Water fit for drinking: Yogi rejects report on Sangam faecal matter

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday lambasted opposition parties for their critical statements on the Maha Kumbh, saying their attempts “to malign the event with false narratives and disrespect Sanatan Dharma will not be tolerated”.

Refuting a report that faecal contamination had rendered the river water unfit for bathing at several locations in Prayagraj, Adityanath also said Sangam water was not only fit for taking a dip but also for drinking. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had on Monday informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that various locations in Prayagraj during the ongoing Maha Kumbh were not conforming to the primary water quality for bathing with respect to the level of faecal coliform.

UP reply lacks key details: NGT

• The NGT rapped the UP Pollution Control Board for failing to provide crucial details on Sangam water
• The tribunal directed the UPPCB to submit a comprehensive water quality report within a week

Speaking in the state Assembly, the CM said the UP Pollution Control Board and the CPCB were continuously monitoring the water quality at the Sangam. He asserted that the water at the Sangam — the sacred confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati — was “fit for drinking”.

Adityanath criticised the previous Samajwadi Party government, recalling that the condition of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers was so poor during their tenure that the PM of Mauritius declined to take a dip during the 2013 Kumbh.

“Questions are being raised about the quality of the water at the Triveni Sangam. All pipes and drains in and around Sangam have been sealed, and water is being released only after purification. The UP Pollution Control Board is continuously monitoring the water to maintain its quality,” Adityanath stated. He further informed the Assembly that, according to the latest reports, the BOD level near Sangam was less than 3, and the dissolved oxygen level was around 8-9. “This means the Sangam water is suitable not just for bathing but also for ‘aachman’ (ritual sipping),” the CM added.

Meanwhile, the NGT on Wednesday reprimanded the UPPCB for failing to provide “crucial details” on faecal coliform levels and other key water quality parameters of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers in Prayagraj.

A Bench led by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, along with judicial member Sudhir Agarwal and expert member A Senthil Vel, expressed dissatisfaction with the UPPCB’s compliance report, noting the absence of essential parameters such as biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and faecal coliform levels —critical indicators of water pollution. The tribunal directed the UPPCB to submit a “comprehensive water quality report” within a week.

The CPCB had highlighted that water quality at multiple sites along the rivers failed to meet prescribed standards. Faecal coliform, a key indicator of sewage contamination, enters water bodies through human or animal waste. The permissible limit is 2,500 MPN (most probable number) per 100 ml, but test results revealed significantly higher levels.