Maha Kumbh: Centre Quotes New CPCB Report to Claim Ganga Water was “Fit for Bathing”

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, Mar 10: After the Uttar Pradesh government vehemently refuted charges of faecal contamination of the water during the just-concluded Maha Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj, the central government on Monday cited a new report from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in Parliament to claim that the water in the Ganga at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj was fit for bathing during the auspicious religious gatherings.

Triveni Sangam is where the Ganga meets the Yamuna and Saraswati rivers and is considered to be most holy for dips during the Kumbh. The government also said it had provided a total of ₹7,421 crore to the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) for cleaning the river in 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 (until March 9).

In response to a question from Samajwadi Party MP Anand Bhadauria and Congress MP K. Sudhakaran, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said according to the CPCB report, the median values of pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and faecal coliform (FC) at all monitored locations were within the permissible limits for bathing.

DO refers to the amount of oxygen in water, BOD measures the oxygen needed to break down organic matter and FC is an indicator of sewage contamination. These are key indicators of water quality. In a report dated February 3, the CPCB had raised the question of fitness of the Ganga water even for bathing, it had informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that water at several locations in Prayagraj during the Maha Kumbh did not meet the primary bathing water quality standard due to high faecal coliform levels.

The report was vehemently opposed by the UP government and the chief minister Yogi Adityanath was on record to claim that not only for bathing, the water at the “Triveni Sangam” was fit even for drinking at all days and time of the Maha Kumbh held from January 13 to February 26. The state government had also released a statement quoting a scientist to “debunk doubts” about the purity of the Ganga water during the Maha Kumbh and asserted that the river water was as pure “as alkaline water.”

The CPCB in a new report submitted to the NGT on February 28 said the statistical analysis showed that the water quality during the Maha Kumbh was fit for bathing. The report said the statistical analysis was necessary due to the “variability of data” in samples collected from the same locations on different dates and even from different spots on the same day. This variability meant the samples did not fully reflect the “overall river water quality throughout the river stretch,” it said.

In the case of “Kamlesh Singh vs State of Uttar Pradesh & Others,” the NGT had on December 23, 2024, directed that water quality monitoring of the Ganga and Yamuna should be conducted regularly at frequent intervals during the Maha Kumbh to ensure compliance with primary water quality criteria.

Mr Yadav said in response to this order, the CPCB carried out water quality monitoring at seven locations twice a week, from Shringverpur Ghat (upstream of Prayagraj) to Deehaghat (downstream), including at Sangam nose (where the Ganga and the Yamuna meet). Monitoring began on January 12 and covered auspicious bathing (Amrit Snan) days.

The CPCB submitted its initial monitoring report to the NGT on February 3, which included water quality data collected between January 12 and 26, 2025. The report also included monitoring data from 10 sewage treatment plants (STPs) installed in Prayagraj and seven geosynthetic dewatering tubes (geo-tubes) used for filtration, Mr Yadav said.

Later, the CPCB increased the number of monitoring locations to 10 and began testing twice daily from February 21 to improve water quality data availability. The Minister said the UP government installed 10 STPs for the Maha Kumbh to treat wastewater, ensuring that effluents met environmental standards before being released. Also, seven geo-tubes were installed as a temporary solution to treat wastewater from 21 untapped drains.

Three prefabricated temporary STPs, each with a capacity of 500 kilolitres per day (KLD) and three faecal sludge treatment plants with a total capacity of 200 KLD were installed in the mela area. Mr Yadav said the UP Jal Nigam used advanced oxidation techniques to treat wastewater and prevent untreated water from entering the Ganga.

A sufficient number of toilets and urinals were set up across the mela area to accommodate the large number of pilgrims. Dustbins with liner bags were also placed strategically for waste disposal, he said.

The UP government in its statement on February 21, just 5 days before the conclusion of the 45 days bathing rituals, quoted a scientist Padma Shri Dr Ajay Kumar Sonkar to debunk doubts about the purity of the Ganga water. The UP government release stated that Dr Sonkar collected water samples from five major bathing ghats, including Sangam Nose and Arail in Maha Kumbh Nagar.

“These samples were then subjected to microscopic examination in his laboratory. To his surprise, despite crores of devotees bathing in the river, there was no bacterial growth or decline in the water’s pH level,” the release stated. According to the government release, Dr Sonkar’s research revealed that Ganga water contains 1,100 types of bacteriophages — natural viruses that eliminate harmful bacteria. “This self-purifying mechanism ensures that the river remains uncontaminated even after 57 crore devotees have taken a dip,” the release stated.

The controversy over the quality of water started days after a CPCB report suggested that the biological oxygen demand (BOD) of river water 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).

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.

This 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). 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, the state government release suggested otherwise. “Dr Sonkar confirmed that the river’s pH level, ranging between 8.4 and 8.6, is better than normal and that no foul smell or bacterial growth was detected,” the government stated in the release. “No harmful bacteria developed after incubating the water samples for 14 hours,” according to the release.

“He (Dr Sonkar) has openly challenged sceptics to accompany him to the ghats, collect water samples and verify their purity in the laboratory. Despite over 58 crore people bathing in the river during the Maha Kumbh, Ganga water remains naturally disease-free due to its inherent purifying properties,” the release stated.