Are Vidarbha's Rivers Dying?

thenewsdirt
16 hours ago
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Rivers of Vidarbha and their pollution status — Rivers of Vidarbha

Vidarbha's major river systems are under severe environmental stress from coal mining and thermal power expansion.

The Wainganga, Wardha, Purna, Tapti, and Godavari rivers that form Vidarbha's hydrological backbone now battle pollution levels threatening their survival and the millions who depend on them.

These ancient waterways, which have supported agriculture and communities for millennia, represent a region where industrial development comes at a devastating environmental price.

Wainganga River: From Jungle Book Fame to Industrial Contamination

The Wainganga River system spans 580 kilometres and drains 43,658 square kilometres across Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Originating in the Mahadeo Hills near Gopalganj, Seoni District, at 1,048 metres elevation, this major tributary flows through cities including Balaghat, Bhandara, Seoni, and Gadchiroli before joining the Wardha River to form the Pranahita.

Rudyard Kipling immortalised the Wainganga in The Jungle Book as Mowgli's jungle water source and the location of Peace Rock where Shere Khan made his vow.

Local folklore places Mowgli's discovery at Amodagadh in Seoni District, cementing the river's literary legacy. The surrounding forests, including Kanha National Park, host tigers, leopards, and bears that mirror Kipling's biodiversity descriptions.

The river's infrastructure development includes 149 dams constructed by 2012, featuring the Gosikhurd Dam and Asia's largest mud dam, the Bheemgarh Dam.

The Upper Wardha Dam near Morshi and Bejegaon Dam on the Thanwar tributary irrigate agricultural areas, whilst Bhandara city depends on Wainganga water for domestic supply. The National Waterways Project designates the river for shipping, with a proposed port in Bhandara.

Major tributaries include the Thanwar, Bagh, Chulband, and Kanhan from the left bank, and the Hirri, Sarrati, Chandan, Bawanthari, Sur, and Andhari from the right bank. The Bawanthadi Dam supports agriculture across Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, whilst the Bejegaon Dam irrigates 50 villages, demonstrating the interconnected nature of Vidarbha's water resources.

However, industrial expansion threatens this river ecosystem.

A 2011 Greenpeace report identified 71 thermal power plants with 55-gigawatt capacity in various approval stages across the Wainganga basin. These developments could reduce water availability by 16 per cent, creating competition between industrial demand and traditional agricultural uses that have sustained regional communities for generations.

Coal mining operations compound the environmental pressure. Since 2000, over 2,558 hectares of forest land in Chandrapur district have been diverted for mining activities, directly impacting water quality and ecosystems.

The emerging coal-fired power industry poses the greatest pollution threat to the Wainganga system, with untreated industrial discharge contaminating water that millions depend upon.

Wardha River Pollution: Coal Mining's Devastating Impact on Water Quality

The Wardha River crisis exemplifies how industrial activities destroy river ecosystems across eastern Maharashtra. This 528-kilometre waterway originates at 777 metres altitude in the Satpura Range near Khairwani village, Multai, supporting urban centres including Amravati, Morshi, and Warud through dam infrastructure.

Western Coalfields Limited's operations created visible environmental destruction when untreated contaminated water from Ghugus and Naigaon open-cast mines in Chandrapur and Yavatmal districts turned the river surface yellowish and blackish.

This industrial discharge represents systematic environmental degradation affecting downstream communities and agricultural systems.

Water quality assessments reveal the pollution's severity through Biochemical Oxygen Demand measurements.

A 2025 study confirmed critically high BOD levels in the Wardha basin, indicating severe organic pollution that depletes dissolved oxygen essential for aquatic life. This contamination cascades through the river network, affecting the Godavari system when the Wardha joins the Wainganga to form the Pranahita tributary.

The river's tributary system includes the Kar, Wena, Jam, and Erai from the left bank, and Madu, Bembala, and Penganga from the right bank.

The Upper Wardha Dam near Morshi provides irrigation and water supply for multiple districts, whilst the Lower Wardha Dam near Warud Bagaji supports Wardha District agriculture. The Bembala Dam assists Yavatmal's farming communities, creating a network where pollution spreads rapidly through interconnected waterways.

Maharashtra's agricultural economy depends heavily on these river systems, with fertile alluvial soils in floodplains supporting crops that feed millions. The systematic contamination of the Wardha threatens food security and rural livelihoods across multiple districts, whilst coal mining expansion continues with minimal environmental oversight.

