Environmental Studies

Appendix I

National River Action Plan

Rivers are one of the pillars for the survival and development of mankind. All major civilizations of the world such as the Indus valley civilization, Mesopotamian civilization and Chinese civilization have grown on the banks of perennial flowing rivers.

Rivers are thus considered as both the source and the sink for human civilization. While water from the rivers is drawn for drinking, household use, irrigation and industrial use, waste water, industrial effluents and sewage are also discharged into the same river. In India and other countries, the rivers are named after gods and goddesses. People also worship the rivers as their mother. Inspite of this, the same people do not think twice before polluting ...