Ahead of the Mahakumbh Mela, the National Green Tribunal’s principal bench has ordered the Uttar Pradesh government and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to ensure that the waters of rivers Ganga and Yamuna are fit for drinking and bathing. The statutory body on environmental protection also asked the authorities to ensure that no treated sewage is discharged into the rivers during Mahakumbh Mela 2025.
Sewage in the River
The generation of sewage is estimated to increase by 10% during the mela in Prayagraj. Since Mahakumbh will continue for 45 days till the end of February, it will be a challenge for the authorities to keep the river water clean for drinking and bathing all the time.
The national Green Tribunal chairperson, Justice Prakash Srivastava and expert member A Senthil Vell ordered the authorities to be vigilant during the course of the mela. This comes in response to a petition raising grievances about the discharge of untreated sewage water from drains into Ganga, in Prayagraj district.
“During the Kumbh Mela, in order to have a better monitoring mechanism and to ensure that on account of the unwanted flow of untreated sewage in river Ganga and Yamuna, the pilgrims who come for holy bath may not suffer, the CPCB and UPPCB (Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board) will increase its monitoring points and frequency of monitoring on rivers Ganga and Yamuna,” read the order passed by the two-member NGT bench.
This will be done by collecting water samples from the rivers at least twice a week for monitoring. The analysis report after inspecting the samples will be live on the websites of CPCB and UPPCB. Alongside, the authorities have also been directed for the effective disposal of sludge generated in STP (Sewage Treatment Plant) by using geo-tubes.
As per the UP government environmental department, the expected flow of sewage will be around 519.09 million litres per day. Out of this, nearly 65% will be through drains and the rest through sewer networks.
