What India’s Disappearing Rivers Reveal About Our Changing Climate

Long ago, rivers breathed life into India’s lands. Now, many are vanishing, leaving behind ghostly beds, fading myths, and untold stories in their wake.

1. Saraswati River Said to have flowed through north-western India, the Saraswati is now lost, its course buried beneath desert sands and ancient memory.

Revered in the Vedas, this river was once mighty. Some say it vanished in a great drought, others still search for signs of its hidden waters.

2. Ghaggar-Hakra River The Ghaggar-Hakra winds through Haryana, Punjab, and Rajasthan. Even though its bed is dry for much of the year, its past runs deep with ancient secrets.

Linked by many to the Saraswati, the Ghaggar once nourished Indus Valley sites. Now, it flows only with rare monsoon blessings.

3. Yamuna River Rising in the Himalayas, the Yamuna flows past Delhi, but in parts, it slows to a trickle, choked by waste and shrinking hopes.

Once sacred and central to myth, the Yamuna is now one of India’s most polluted rivers, a shadow of its divine legacy.

4. Palar River The Palar once curved through Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu. Now, its bed lies cracked and barren beneath the unforgiving sun.

An important source for towns and farms, the river has vanished due to overuse and mining, its water is now a memory more than a resource.

5. Luni River Born in the Aravallis, the Luni slips through Rajasthan into the Rann of Kutch, then disappears without reaching the sea.

A rare desert river, the Luni is rich in salt. Its brackish waters sustain few, yet its name lives on in local lore and legend.

6. Musi River The Musi flows through Hyderabad, once a lifeline for the city. Now, it limps along, polluted and neglected, and it is a river in name more than form.

Once clean and wide, the Musi powered ancient Hyderabad and its famed bridges. Today, it carries more waste than water, which is a mirror to urban neglect.