Maha Kumbh: 'Sangam's water quality within safe limits', Yogi rubbishes pollution claims, calls it 'fake reporting'

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday dismissed reports of pollution at the Sangam during the Maha Kumbh, asserting that extensive water quality monitoring showed the river remained clean throughout the event.

Speaking at a gathering of Indian Institute of Management officials and Indian Postal Service officers in Lucknow, Adityanath said, "Despite baseless claims, our state pollution control board and independent labs consistently found water quality at the Sangam to be within safe limits." He pointed out that concerns about the environmental impact of the Maha Kumbh had been raised, including by UNESCO, given the massive scale of the event.

"In 2013, when the Prime Minister of Mauritius visited, he refrained from taking a dip after seeing pollution in the Ganga. We ensured that such an incident did not happen this time," Adityanath said.

The chief minister claimed his government took preventive measures from day one to ensure no sewage or industrial waste entered the Ganga or Yamuna.

"The most critical pollution point in Uttar Pradesh was Kanpur, where for 125 years, four crore litres of untreated sewage flowed into the Ganga daily at Jajmau. We stopped it three years ago, and today, not a single drop of sewage enters the river," he said.

Adityanath also said that Kanpur's tannery effluents, once highly toxic and responsible for killing aquatic life in the Ganga, had been brought under strict control.

"We installed round-the-clock CCTV monitoring two years ago and mandated treatment plants for all tanneries. Those who failed to comply had to shut down."

In Prayagraj, sewage treatment plants were integrated with the Namami Gange project, and untreated sewage was further processed using bio-remediation techniques. Despite these measures, Adityanath said, "Certain groups attempted false reporting on pollution levels."

He said that to counter such claims, the government set up multiple independent labs and invited private players to verify findings. "We continuously tested water quality from January 11 to February 26, and the Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) levels at the Sangam always remained below three, often at one or two. Dissolved Oxygen (DO), which should be above five, consistently measured between eight and ten." He also mentioned a report attributed to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) that claimed high fecal coliform levels at Sangam.

"Fecal coliform levels are measured in Most Probable Number (MPN) per 100 ml, and the acceptable limit is below 2,500 MPN. From January 11 to February 26, our samples from the Sangam consistently showed levels as low as 100 MPN," the BJP leader said.

While some areas upstream showed temporary spikes of 1,200-1,300 MPN due to cattle movements across the river, Adityanath asserted that overall levels were well within limits.

"We challenged those spreading misinformation and provided our lab data. Ultimately, even the CPCB had to acknowledge the accuracy of our findings," he said.

The Maha Kumbh, a once-in-12-years event, attracted over 66 crore pilgrims over its over 40-day run, making water quality a major concern.