Ask Lemmy

Cuz errybody loves helping people too lazy to help themselves.

In case the whole internet is down like the Indian version of Google apparently is:

1. Citarum River – Indonesia

Length: 300 km
• Main Pollutants: Mercury, cadmium, lead, textile dyes
• Source: Over 2,000 unregulated textile factories in West Java
• Affected Areas: Bandung, Bekasi, Karawang
• Impact: High mercury levels detected in schoolchildren; rice paddies yield stunted, contaminated crops
• Historical Note: Once a sacred agricultural artery in Sundanese culture
• Notable Fact: Over 20 million people rely on this river for water—most boil or import bottled alternatives
Update 2025: The Citarum Harum initiative removed 3,200 tons of surface waste last year, but illegal discharges remain unchecked due to limited enforcement.

2. Ganges River – India

Length: 2,525 km
• Main Pollutants: Raw sewage, plastic debris, chemical effluents
• Source: Urban and rural runoff from 500+ million residents
• Affected Areas: Varanasi, Patna, Kanpur, Kolkata
• Impact: Cholera and hepatitis outbreaks are endemic; religious rituals continue in waters deemed “unsafe for bathing” by the CPCB
• Historical Note: Central to Hinduism, life, death, and pilgrimage
• Notable Fact: Cremation ashes and industrial dye waste co-mingle in sacred bathing ghats
Update 2025: Namami Gange Phase II launched with AI-monitored sewage control in 50 cities—but only 9 plants are fully operational.

3. Yamuna River – India

Length: 1,376 km
• Main Pollutants: Surfactants, heavy metals, nitrogen-rich waste
• Source: Urban sprawl and underperforming sewage plants in Delhi
• Affected Areas: Delhi, Agra, Mathura
• Impact: Toxic foam disrupts Chhath Puja and immersions; Delhi’s drinking water depends on heavily chlorinated Yamuna intakes
• Historical Note: Sacred in Hindu mythology, linked to Lord Krishna
• Notable Fact: Experts estimate over 90% of Yamuna’s pollution is from untreated domestic sewage
Update 2025: The Delhi Jal Board announced ₹1,200 crore in foam-control measures, but riverbank encroachment complicates clean-up.

Methodology: How We Ranked the Most Polluted Rivers in 2025

This list was compiled using reports from:

-UNEP, WWF, World Bank

-National environmental protection agencies

-Peer-reviewed studies from journals like Environmental Pollution and Water Research 

Key Factors Considered:

-Levels of chemical & biological pollutants 35%

-Impact on local communities and health 25%

-Plastic waste density (kg/km²) 15%

-Loss of biodiversity 15%

-Clean-up efforts and reversibility 10%