In the present article, the suitability of activated carbon and other alternative adsorbents for wastewater treatment has been reviewed. It is evident from literature survey of last 20-25 years that researchers have gained success to some extent in developing inexpensive adsorbents for water pollution control utilizing naturally available and waste materials. However, still there is a need to find out the practical utility of such developed adsorbents on large-scale and safe and eco-friendly disposal of spent adsorbents.