Safe?: CM Yogi Adityanath And Central Pollution Board Over Triveni Sangam Water

Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh: A massive controversy erupted after the Central Pollution Control Board declared the water at Triveni Sangam, where the Maha Kumbh Mela is taking place, ‘unfit’ for bathing because of the high biological oxygen demand (BOD) levels.

Notably, the timing of the report has given political and communal hues to the matter as Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath refuted the CPCB report, denying the claim that the water is unsafe for bathing. He even went on claiming that the water is also fit for drinking.

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Currently, the water at Triveni Sangam, the confluence of three rivers—Ganga, Yamuna, and mythical Saraswati—has been witnessing one of the largest religious gatherings, Maha Kumbh Mela, where lakes of devotees are taking baths and holy dips each days. The ritual is one of the key exercises during the month-long ongoing Maha Kumbh.

However, the central pollution body’s report citing contamination of the water and high BOD level where lakhs are thrown to take a holy dip has prompted some, including the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, to accuse the body of attempting to defame the religions conglomeration, Maha Kumbh Mela.

Read Also: High Levels Of Faecal Bacteria In Rivers At Maha Kumbh: Pollution Board

Talking about the report, the chief minister stated that all the pipes and drains in and around Sangam have been taped and the water is being released only after purification, and that the UP Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) is “continuously monitoring the water to maintain its quality.’

Notably, the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) echoed the chief minister’s claim defending the water quality in its report to the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The tribunal on Wednesday reprimanded the Uttar Pradesh pollution body for submitting a report on an old sample.

In the affidavit filed before the tribunal, the UPPCB had claimed that the water at Ganga and Yamuna, except at one bridge, was achieving the norms of quality criteria for bathing. However, the NGT found that the samples taken for the report by the UPPCB were from January 12. The tribunal slammed the Uttar Pradesh body for “wasting its time” filing a huge document.

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Responding to the court’s admonition, the Additional Advocate General, appearing for the UPPCB, informed the tribunal that recent water samples are available with them and will be placed on record within a week, along with an action-taken report. The advocate added that while old sample reports were included in its affidavit, water samples are being taken regularly, and various corrective measures have been implemented to address the issue.

Though the UP government has said that the CPCB reports would be examined and appropriate action would be taken, the remarks from the chief minister have raised many eyebrows.

Many social commentators, including YouTuber Dhruv Rathee, asked the chief minister to expose the central water body’s report by drinking the water for a few days. He shared a video that showed the waste scattered on the water’s surface.

Samajwadi Party chief and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav alleged a conspiracy to keep the news of actual pollution away from the public. He pointed out that the news of water contamination came to light when the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) told the National Green Tribunal that “the water of Ganga ji in Prayagraj is ‘contaminated with sewage’. In Lucknow, on the floor of the House, this report was refuted as false and it was said that everything is ‘under control’.”

The CPCB report has pointed out that the water quality does not meet the primary standards for bathing due to high levels of faecal coliform, a key indicator of sewage contamination. The UPPCB has yet to submit a comprehensive  water test report.

The 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. The BOD content represents the amount of oxygen consumed by bacteria and other microorganisms while they decompose organic matter under aerobic (oxygen is present) conditions at a specified temperature.”

Turning a blind eye to reports substantiating water contamination especially in a body that lakhs of people uses is a grave concern.