By any reasonable measure, yes, almost every U.S. river is substantially cleaner than almost every Indian river. Take fecal coliform bacteria. They grow in poop and they make people very sick. Western sanitation, for all its flaws, has largely solved the problem of coliform bacteria.

The standard scoring for fecal coliform bacteria is the number of organisms found in a 100 ml sample. In the U.S., anything above 500/100 ml will close a beach or river for swimming. In the Ganges, the count ranges from 60,000 / 100 ml to 1.5 million (!) / 100 ml. [1] Compare to the Mississippi River near New Orleans, where the EPA found averages between 382 and 2,528 / 100 ml. [2]

I'm sure there are other measures, but for the simple measure of "is this water safe to drink or bathe in," the Ganges really is one of the worst in the world. Improvements have been seen, but this isn't one where we can say "it's all the same."

[1] http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/MG02Df01.html [2] http://www.epa.gov/waters/tmdldocs/ms_riv_3fc_tmdlsfinal_mar... (see page B-2)

The same may not have been true a few decades ago. I recall stories when I was younger of rivers catching on fire. That's when you know things are bad :-)

Today however, almost all US waterways are in fairly good shape. We have made tremendous strides in the last few decades cleaning things up.

'Few' or thousands or may be millions, who knows? Is there some kind of data or statistical study to help here?

Calling that there is filth elsewhere too isn't really a great argument to support your shrug. It is understandable though that it hurts to see one's homeland in poor light. It's a good emotion to have - love your land - should be used to emphasize and drive clean up.