Ganga is drying says WWF report

DYING RIVER: World’s Top 10 Rivers at Risk lists India’s Ganga and Indus too.

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Keywords: Environment, Wwf Report

New Delhi: As the world observes Water Day, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) reveals a startling list of rivers that are on the verge of drying up. World’s Top 10 Rivers at Risk—a report that was released on Tuesday lists India’s Ganga and Indus too.

Experts warn as many as 10 major river systems drying up. The Sunderbans, which form part of the Ganges basin, is among the severely affected areas.

“At least 60 per cent of the Ganga is diverted through barrages for irrigation,” said Sejal Worah, programme director, WWF-India. “This has caused surface water reduction, which in turn has led to more groundwater extraction. The ultimate impact is not known – but the catastrophe resulting from changes in river systems could lead to floods followed by severe droughts.”

The Indus is also facing serious threat. A portion of the river, which runs along the India-Pakistan border in Gurdaspur Hudiara is being polluted by Hudiara drain that discharges untreated industrial effluents into it.

"The water is so bad over here that my husband has started having health problems. Doctors told him that contaminated water is the reason behind the problems," said Harjinder Kaur Amritsar resident.

While shrinking of the Ganga means destruction of aquatic habitat, it also spells loss of livelihoods for many. People are becoming increasingly dependent on ground water. Similar crisis is sweeping other major world rivers as well. The Yangtze in China, Mekong in Southeast Asia, Nile in Africa and Danube in Europe are other rivers on the verge of getting dried up.

“The implications will start unfolding in the coming years. The danger to rivers will ultimately affect communities, wildlife, climate, and bio-diversity. One of the first changes will be witnessed in the monsoon impact from the Bay of Bengal,” says Ravi Singh, CEO, WWF-India.