NEW DELHI: Less than a month after declaring the water quality at Sangam “unfit for bathing”, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has submitted a report to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) stating that, based on statistical analysis, the water quality at Sangam during the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj was “fit for bathing”.
At eight locations in Sangam, where mass bathing took place, the median values of key water quality parameters pH, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand and faecal coliform were found to be within permissible limits during the Maha Kumbh.
This contradicts the CPCB’s earlier statement, which deemed the water unfit due to high levels of faecal coliform.
Previously, data on the CPCB website showed that faecal coliform levels exceeded both the “desired” and “maximum permissible” limits on multiple days during the Maha Kumbh.
According to the new report, the CPCB considered the “median value” of faecal coliform at 1,700 MPN/100 ml from January 12 to February 22, which is below the maximum permissible limit of 2,500 MPN/100 ml. However, on February 4, faecal coliform levels were recorded at 11,000 MPN/100 ml in the Ganga and 7,900 MPN/100 ml at Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna.
In the report, the CPCB stated: “There is significant variability in the values of pH, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand and faecal coliform for samples taken from the same location on different dates. These values reflect water quality at the exact time and place of sampling and may not fully represent the overall characteristics of the river.”
The CPCB added that its expert committee examined the data variability and concluded that water quality parameters depend on factors such as water flow rate, river currents and other environmental conditions.
In its February 17 order, the NGT observed: “River water quality did not conform to primary water quality standards for bathing concerning faecal coliform at all monitored locations on various occasions. The large number of people bathing in the river at Prayagraj during the Maha Kumbh, especially on auspicious bathing days, led to an increase in faecal concentration.”
Following the NGT’s observations, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath claimed on February 19 that the water was not only fit for bathing but also for drinking.