New Delhi, March 17 -- India's rivers and lakes have long been the backbone of its civilisation - providing water, sustenance and shaping its cultural beliefs. However, rapid urbanisation, industrialisation, and population growth have led to severe pollution, threatening both ecosystems and human health. Major rivers like the Ganga, Yamuna and Brahmaputra, along with numerous lakes, are heavily contaminated by untreated sewage and industrial effluents.

In urban areas, centralised sewerage systems are designed to transport and treat wastewater, but in reality, a large portion of sewage including septic tank overflows never reaches treatment plants.

Instead, it flows into open drains, streams and lakes, further degrading water quality. ...