New Delhi: The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), in its latest report submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), has claimed that water quality at the recently concluded Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, was fit for bathing. This report is dated February 28.
A former report by the CPCB, submitted on February 17, had stated that water quality at several locations in Prayagraj during the Maha Kumbh did not meet primary bathing standards due to high faecal coliform levels. This had led to a furore, with several people, including Opposition leaders, questioning the arrangements made by the Uttar Pradesh government.
The NGT had also sought an explanation from the authorities.
“A large number of people bathe in the river at Prayagraj during the Maha Kumbh Mela, including on auspicious bathing days, which eventually leads to an increase in faecal concentration. The river water quality was not conforming to the primary water quality for bathing with respect to faecal coliform at all the monitored locations on various occasions,” the February 17 report had stated.
Some scientists, however, had maintained that River Ganga has the unique capability to rejuvenate and cleanse itself within a very short period of time. They had said that the CPCB may consider a restudy.
In its latest report, the CPCB has admitted that there was significant variability in the values on parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and faecal coliform count (FC) for samples taken from the same location on different dates. The values also varied in samples collected from different locations on the same day.
Due to this variability, a statistical analysis of water quality data of various monitoring locations for the key parameters was undertaken between January 12 and February 22 at 10 locations of “mass bathing”. As many as 20 rounds of monitoring were conducted.
The report further states that the analysis threw up the median value for FC as 1,400, much lower than the permissible limit of 2,500 units per 100 ml, while that for DO was 8.7, much higher than the stipulated 5 milligrams per litre. The median value of BOD was also 2.56. This is well within the limit of 3 mg per litre.
