Mumbaikars should be proud to be living in the only city that has four rivers flowing through it and also one of the only cities to have a national conservation park/forest in the city. Previously around the 1970s, these rivers were national tourist sites and people enjoyed bathing in the clean river and the river was a source of clean drinking water.

 However, today, Mumbaikars are living in a place where rivers are intoxicated with harmful pollutants, and garbage like non-degradable plastics dumped in rivers. It is horrifying to visit these rivers as these have now become trash sites. The floods, stagnant water and ill-treated toxic wastes that speed up the spread of diseases, deterioration of ground water quality are generating negative perceptions of this God gifted city. The river has narrowed down, and has become more shallow due to the presence of the accumulation of silt, debris and plastic bags. Now, it is hard to imagine people even trying to go in the river. Who can forget the fateful day of 26-27 July, 2005 when the whole of Mumbai was flooded and people had a narrow escape, the main reason being the negligence on behalf of the Government agencies to treat these rivers flowing through the city.

Uses of river water

River and its water is being used by:

• Sewage drain
• Washing clothes
• Bathing
• Immersing idols
• Industrial waste being excreted into rivers
• waste water disposal
• Dumping of municipal solid wastes
• other types of recreation

 Causes

These rivers have been inebriated as years are passing and the main reason is industrialisation. As more buildings and homes are being constructed, there is an increase in waste produced that runs through sewage drains and does not get disposed off but runs into these rivers. These wastes are also not treated to help remove the pollutants. Also an increase in plastic usage is bringing an increase to non-degradable substances in the environment. Plastics that come out of sewage are non - degradable, so do not get dissolved as the river flows. This causes huge collection of concentrated plastic substances into an area which blocks the flow of the river. As these bundles increase, they will keep blocking the flow of the river and eventually in a few years time, it will cause a complete blockage. This will hinder the already-thwarted river conditions. The only way to remove these plastics is to manually remove them or remove them using bulldozers.

 Architectural flaw

 There is a major architectural flaw in the city. There is no separate sewage drain constructed throughout the city and all the sewage flows into rivers. There are no check dams or any sewage drains that help to treat the sewage and prevent it from flowing to precious sources of water. This is a major flaw and the most prominent reason why sewage gets disposed off onto rivers. We need to urge the necessary agencies, organisations and the Government to alter this plan by constructing separate sewage drains and sewage disposals that are separately treated and do not connect to these rivers.

 Effects

River banks that are generally present alongside rivers are disappearing and are replaced by walls and construction activities instead. The beautiful river banks that Mumbaikars witnessed in the 1970s have been converted into walls. Once there was a time when fishing was easily possible within a distance of one kilometre but now it is hard to find fishes even after we travel fifty kilometres down the stream. There used to be a time when crocodiles were witnessed to be residing in rivers like the Dahisar river. Aquatic life in these rivers is now completely  destroyed and all one can find in these rivers are rats and snakes.

 Most importantly, it is causing a strain to the environment. During the summer and sunny afternoons, the heat causes vapour to form from the intoxicated water that releases fumes which are in toxic and detrimental for human health. The befuddled water is also a source for mosquitos and other deadly creatures. The serious impact is that the inhabitants living close by suffer from deadly diseases like typhoid and malaria, amongst others.

It can be concluded that the present inhumane conditions of the river have diverse effects on its surroundings, environment, aquatic life and also human life. Therefore, it is important for us, Mumbaikars to behave as responsible citizens and conserve the beautiful natural habitat that nature has provided us. Come join me, in taking this initiative to a higher level so that our reserves are conserved and these can sustain for future generations. We should ensure that these rivers are maintained so that Mumbai remains a tourist hotspot. Remember, it is going to impact the lives of thousands and thousands of people living in the city and this change will contribute positively to the environment.