CPCB report finds the faecal bacteria possibility in Prayagraj, Ganga to be higher. NGT expresses concern

The various news reports are claiming that more than 45 crore people has so far taken bath in the Prayagaraj, Mahakumbh which comes to an end on 26 th February after having commenced on 13 th January, 2025. Unfortunately there had been a massive stampede near the Triveni Sangam in Mahakumbh claiming thirty precious lives and injuring several others. Not only this but there had been incidents of fire also in few tent colonies in the Mahakumbh precincts leading to massive loss. In the New Delhi Railway station just a day ago eighteen people have succumbed to suffocation and after getting crushed under feet of thousands of over crowded pilgrims heading for Prayagaraj Mahakumbh. As the date of 26 February is coming nearer there are reports of the rush increasing manifold at Prayagaraj, Mahakumbh. There are also reports of tremendous traffic jam with people waiting for hours together in Prayagaraj itself to reach the Mahakumbh precincts with the police and Prayagaraj, Mahakumbh administration urging people to avoid coming to the Mahakumbh which is taking place after 144 years. However, for high profile and well connected people including the rich and ultra rich everything is normal and absolutely convenient. From president Draupadi Murmu to prime minister Narendra Modi to union minister Amit Shah to ultra rich Mukesh Ambani , his entire family and Adani’s family etc have taken several dips in the pious Ganges during these days in Prayagaraj Mahakumbh. The who’s who of India is not leaving any stone unturned to ensure that they also take bath in the Mahakumbh taking place after 144 years. However, despite all this, just imagine where would be the multi crore people coming here and staying for two days to the minimum defecating ? This USA moot question. There are reports of millions of devotees are allegedly defecating adjacent to these pious Ganges and their Ghats , with several of them caught in camera by television channels while defecating. Meanwhile according to the latest report quoting the studies of Central Pollution Control Board and National Green Tribunal high levels of Fecal bacterias have been detected in the Ganges. According to the CPCB studies the Fecal bacteria levels in the Ganga at Prayagaraj, Mahakumbh has been reportedly higher leading to serious concern expressed by the National Green Tribunal. It is quite obvious that a river in which more than forty five crore people took bath till yet with several crores doing so and on their way to take dips in Ganges obviously couldn’t be clean and without any dirt or bacterial infections, especially when the crowd is surging and more and more people are desperately taking baths from every nook and corner of the country including abroad. The Central Pollution Control Board report which found the high fecal levels in Prayagaraj , Kumbh Mela has also found the Biochemical Oxygen Demand levels to be higher than the acceptable limits including confirmed possibility of huge increase in bacterial load . According to the CPCB report while the Fecal bacterial level is on the increase hugely in the Prayagaraj Ganges , the bathing of the large and uncontrollable number of people in the Ganges have also led to huge increase in bacterial load. In addition to this, the presence of pathogenic organisms in the Ganga where Mahakumbh baths are taking place massively, the chances of it going high than the acceptable limits are tremendous says the Central Pollution Control Board’s report.