<p>Over the years, hazardous pollutants such as dyes have significantly contributed to the water pollution, highlighting the need for their effective removal. Starch, a natural polysaccharide has emerged as a suitable material for sustainable water remediation applications due to its non-toxic and biodegradable properties. Starch-based hydrogels have emerged as efficient materials for the removal of hazardous dyes from wastewater. This study also examined various methods of synthesis of different types of starch-based hydrogels. The interactions of these hydrogels with different positively (cationic) and negatively charged (anionic) dyes were also explained to understand the adsorption mechanism. This study also highlights the effect of modifiers such as acrylic acid, chitosan, other polymers and nanomaterials on dye removal performance of starch hydrogels. This review discussed the synthesis strategies, chemical composition, dye adsorption performance, adsorption behaviour, kinetics, adsorption mechanism, and reusability of starch-based hydrogels are studied.</p>