Rivers have been worshipped as "mata " like "Jamuna mata" "Ganga mata" i.e. (mata = mother )and cosidered as a living entity in ancient scriptures . RIVERS ARE actually lifeline OF a nation. Once the rivers dry up a nation may face many problems. Climate change has caused untold miseries and revolts in human societies . Water is transported by rivers across a nation or nations globally. Increasing population, industrialization pressure , and waste disposal into river system has made rivers as " drainage " or municipal waste carriers. The old mythology to "worship rivers" was based on creating respect for the river system and avoid pollution in them. It was sin to put municipal waste or sewage waste in "holy river system" This has worked for many centuries. The river system with banks with tree line and botton with silt, clay and sand in proper mixture stored excess water in wells and river beds . The wells on river banks were always full of water. If the river bed is lined with polythene waste, and other waste material it becomes impervious to water and the contact of water flowing in river system with ground water is lost. Due to polythene lining on the river beds, excess water is drained away . No wonder that Jamuna river which was flowing at danger mark level 4 months ago in Agra city is now almost dry . If there are no trees to hold the borders of the river system the silting will be faster and rivers will change the course. While travelling on river RHINE of Europe in a ship one would hardly witness a "drain " or sewage or "dead animals " or waste being dumped into river system. Can it be said for other places in the world ? Rivers are like a "living earth " a "living ecosystem " and if you treat them like a drainage system without caring for their sanctity or "purity", perhaps a method used by ancestors to create reverance for river system , it will be impossible to keep them alive. Its a very sad story to see dark , and bad smelling water filled with filth , sewage and industrial waste and feel helpless to correct the same. Can things be changed to give life back to rivers so that human race can survive ?