Dumping of all kinds of wastes into the rivers is common in this country, as environmental degradation did not receive due attention in the past. But what is particularly worrying is that the situation has not improved even after it was recognised that pollution had to be checked at any cost.

Today there is a broad consensus that the rivers have to be saved as a matter of top priority. But in practice what we witness is a total neglect of the rivers. The rivers around the city have become badly shrunken trickles with highly polluted water. Encroachers have taken control of the riverbeds in many areas. It seems the concern expressed by the environmentalists and eminent citizens has failed to make any impact on the law enforcers. The natural assets have become an environmental nightmare as no effective steps could be taken to prevent human intervention, which has crossed the limits of tolerance.

Dumping of untreated sewage is a problem which has to be addressed not only because the rivers are getting polluted but also because it portends a larger environmental disaster in the near future. The problem has been compounded by the fact that many industrial units are also releasing untreated effluents into the rivers.

The rivers are getting due importance in academic discussions only. But that is not enough to give them a new lease of life. The government agencies concerned should respond to the environmental needs of the city and take the necessary steps to save the rivers. To begin with, they have to do something about the heavy load of untreated sewage going into the rivers. They must also clear the rivers of the illegal structures that obstruct the flow of the rivers.