ganga-water-unfit-for-maha-kumbh-pilgrims-says-ngt

The health of millions of pilgrims expected to converge at Prayagraj for the 40-day Maha Kumbh Mela in January 2025 hangs in the balance as concerns over the polluted waters of the Ganga mount.

 

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a stern warning about the harmful impact of untreated sewage flowing into the sacred river.

 

The Maha Kumbh Mela, commencing on January 14 with the Makar Sankranti snan (holy bath) and culminating on February 26 with the Mahashivratri snan, is anticipated to draw millions of worshippers from across the world.

 

However, a recent plea highlighted the discharge of untreated sewage from 50 drains along an eight-kilometre stretch, from Rasulabad to the Sangam (confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna).

 

In its November 29 order, an NGT bench chaired by Justice Prakash Shrivastava criticised the failure of the Uttar Pradesh High-Powered Committee (HPC) to submit its report on time.

 

"The issue of untreated sewage discharge into the Ganga is a time-sensitive matter," the bench remarked.

 

"Crores of pilgrims attending the Kumbh Mela will face health risks if effective measures are not implemented," it added.

 

The tribunal expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of urgency, noting that the HPC, established in September, failed to file its report by the November 23 deadline.

 

While the Uttar Pradesh government’s counsel attributed the delay to a typographical error, the NGT granted a one-week extension, emphasising the need for "prompt action" to prevent future delays.

 

The matter is scheduled for further proceedings on December 9.

 

The NGT had previously noted, based on a report by the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board, that water quality in the relevant stretch of the river was unsuitable for drinking or even ‘achman’ (ritual sipping).

 

Advocate Saurabh Tiwary, who filed the plea, voiced concern about the inadequacies in pollution management.

 

The tribunal, though inclined to summon the state's principal environment secretary, held back after assurances of swift resolution from the state counsel.

 

As the Maha Kumbh approaches, the state faces mounting pressure to address pollution in the Ganga, a river revered for its sanctity but increasingly plagued by environmental degradation.