High levels of faecal bacteria found in river water at certain Maha Kumbh locations: Pollution board to NGT
PTC Web Desk: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) was informed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on Monday that several locations in Prayagraj, where the Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 is underway, failed to meet the primary water quality standards for bathing due to high levels of faecal coliform contamination.
Fecal coliform, an indicator of sewage pollution, has a permissible limit of 2,500 units per 100 milliliters, as per CPCB guidelines. However, the report filed by CPCB pointed out that the water in various locations of Prayagraj's rivers did not confirm to the required quality levels during the Maha Kumbh 2025, a significant religious event where millions bathe in the Ganga and the Yamuna.
The NGT Bench, comprising Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, Judicial Member Justice Sudhir Agarwal, and Expert Member A Senthil Vel, was hearing a petition related to the prevention of untreated sewage discharge into the Ganga and Yamuna rivers in Prayagraj. The tribunal expressed concern over the findings presented in a CPCB report, dated February 3, which highlighted that faecal coliform levels were found to be excessively high across all monitored sites during various times.
The report underlined that the large influx of people bathing in the rivers, particularly on auspicious days during the Maha Kumbh, contributed to the increased contamination levels, leading to a rise in faecal coliform concentrations.
The Bench also noted that the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) had failed to adhere to a previous NGT directive to file a detailed action report regarding measures taken to control water contamination. Instead, the UPPCB had only submitted a covering letter along with a few water test reports. Upon review, the documents revealed high levels of both faecal and total coliform across several locations in Prayagraj.
The NGT Bench allowed one day for Uttar Pradesh's counsel to examine the CPCB report and respond to the findings. Additionally, the tribunal directed the Member Secretary of UPPCB and the relevant state authorities responsible for maintaining the water quality in the Ganga at Prayagraj to appear virtually at the next hearing, scheduled for February 19, 2025.
- With inputs from agencies
