Rivers and streams are the lifeline of a civilization and nation. Rivers play a vital role in sustaining life, ecology, religions, business, economy, international r

Rivers and streams are the lifeline of a civilization and nation. Rivers play a vital role in sustaining life, ecology, religions, business, economy, international relations etc. But, globally, our 

 are drying and losing their identity; some rivers are on the verge of extinction. Experts estimate that 

over half of the world’s river networks are running dry

. Many rivers have been converted into drains and are covered with a large amount of filth and cannot be considered as a source of freshwater. 

In 2022, the drying rivers have exposed many 

historical monuments and archeological treasures

 which were hidden inside rivers when rivers were flowing at their full volume. 

Current Status Of Rivers and other water bodies 

Many of the world’s important rivers are running dry: 

1- The Colorado river, which flows from the high plains of the Western U.S. to the Gulf of California in Mexico. 

2- The Indus, the primary source of freshwater for most of Pakistan, and flows into the ocean at the Port of Karachi. 

3- The Aral Sea, once the world's fourth largest inland water body, has now reduced into small lakes with a combined volume only one-tenth the original. 

4- In the USA, the Rio Grande runs from southwestern Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico. It defines much of the border between Texas and Mexico. 

 (Dinosaur Valley State Park, Texas, USA) dried up. Dinosaur tracks from 113 million years ago uncovered due to severe drought conditions. 

6- Since 1972, the sixth longest in the world, the Yellow River or Huang He River of China, has run dry before reaching the sea. 

7- Yangtze River in China has revealed a submerged island in the southwestern city of Chongqing and 600 years old three 

8- Murray river, Australia's longest and most important river, is drying up. 

9- Italy’s longest river and a vital water transport hub, the Po river, is also drying up. The Italian government declared a state of emergency in five regions due to drying Po river.  

10- River Rhine, one of Europe’s main water arteries, has dried up. 

11- France’s longest river, Loire, is running dry due to 'historic drought'. More than 100 towns don't have access to drinking water. Loire is also the source of cooling water for 12 nuclear power plants.

, which were sunk during World War II in the Danube river, have emerged near Serbia's river port town Prahovo due to low water levels in river Danube. 

13- Italy's worst drought in decades has reduced the country's largest lake 

 to its lowest level and exposing previously underwater rocks. 

 are at risk of drying up because of climate change and growing water demand for drinking water, industries and agriculture. Among the rivers at risk are Mackenzie, Skeena, Fraser, Athabasca, Nipigon, South Saskatchewan, Grand, St. Lawrence, Saint John, and Ottawa. The Fraser river produces more salmon than any other river on earth; its fishing industry is worth over $300 million annually. 

15- In West Raqqa province of Syria lowering water level of the 

 revealed a Roman/Byzantine graveyard in the rock. 

, a historical symbol of Kabul city of Afghanistan is also drying. 

18- Elbe, Thames, Le Toleure, and Weser are other 

 like never before. In India, the Central Water Commission (CWC) reported three major river basins, namely 

, are severely facing water crisis. India’s famous river Ganga also is drying up. There is not enough flow at several locations that the Ganges passes by. The Ken River has almost dried up. Teesta river, the lifeline of Sikkim, has largely dried up. 

. The Colorado river has so heavily overused for agriculture, industry, and municipal purposes that it rarely reach the ocean. The Indus is drying due to overuse and overdependence for household, industrial, and agricultural sectors. The Aral Sea was fed by Central Asia's two greatest rivers, Amu Darya in the south and Syr Darya in the north. In the 1960s the Soviet Union built a large irrigation network, including 20,000 miles of canals, 45 dams, and more than 80 reservoirs, to irrigate fields of cotton and wheat in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. After several decades, the Amu Darya & Syr Dariya had lost so much of its flow that it no longer reached the Aral Sea. Due to heavy use of water by Texas and Mexico, the river Rio Grande failed to reach the coast entirely. Like many other major rivers, 

 of China and Teesta river of India have been drying coz of extensive use of their water for agriculture. 

Another reason of drying of rivers are increasing global warming and low precipitation; such conditions results in lower water levels in rivers. 

Disruptions and diversions have reduced the flow so much that mouth of Murray river closed due to silt formation. 

The India Today magazine reported that primary consumer of water in India is agriculture which consumes over 85 per cent of India's freshwater. In the 

, only 40 per cent of the farmers irrigate their crops through rivers; the rest rely on rains and groundwater for agriculture. Groundwater resources are facing increasing pressure due to over-reliance and unsustainable consumption. This has increases the water crisis. As per CWC, the per capita annual 

 has progressively reduced due to increase in population, urbanization, development stress, improved lifestyle of people, etc. 

Steps to save drying rivers in India and world 

Initiatives to conserve water, rainwater harvesting and making the conscious efforts to reduce water pollution are important ways to save water for future generations. The average family of four can use 

According to NITI Ayog, India is suffering from the worst water crisis; millions of lives and livelihoods are under threat and two lakh people die every year due to inadequate access to safe drinking water. As per the report of National Commission for Integrated Water Resource Development, India, the water requirement by 2050 in high use scenario is likely to be 1,180 BCM, whereas the present-day availability is 695 BCM. 

, the India's water demand is projected to be double the available supply. The 

 aims to provide potable water through taps to 191 million rural households by 2024, from the existing one out of six homes.  

, only 1/3rd of the world's longest rivers remain free-flowing. The growing demand for water and increasing global warming have been 

 and streams to dry up. Climate change is 

exacerbating the drought periods for the river

The installation of dams, use of water for agriculture, human consumption, mismanagement of water, deforestation, sand mafia, unplanned constructions and the La Nino have all led to dry days for major water bodies across the globe. 

In Europe, the ongoing drought could be the worst in 500 years. Earth's water bodies are getting extinct.

 on water resources points to longer droughts in many parts of the world. According to the UN, 2.2 billion people have no access to drinking water and these numbers would grow fast, in future, if no action taken on time. 

World governments and citizens would have to take immediate steps to stop extinction of water bodies. Here are some suggestive steps: 

1- Treat the trash before throwing it away. 

 2- Oil spills from vehicles or heavy industries should not be allowed to get discharged into water bodies. 

 3- The ecological imbalance and global warming, due to climate change, are making rivers dry. So, act for nature, ecosystem restoration, and generation restoration to change climate change. 

 4- Create awareness among people about the death of rivers. Most people are not aware of the ill health of our rivers and water bodies.  

5- Heatwaves, drought, and extreme weather can be expected to be more in near future. Unless we reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, such things will escalate even further.  

, improved management of water resources, and 'water efficiency means' for agriculture like drip irrigation, would help to conserve water. 

7- Control human population and expansion, agriculture expansion, urbanization, industrialization, and 

 to reduce anthropogenic impact on water bodies and Nature. 

Please, let the Earth remains a living planet, do not let make it a planet like Mars. As an advanced organisms, our behavior should be sustainable with the resources necessary to survive on the Earth. 

Finally, here is a great quote by great environmentalist Mike Hudema, for leaders and citizens of Earth:  "How many more 'historic events' before we 'Act On Climate'?" - 

Why Rivers Are Drying? Is There Any Solution?

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