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A new report from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) submitted to the National Green Tribunal has concluded that the water quality at the recently concluded Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj was suitable for bathing. The report, dated February 28 and uploaded to the tribunal’s website on March 7, noted that statistical analysis was necessary due to the “variability of data” observed in water samples collected at different times and locations. This variation led to discrepancies in the reflection of the overall water quality along the river stretch.
The CPCB monitored the water quality from January 12 to February 22, conducting bi-weekly tests at five locations along the Ganga River and two sites on the Yamuna River, including on key bathing days. The analysis covered crucial water quality parameters like pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and fecal coliform count (FC)—indicators of water contamination. The report found considerable variability in these parameters, with different results for samples collected at the same location on different days and at different locations on the same day.
The report acknowledged that variations could be influenced by numerous factors, including upstream human activities, river flow rates, depth, timing, and the river’s currents. These fluctuations mean that the data might not entirely reflect the overall water quality along the river, and the report emphasized that the data should be seen as snapshots, not definitive representations of the river’s conditions.
To mitigate these variations, the CPCB conducted a statistical analysis of the data from 20 rounds of water quality monitoring at 10 locations used for mass bathing during the Kumbh. The findings showed that the median values of the monitored parameters were within the permissible limits for bathing water quality. Specifically, the fecal coliform median value was 1,400, which is well below the limit of 2,500 units per 100 ml. Similarly, the median dissolved oxygen (DO) value was 8.7 mg/L, surpassing the required minimum of 5 mg/L, and the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) median was 2.56 mg/L, under the threshold of 3 mg/L.
Earlier, on February 17, the CPCB had reported to the tribunal that water quality in Prayagraj did not meet the primary standards for bathing with regard to fecal coliform at certain locations, particularly during the peak bathing times at the Maha Kumbh. The influx of millions of devotees was attributed to the increased concentration of fecal matter in the river, which impacted the water quality at various times during the event. However, the recent statistical analysis indicates that the water quality was largely within acceptable limits for safe bathing.
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