High levels of bacteria from human, animal excreta in river water during Maha Kumbh: Pollution board

High levels of bacteria commonly found in human and animal excreta were found in the river water in which pilgrims take a holy dip during the Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj, the Central Pollution Control Board has told the National Green Tribunal.

The National Green Tribunal is hearing a petition about the quality of water in the Ganga and Yamuna rivers amid the ongoing Maha Kumbh pilgrimage. The Central Pollution Control Board submitted a report about the water contamination on February 3 to the tribunal, which took note of it in an order on February 17.

The pollution control board said in its report: “River water quality was not conforming with the primary water quality for bathing w.r.t. Fecal Coliform [FC] at all the monitored locations on various occasions. Huge number of people taking bath at Prayagraj during Maha Kumbh Mela in river including auspicious bathing days which eventually leads to increase in fecal concentration.”

Fecal coliform bacteria are microbes that typically live in the intestines of warm-blooded animals, including humans, and are thus found in their excreta.

The Central Pollution Control Board also told the National Green Tribunal that river water quality with respect to biochemical oxygen demand did not meet bathing criteria on January 12 and January...

Read more