Sacred Rivers Under Threat: Purna and Tapti Pollution Crisis

The Purna River carries both mythological significance and contemporary environmental burdens as the Tapti's chief tributary. Flowing 334 kilometres through a watershed covering 18,929 square kilometres, the river originates in Pokhrani, Bhainsdehi, Satpura Range, passing through Akola, Buldhana, and Jalgaon districts before joining the Tapti at Changdev.

Ancient texts,, including the Mahabharata reference the Purna as Payoshni or Paisani, meaning "Ambrosia" in Sanskrit. The river's name, meaning "complete," reflects its historical importance to regional culture and Hindu pilgrimage traditions. The sacred confluence with the Tapti at Changdev features the Changdeva Maharaj temple, drawing pilgrims despite deteriorating water quality.

The Hatnur Dam, northern Maharashtra's largest, provides irrigation for Muktainagar and Malkapur whilst supporting fish populations and bird species, including Bagda and ducks.

However, industrial and agricultural pollution threatens this biodiversity. Water quality studies in the Buldhana district show seasonal variations in ion concentrations due to groundwater seepage and monsoon dilution, indicating ongoing contamination challenges.

The Purna Area Water Partnership, established in 1995, addresses salinity issues affecting 300 villages through bore wells and rooftop rainwater harvesting systems. These restoration efforts improve groundwater quality and agricultural productivity, demonstrating successful community-based water management approaches that could be replicated across Vidarbha's river systems.

The Tapti River system faces similar challenges across its 724-kilometre course from the Satpura Range to the Arabian Sea near Surat, Gujarat. In Vidarbha, the river supports agriculture and urban needs in Buldhana and Jalgaon districts, with Bhusawal railway junction depending on Tapti water for industrial and domestic supply.

Named after Tapati, daughter of Surya in Hindu mythology, the river's sacred status contrasts with severe pollution from textile and sugar industries in Jalgaon district. A 2017 study documented high BOD levels and chemical contaminants downstream of Bhusawal, indicating moderate to severe pollution that affects both religious practices and public health.

The Purna's pollutant load from industrial activities in Akola and Buldhana districts further degrades water quality at the Tapti confluence, creating cumulative contamination that spreads throughout the river system.

This pollution threatens the Tapkeshwar temple at Multai, the river's origin point, where devotees have worshipped for centuries.

Government Response and Environmental Protection Failures

Restoration efforts reveal systematic failures in environmental protection across Maharashtra's river systems.

The Planning Commission's Working Group recommended a Wainganga basin pilot study during the XII Five-Year Plan to develop a River Ecosystem model for Biodiversity Conservation, acknowledging the urgent need for scientific environmental management.

The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change established committees to study dam impacts on tiger corridors and river ecosystems.

A September 2015 committee submitted its report after 1.5 years, whilst a subsequent October 2016 committee had not convened by March 2017, highlighting bureaucratic delays that allow environmental destruction to continue unchecked.

Maharashtra's Jalyukt Shivar scheme, implemented between 2014 and 2019, aimed at water conservation and groundwater recharge across Vidarbha districts.

The programme focuses on soil and water conservation to reduce sediment load and agricultural runoff, though specific impacts on individual river systems require a comprehensive assessment.

The Central Pollution Control Board monitors water quality in the Tapti and Godavari basins, identifying polluted stretches and recommending treatment facilities.

However, implementation faces resource constraints and coordination challenges between state and central authorities, allowing industrial pollution to continue largely unabated.

The Godavari River situation in Gadchiroli district reflects broader systemic failures. Flowing 50 kilometres through Vidarbha, the river receives the heavily polluted Pranahita tributary formed by Wainganga and Wardha confluence. Studies document BOD levels ranging from 6 to 36 milligrams per litre in upper stretches, with critical pollution in the Wardha basin from coal mining and thermal power operations.

Sediment load decreases at the Godavari delta impact downstream ecosystems and coastal communities, whilst industrial effluents and untreated sewage contribute to ongoing water quality degradation. The river's sacred status, hosting the Pushkaram fair every 12 years and numerous pilgrimage sites, creates a religious imperative for environmental protection that government agencies consistently fail to address.

Cultural heritage sites throughout the river network depend on clean water for religious observances. The Wainganga's Thanwar tributary forms part of Hindu pilgrimage routes, with Jhulpur village serving as a temple town. The Chandan River hosts temples at Rampayli, whilst multiple sacred sites along these waterways face contamination that threatens both spiritual practices and community health.

The convergence of industrial development and environmental destruction across Vidarbha's rivers represents a critical test of India's commitment to sustainable development.

These waterways, which have sustained civilisation for thousands of years, now face unprecedented threats that government agencies appear unable or unwilling to address effectively. The systematic failure to protect these vital water resources threatens millions of people who depend on clean rivers for survival, agriculture, and cultural continuity.