The drugged river: How antibiotic waste is choking the Sabarmati
Once celebrated as Ahmedabad’s lifeline, the Sabarmati River now carries more than just water. It carries the residues of human health like antibiotics that were meant to heal but are now harming. A recent study has found alarming levels of these medicines in the river, revealing a hidden form of pollution that is silently suffocating aquatic life and threatening the wellbeing of the communities that depend on it.
A river under pressure
The Sabarmati is one of Gujarat’s most important rivers. It originates in the Aravalli hills of Rajasthan and flows 371 kilometres through Gujarat before meeting the Arabian Sea at the Gulf of Khambhat. Along its journey, the river supports cities, industries, and agriculture. The Sabarmati basin spans nearly 22,000 square kilometres, with farmland covering three-fourths of the area. But the same economic activity that sustains livelihoods has also placed the river under immense stress.
Wastewater from pharmaceutical industries, hospitals, and urban settlements flows into the Sabarmati, often untreated or only partially treated. Over the years, this waste has carried traces of antibiotics and other medicines into the water. These residues do not simply disappear; they accumulate and begin to alter the delicate balance of river ecosystems.
How antibiotics enter the water
Antibiotics are designed to kill harmful bacteria in humans and animals, but a large portion of what we consume passes through our bodies unchanged. When this waste enters sewage systems, it carries active antibiotic compounds. In many parts of India, sewage treatment is inadequate, and untreated waste often reaches rivers directly.
The problem is made worse by discharges from pharmaceutical factories, hospitals, and poultry farms where antibiotics are routinely used. As a result, rivers like the Sabarmati have become silent repositories of medical waste — invisible pollutants that are difficult to detect and even harder to remove.
What the study reveals
The study titled 'Antibiotic residues in Sabarmati River, Gujarat (India): Insight into occurrence, seasonal dynamics and risk to aquatic ecosystems' in Cleaner Water examined water samples from six locations along the Sabarmati over seven months. The sites were selected based on varying human activity and proximity to wastewater treatment plants. The results were worrying.
Five commonly used antibiotics like ciprofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, ampicillin, meropenem, and trimethoprim, were found in all samples. Ciprofloxacin showed the highest concentration, reaching up to nine micrograms per litre, followed by sulfamethoxazole. Both are highly stable and degrade very slowly in the environment. The other three were detected in smaller amounts, as they tend to break down or bind to sediments.
Contamination levels varied with the seasons. During the pre-monsoon months, antibiotic concentrations were relatively low. With the arrival of the monsoon, runoff from farms and urban areas increased the spread of pollutants. The post-monsoon period saw the highest contamination levels, as lower river flow allowed residues to accumulate.
Untreated pharmaceutical waste and domestic sewage were identified as the main contributors. Areas near wastewater discharge points recorded the highest antibiotic concentrations, confirming that the river’s pollution was closely linked to human activity.
Invisible poisons, visible damage
The study found that these residues posed a serious ecological risk, especially to algae, water fleas, and fish. Ciprofloxacin, in particular, was highly toxic to multiple aquatic species during the post-monsoon months of September to November, when water levels were low.
Antibiotic residues can disrupt the microscopic life that forms the base of the aquatic food chain. They weaken beneficial bacteria that decompose organic matter and recycle nutrients. Fish and other organisms exposed to these chemicals may suffer stunted growth, reproductive issues, and organ damage. Over time, antibiotics can also accumulate in their tissues, creating long-term risks for animals and humans who depend on the river for food and livelihood.
The rise of superbugs
Another major threat is the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, often called superbugs. Rivers polluted with human and animal waste are breeding grounds for bacteria such as E. coli. When exposed to antibiotic residues, these bacteria can evolve resistance, making common infections harder to treat. People who bathe in or consume contaminated water, or eat fish from these waters, risk carrying such bacteria into their own systems.
This link between water pollution and antibiotic resistance is a growing public health concern worldwide, and the Sabarmati study adds to the evidence that India’s rivers are becoming incubators for resistance that could outlast generations.
A river losing its resilience
The Sabarmati’s journey from the Aravalli hills to the Arabian Sea tells a larger story about India’s rivers. Over the decades, rapid industrialisation, urban expansion, and intensive agriculture have overwhelmed natural systems. The river’s ability to cleanse itself has weakened, while pollution loads have risen sharply.
Although several wastewater treatment plants exist along the Sabarmati, many operate below capacity or face technical and financial challenges. Industrial and domestic effluents are often released untreated. What flows through the river today is no longer water alone but a chemical mix of our collective consumption and neglect.
Why it matters for Gujarat
The Sabarmati supports millions of people in Gujarat like farmers, fishermen, and urban residents alike. Its pollution is not just an environmental concern but a social and economic one. Declining water quality affects agriculture, fisheries, and public health.
The findings from this study are a warning sign. They show that the river’s pollution is not only visible in garbage and foam, but also hidden in the chemical residues that flow beneath the surface.
Charting a way forward
The researchers recommend urgent improvements in wastewater treatment and stricter control of industrial discharges. Regular monitoring of antibiotic residues, especially ciprofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole, is essential. Public awareness campaigns can help reduce the misuse of antibiotics in both human and veterinary medicine.
Stronger regulations for pharmaceutical manufacturing, incentives for cleaner production, and coordination between health and environment departments are critical steps. Promoting decentralised wastewater treatment and encouraging industries to adopt zero-liquid-discharge practices can also help.
At a broader level, India needs to integrate water quality management with its public health and pollution control policies. Antibiotic residues are part of a larger problem — the chemicalisation of our rivers — that demands coordinated action across sectors.
Healing the river, healing ourselves
The story of the Sabarmati is not unique. Across India, rivers like the Musi, Yamuna, and Mithi face similar threats from pharmaceuticals and other emerging pollutants. What begins as a pill in a hospital or home often ends up flowing downstream, altering the chemistry of life itself.
Restoring the Sabarmati’s health will require more than technology. It calls for a shift in how we think about water — not as a drain for our waste, but as a living system that sustains us all. The health of the river mirrors the health of the people who depend on it. To heal one, we must care for the other.