many remain among the most polluted in the world in 2025.
Industrial effluent discharge, untreated sewage, plastic litter, and agricultural runoff are some of the top contributors. Recent measures like Mission Yamuna Clean-Up have tried to rejuvenate critically polluted stretches, reflecting both successes and ongoing challenges.
Top Most Polluted Rivers in India (2025)
According to the Central Pollution Control Board, following is the the list of the most polluted rivers in the world:
| River | States Traversed | Main Pollutants | People/Organisms Affected |
| Ganga | UP, Bihar, WB, Uttarakhand | Human waste, bacteria, industrial effluents | Over 500 million humans, aquatic biodiversity |
| Yamuna | Delhi, Haryana, UP | Sewage, industrial waste, plastics | Over 57 million, aquatic life endangered |
| Mithi | Maharashtra (Mumbai) | Sewage, chemicals, plastics | Millions, especially in slum belts |
| Musi | Telangana | Pharmaceutical effluents, sewage | Over 1 lakh people at banks |
| Sabarmati | Gujarat | Poor sewage treatment, chemicals | Millions in Ahmedabad region |
| Periyar | Kerala | Industrial discharge | About 5.5 million |
| Tungabhadra | Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh | Mining, industry, sewage | About 14 million |
| Bharalu | Assam (Guwahati) | City municipal waste | Aquatic life, residents |
| Cooum | Tamil Nadu | Untreated industrial/municipal waste | Thousands of families |
| Buckingham Canal | Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh | Sewage, industrial/agri waste | 20,000 people, aquatic organisms |
| Ravi | Punjab, J&K | Pharmaceuticals, agriculture | 40–50 million people |
Yamuna Cleanliness Drive: Latest Updates (2025)
The Yamuna, the most revered but polluted river, still has a huge toxic load in 2025. Cleanup operations like Mission Yamuna Clean-Up have recorded appreciable gains in some Delhi ghats prior to Chhath Puja, with government departments concentrating on sewage treatment and drain tapping.
Froth and pollution are at peak levels in the post-monsoon season, but higher water discharge from Wazirabad barrage during this time temporarily reduces the concentration of toxins.
Experts call for long-term solutions over short-term chemical treatment: relentless monitoring of drains, wider sewage treatment coverage, and minimum environmental flows throughout the year.
Even some parts of Delhi indicating "visible transformation" through festivals, activists highlight endemic froth and turbid water in central Delhi areas such as Najafgarh drain and Signature Bridge area.
Recent data from the CPCB indicates that Yamuna's downstream BOD levels (a measure of organic pollution) tend to peak higher than safe levels once water diversion stops, and bathability continues well short of ideal.
Political arguments persist regarding the effectiveness of these drives, with charges of "cosmetic clean-ups" as a political ploy to sway voters. Nevertheless, ground-level sanitation workers, volunteers, and green activists continue to demand long-term action reminding all stakeholders that cleaning Yamuna, and all rivers, is not a seasonal or cosmetic exercise, but an everyday national imperative.
Serious river pollution in India imperils water security, public health, and the environment, with India's most polluted rivers in 2025 being the Ganga, Yamuna, Mithi, and Musi. National and local clean-up efforts have produced some relief, particularly in polluted sections such as the Yamuna, but long-term change requires sustained awareness, technological intervention, and stringent policy implementation. Every action of civil society awareness to government action—is crucial for the effort to restore India's rivers for its posterity.
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