Puja material and other waste being collected at the Sangam for their disposal, during the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, on February 19, 2025.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said Wednesday (February 19, 2025) dismissed concerns over the presence of faecal bacteria in the river water in Prayagraj where people took holy dip during the ongoing Maha Kumbh.
Speaking in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, he said the water at the Sangam Nose, the point where the Ganga meets the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati, is fit for drinking.
“Issues have been raised about the quality of the water there (Sangam, Maha Kumbh). Water there is released after purification. Pipes and drains in and around Sangam are taped. The State Pollution Control Board is regularly checking the water to maintain its quality. As per today’s reports, the amount of BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) near Sangam is less than three, and the dissolved oxygen is around 8-9. It signifies that that the Sangam is water is suitable not just for bathing but also for aachman [a holy dip in which devotees also sip the water],” said Mr. Adityanath.
Earlier, a Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report had revealed that coliform levels at many places in Sangam far exceeded the permissible water quality limits for bathing.
Describing the Opposition’s claim of severe contamination as misleading, the Chief Minister alleged that it was a false campaign meant to defame the Maha Kumbh. “Today you people have crossed that limit and have left no stone unturned to defame the Maha Kumbh event. I condemned your attempt to spread misinformation against Sanatana Dharma, Maa Ganga, and India. You people are politicising the Maha Kumbh. The arrival of 560 million people is our satisfaction, it is a satisfaction for India, it is a satisfaction for the world. There is a limit to misinformation,” he added.
Hitting out at the Opposition, Mr. Adityanath accused the Samajwadi Party (SP) of neglecting the Maha Kumbh held during its regime in 2013. “In 2014, the Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG)‘s report came regarding Kumbh 2013. It was mentioned in the report that the Central government spent ₹1,141 crore and 63 lakh whereas the State government spent only ₹10 crore and 57 lakh, it means hardly any money was given for the event. It shows your mindset,” he said.
Expressing condolences over the Maha Kumbh stampede that took place on January 29, he said: “Whosoever is guilty of the Prayagraj stampede will not be spared. Our sympathies are with all those who were victims of the stampede.”
Mismanaged, says SP
The SP leaders, in their rebuttal, said the government had made Maha Kumbh a “festival of mismanagement”. “In the name of faith, the Maha Kumbh is transformed into a festival of mismanagement. Every day, we are seeing videos of the discomfort faced by devotees,” said senior SP MLA Shivpal Singh Yadav.
In the U.P. Legislative Council, Opposition leader Lal Bihari Yadav was dragged out of the House by marshals for allegedly disrupting proceedings on various issues, including Kumbh. “In the Amrit Kaal of independence, the scene of the Leader of the Opposition being dragged out by the marshal, is extremely shameful and insult to democracy,” wrote SP president Akhilesh Yadav.
Published – February 19, 2025 05:58 pm IST