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A ritual of dumping thousands of litres of milk into the Narmada River a few weeks ago raises a troubling question: If India’s rivers are truly sacred, why are they treated as receptacles for waste rather than as living systems deserving of genuine protection?

A video from Madhya Pradesh showing thousands of litres of milk being poured into the Narmada River has gone viral, sparking a sharp debate among devotees, environmentalists, and public welfare circles. Devotees claim the act was part of a grand abhishek ritual, but questions are now being raised about its impact.

The visuals are linked to a large-scale religious function held at the Shri Dadaji Darbar Pataleshwar Mahadev Temple in Satdev Village, Sehore District, during Chaitra Navratri. According to posters and local sources, the event spanned 21 days, from March 18 to April 7. It included a massive mahayagya using 41 tonnes of ghee, Shiv Mahapuran recitations, and continuous Durga Path recitation by 151 devotees. The viral video, however, focuses on one particular ritual in which nearly 11,000 litres of milk were poured into the Narmada as part of a ceremonial offering. Organisers and devotees defend the act as an expression of deep faith.

Experts have raised concerns about the incident, noting that it could lead to immediate changes in water quality in the river stretch due to a dip in dissolved oxygen levels, affecting not only biodiversity but also the people who depend on the river. They also point out that decomposing milk in river water promotes bacterial growth, making the ecosystem toxic to fish and other organisms. This, however, is not an isolated event. Blind faith and rituals in the name of religion are choking rivers across India. While such blatant activities should ideally be regulated by applying India’s primary laws to combat pollution, authorities baulk at addressing them for obvious political reasons.

The controversy over the wastage of huge quantities of milk – a high-quality, affordable source of protein – has intensified amid Madhya Pradesh’s own nutrition challenges. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in the Madhya Pradesh high court, citing data from the Poshan Tracker and........

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