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The health of a river directly affects the vitality of the region, the local flora, fauna and humans alike. Only three percent of all available water (seventy percent of earth is covered with water) is fresh water useful for drinking, cleaning, irrigation and other chores.

Rivers are rich source of fresh water. Since time immemorial, ancient civilization flourished along great river valleys, for example, Harrapan civilization thrived along the Indus river in ancient India about five thousand years ago. Water is Life. Human beings, plants and animals, all need water to grow and survive.

Waterborne diseases

If the river is not in good health, certainly plants and animals depending on it will be prone to waterborne diseases. Diarrhea is one of the most common killer diseases.

The world health organization statistics reveal, 1.1 billion people have no access to clean and safe drinking water. 1.8 million people die every year from diarrheal diseases, of which ninety percent are children below the age of five. Like any other disease, diarrhea is preventable by providing clean drinking water to the masses. The communities must be educated about sanitation and hygiene as well.

Most of the rural homes in developing countries are plumbing deprived.Lack of proper distribution and storage of drinking water, adds germs and bacteria to the already contaminated river water.

Life straw, a portable water purifier is a good option to prevent water borne diseases.

The video http://www.1h2o.org/index.php/ dev_site/story/lifestraw/ is quite enlightening. The straw kills and removes ninety nine percent of waterborne bacteria and viruses. It is a drinking straw which purifies water while it is being consumed, an interesting useful device.

Cancer and Tumors

As per the standards of United Nations Environmental Program, the Yellow River, second longest river in China is heavily polluted by industrial waste(potential cancer causing chemicals) is unfit for drinking, aquaculture or any industrial and agricultural usage.

The life expectancy of native people of Amur river basin in Russia has drastically reduced to 40-45 years, far less than the national average. The highly contaminated Amur river has become life threatening; far many cancer cases are being reported than ever before in the past.

Dead zone

Dead zone is an oxygen starved area in any water body. It is formed due to the discharge of untreated sewage, raw toxic industry effluent along with traces of nitro fertilizers into rivers. Even the

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