♈Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday addressed to the reports that claimed presence of high levels of faecal bacteria in the river water where devotees are taking holy dips in the ongoing Maha Kumbh and stated that the water at the Sangam is fit for both bathing (amrit snan) and ritual drinking (aachman).
🌠To support his statement, the UP CM told the state assembly that the Uttar Pradesh Control Board and the Central Pollution Control Board are continuously monitoring the water quality at the Sangam.
ඣAdityanath also slammed the former UP government run by Samajwadi Party who were in power during 2013 Kumbh and claimed that the condition of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers was so poor back then that the Prime Minister of Mauritius refused to take a dip.
𓆏The government data on water quality has recently revealed that the Ganga water at Triveni Sangam, where lakhs of people are taking a holy dip every day during the ongoing Maha Kumbh, is currently unsafe for bathing as it exceeds the prescribed limit for biological oxygen demand (BOD) which is a key parameter to determine water quality.
🔴SP Chief Akhilesh Yadav has asked for investigation as he claimed that several Kalpavasis have fallen sick after taking dip at the river.
What Did Yogi Adityanath Say?
🍸"This time, 81 drains have been tapped, treating 261 MLD (million liters per day) of sewage. In January and February, fecal coliform levels at the Sangam nose were found to be within the acceptable range, below 2,500 MPN per 100 ml, according to the UP Pollution (Control) Board," he said, according to an official statement.
🔯"The Central Pollution (Control) Board has also confirmed this in its report. The UP and Central Pollution Control Boards are continuously monitoring water quality, and recent reports confirm that the water at the Sangam is now fit for both bathing and ritual use," Adityanath told the state Assembly.
꧂He said the Maha Kumbh 2025 is being organised in a "grand" manner, while the 2013 edition suffered due to the "corruption, mismanagement", administrative negligence and chaos of the SP rule.
꧋There are better facilities and well-planned arrangements this year, but those responsible for the 2013 "mismanagement" are now criticising the 2025 Maha Kumbh, he said.
😼The CM also pointed out that after the stampede at the Prayagraj (then Allahabad) Station in 2013, the then head of the state government was attacking the Centre, then led by the Congress.
♍The Uttar Pradesh government was not receiving funds from the Centre then, and there was "corruption" in whatever money was spent as mentioned in the 2014 CAG report, he said.
♑Adityanath compared the 2013 and 2025 events, and said the duration of the Kumbh is determined by religious calculations.
🎐He said the 2025 event will last 45 days, whereas it spanned 55 days in 2013.
๊The 2013 Kumbh covered an area of only 1,936 hectares (less than 5,000 acres), whereas the 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela area is more than 10,000 acres, he said.
🐷He also said only 14 sectors were set up in the Kumbh Mela area in 2013, while in 2025, the number has increased to 25. The parking area has also seen major improvements, expanding from 635 hectares in 2013 to 1,850 hectares in 2025, accommodating more than 6,00,000 four-wheelers, he said.
ꦕThe CM stated that in 2013, Prayagraj had no permanent ghats, riverfronts, or ROBs (Road Over Bridges), but nine ROBs and six underpasses had been built by 2019.
🌞For the 2025 event, 14 flyovers, nine permanent ghats, and seven riverfronts have been prepared. The length of temporary ghats has increased from just 4 km in 2013 to 12 km in 2025, he added.
Government Data Reveals
🎉The government data on water quality has recently revealed that the Ganga water at Triveni Sangam, where lakhs of people are taking a holy dip every day during the ongoing Maha Kumbh, is currently unsafe for bathing as it exceeds the prescribed limit for biological oxygen demand (BOD) which is a key parameter to determine water quality.
♌BOD refers to the amount of oxygen required by aerobic microorganisms to break down organic material in a water body. A higher BOD level indicates more organic content in the water. River water is considered fit for bathing if the BOD level is less than 3 milligrams per litre.
꧋Government data shows that the river water at Sangam is currently exceeding this limit. The BOD level at Sangam was 5.09 milligrams per litre at 5 am on January 16. It was recorded at 4.6 milligrams per litre at 5 pm on January 18 and 5.29 milligrams per litre at 8 am on January 19 (Wednesday).
꧅According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, the BOD level at Sangam was 3.94 milligrams per litre on January 13 when the Maha Kumbh started.
♏It improved to 2.28 milligrams per litre on Makar Sankranti (January 14) and further dropped to 1 milligram per litre on January 15.
🀅However, it rose to 4.08 milligrams per litre on January 24 and was recorded at 3.26 milligrams per litre on Mauni Amavasya (January 29).
﷽In a report submitted to the National Green Tribunal on February 3, the CPCB said the river water quality did not meet bathing standards during monitoring on January 12-13 at most locations in Prayagraj.
♔"However, after that, organic pollution (in terms of BOD) started to decrease due to freshwater intrusion at upstream locations. After January 13, 2025, river water quality (is) conforming (to) the bathing criteria w.r.t. BOD except (at) Lord Curzon bridge on river Ganga on January 19, 2025," the CPCB report read.
Akhilesh Yadav Seeks Probe
🔴Raising concerns about the quality of water in the Sangam, Yadav said, "Why did they hide the true state of the water? What are the parameters of the water quality? Where does this bacteria come from?
♉He attacked CM Adityanath over the issue. "Perhaps the chief minister doesn't even know. If he knew, he himself wouldn't have bathed in that water."
ꦗHe added, "I demand that the government provide help to the families of devotees who have lost their lives, and arrange for medical treatment for those who have fallen ill after taking a dip in the Sangam."
🔯The SP chief also claimed that many 'Kalpavasis' (devotees who stay during the Kumbh for an extended period) had fallen ill after bathing in the Sangam.
♐"It's being reported that a large number of Kalpavasis have fallen sick. The illness they are experiencing seems to have developed after their dip in the river. I suggest the government conduct a thorough investigation into this matter," he said.
UP Government Shares Their Data & Measurements Taken So Far
🦂Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh told reporters on Sunday that the rise in footfall is due to the government's success in improving river water quality and sanitation since the 2019 Ardh Kumbh.
ও"Before 2019, there would be no toilets at Kumbh. Officials would earmark an area with a red flag, provide tents, and open defecation used to take place.
💧"For the first time in 2019, we built 1.14 lakh individual toilets with Sintex (plastic) tanks underneath to collect wastewater and excreta. Desludging would be done every two-three days and the faecal sludge would be taken to open oxidation ponds far away. This time, we have constructed 1.5 lakh individual toilets and two faecal sludge treatment plants," he said.
ಞA 200 km-long temporary drainage network has been set up to connect treatment facilities, Singh added.
⭕"Sanitation is a big hallmark (of Kumbh arrangements), and those who have been to Kumbh previously can distinctly see the difference
According to Uttar Pradesh 𓆏government officials, 10,000 to 11,000 cusecs of water is being released into the Ganga to ensure it meets bathing standards.
ไThe Maha Kumbh, which started on January 13, will conclude on February 26, Maha Shivaratri day. Over 54 crore people have taken a dip in the sacred waters of Triveni Sangam so far.
🌱Mahakumbh Nagar is the world’s largest temporary city, accommodating 50 lakh to 1 crore devotees at any given time.
🔥These pilgrims generate at least 16 million litres of faecal waste and 240 million litres of greywater daily from activities like cooking, washing, and bathing.
