The central government on Monday cited a new report from the Parliament’s Central Pollution Control Commission (CPCB) and said water from Triveni Sangam, Prayagraj’s Triveni Sangam, is good for bathing during the recently concluded Maha Kumbh.
Triveni Sangam is where Ganga meets the Yamuna and the Saraswati River.
The government also said it has provided Rs 7,421 crore to the National Cleaning Ganges (NMCG) to clean the river in 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 (until March 9).
In response to Samajwadi Party MP Anand Bhadauria and MP K Sudhakaran, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav Yadav Yadav said that according to the CPCB report, the median pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), DO), biochemical demand (BOD) and FAECAL COLIST (BOD) are in all monitored locations.
DO refers to the amount of oxygen in water. BOD measures the oxygen required to decompose organic matter, while FC is an indicator of sewage pollution. These are key indicators of water quality.
In a February 3 report, the CPCB informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that water at multiple locations during Maha Kumbh during Maha Kumbh did not meet the major bathing water quality standards due to high fecal coliforms.
However, in a new report filed to the court on February 28, the CPCB said statistical analysis showed that the water quality during Maha Kumbh was suitable for bathing.
The report said that due to the “data differences” in samples collected on different dates and even from different locations, statistical analysis is required. This variability means that the sample does not fully reflect “the overall river water quality of the entire river”, it said.
For “Kamlesh Singh vs Uttar Pradesh and others”, NGT instructed on 23 December 2024 that water quality monitoring of Ganges and Yamuna should be carried out regularly during Maha Kumbh to ensure compliance with primary water quality standards.
Yadav said that in response to this order, CPCB conducted water quality monitoring at seven locations twice a week, from Shringverpur Ghat (upstream of Prayagraj) to Deehaghat (downstream), including at Sangam Nose (sangam noses in Ganga and Yamuna). Surveillance began on January 12 and covered with auspicious baths (Amrit Snan).
The CPCB submitted its preliminary monitoring report to NGT on February 3, including water quality data collected from January 12 to 26, 2025. The report also includes monitoring data from 10 sewage treatment plants (STPs) in Prayagraj, installed in Prayagraj and seven geosynthetic dewatering tubes (Geo-Geo-Tubes) for Filtration.
Later, the CPCB increased the number of monitored locations to 10 and tested twice a day starting February 21 to improve the availability of water quality data.
The minister said the Uttar Pradesh government installed 10 STPs for Maha Kumbh to treat wastewater to ensure that the wastewater was previously released complies with environmental standards. In addition, seven geographic pipes were installed as temporary solutions to treat wastewater from 21 undeveloped drains.
The Mela area has installed three prefabricated temporary STPs, each with a daily capacity of 5 million (KLD) (KLD) and three feces sludge treatment plants with a total capacity of 200 KLD.
Yadav said UP Jal Nigam used advanced oxidation technology to treat wastewater and prevent untreated water from entering the Ganges.
A sufficient number of toilets and urinals were set up in the Mera area to accommodate a large number of pilgrims. He said there are also trash bins with lined bags that are also strategically placed in waste disposal.
