If you think these photos of the Citarum River in Indonesia have been altered in Photoshop, think again. In fact, I wish these had been modified and that the images of boats floating amidst miles of garbage and pollution weren't real.

With five million people living in the river's basin and hundreds of factories dumping their refuse in the water, the river has become a virtual wasteland and my be the most polluted river in the world. Tourists once flocked to the river to marvel at its natural beauty and fishermen were able to make a reasonable living with what they caught. Now residents scour the filthy water searching through the debris for plastic bottles, wood and rubber gloves which may earn them a few pennies.

Hit the jump to see more photos of the Citarum River.

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