CPCB report: Ganga and Yamuna water is not fit for bathing in Prayagraj
During the Maha Kumbh, devotees are bathing in the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna, but according to the latest report of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the water of these rivers is not suitable for bathing. The report presented in NGT on February 17 states that the amount of fecal coliform bacteria in the water of these rivers has been found to be more than the standard.
The CPCB had taken a total of 73 water samples from various places in Prayagraj between January 9 and 21, which were tested on six major parameters. These parameters included the pH level of water, fecal coliform, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and dissolved oxygen. In the report, the amount of fecal coliform bacteria was found to be high in most of the samples.
In the samples collected from Sangam, 2000 fecal coliform bacteria were found in one milliliter of water, whereas in normal conditions this number should be 100. The amount of fecal coliform near Shastri Bridge was also much higher than the standard. Such bacteria can cause diseases in water, and if such water goes into the body it can cause skin diseases.
Just before the Maha Kumbh, the amount of fecal coliform bacteria was found to be 2300 in the Yamuna river, which was 23 times more than the normal standard. The same situation was also seen at the confluence of Ganga, where the number of bacteria reached 4500. Prayagraj Municipal Corporation and Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam are active to keep the Ganga clean during the Maha Kumbh. They have used geo-tube technology to purify the wastewater of 23 drains and released 3,660 million liters per day (MLD) of water into the Ganga from January 1 to February 4.
The CPCB report also mentioned that in 2019 too, the water of Ganga and Yamuna was unsuitable for bathing during the Kumbh Mela. In the 2019 Kumbh too, the amount of fecal coliform bacteria was found to be higher than the standard at many places. The high amount of bacteria in the water of Ganga and Yamuna can be dangerous for health. Professor BD Tripathi, who does research on the Ganga river, said that if there is an excess of bacteria in the water, it can cause skin diseases, gastrointestinal diseases and other diseases.
