Lucknow: The water at the Sangam is fit for both bathing and ritual drinking (aachman) as confirmed by some recent reports, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said Wednesday, amid claims it may contain high levels of faecal bacteria. He told the state assembly that the Uttar Pradesh Control Board and the Central Pollution Control Board are continuously monitoring the water quality at the Sangam.
He also trained his guns at Opposition Samajwadi Party, saying the condition of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers was so poor while it was in power that the Prime Minister of Mauritius refused to take a dip during the 2013 Kumbh. "This time, 81 drains have been tapped, treating 261 MLD (million liters per day) of sewage. In January and February, fecal coliform levels at the Sangam nose were found to be within the acceptable range, below 2,500 MPN per 100 ml, according to the UP Pollution (Control) Board," he said, according to an official statement.
"The Central Pollution (Control) Board has also confirmed this in its report. The UP and Central Pollution Control Boards are continuously monitoring water quality, and recent reports confirm that the water at the Sangam is now fit for both bathing and ritual use," Adityanath told the state Assembly.
He said the Maha Kumbh 2025 is being organised in a "grand" manner, while the 2013 edition suffered due to the "corruption, mismanagement", administrative negligence and chaos of the SP rule. There are better facilities and well-planned arrangements this year, but those responsible for the 2013 "mismanagement" are now criticising the 2025 Maha Kumbh, he said.
The CM also pointed out that after the stampede at the Prayagraj (then Allahabad) Station in 2013, the then head of the state government was attacking the Centre, then led by the Congress. The Uttar Pradesh government was not receiving funds from the Centre then, and there was "corruption" in whatever money was spent as mentioned in the 2014 CAG report, he said.
Adityanath compared the 2013 and 2025 events, and said the duration of the Kumbh is determined by religious calculations. He said the 2025 event will last 45 days, whereas it spanned 55 days in 2013. The 2013 Kumbh covered an area of only 1,936 hectares (less than 5,000 acres), whereas the 2025 Maha Kumbh Mela area is more than 10,000 acres, he said.
He also said only 14 sectors were set up in the Kumbh Mela area in 2013, while in 2025, the number has increased to 25. The parking area has also seen major improvements, expanding from 635 hectares in 2013 to 1,850 hectares in 2025, accommodating more than 6,00,000 four-wheelers, he said.
The CM stated that in 2013, Prayagraj had no permanent ghats, riverfronts, or ROBs (Road Over Bridges), but nine ROBs and six underpasses had been built by 2019. For the 2025 event, 14 flyovers, nine permanent ghats, and seven riverfronts have been prepared. The length of temporary ghats has increased from just 4 km in 2013 to 12 km in 2025, he added.
