Prayagraj, February 11, 2025-The ongoing Mahakumbh Mela at Prayagraj had overwhelming devotees, with over 3.5 crores taking a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam on Makar Sankranti itself.
While this large congregation itself denotes the event’s spiritual sanctity, it has rendered environmental issues primarily related to the cleanliness of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers.
Environmental Impact of the Congregation
The convergence of millions has led to the generation of considerable waste. Daily, an estimated 16 million liters of fecal sludge and 240 million liters of gray water from cooking, washing, and bathing activities are produced.
Ritual offerings, including flowers, coconuts, and other materials, are given to the rivers, which lead to increased levels of pollution.
Measures Taken for Cleaning up the Rivers
To overcome these adversities, the authorities have initiated a plethora of steps to maintain the sanctity and cleanliness of the rivers:
- Daily Monitoring of Water Quality-The Pollution Control Board is receiving sarvagraha samples of water collected daily from different ghats to ensure that the pollution limit is within acceptable limits.
- Removal of Ritual Waste-Machineries have been deployed across various ghats, wherein they will take out the ritual offerings from the water every two hours. Teams of ‘Ganga Sevadoots’ work in rotational shifts to clear away these materials so as to keep the rivers and adjoining areas clean.
- Provision of Infrastructure-The Uttar Pradesh government allotted ₹1,600 crore for water and waste work in Mahakumbh to undertake infrastructure: contrived placement of 1.45 lakh toilets, installation of prefabricated fecal sludge treatment plants, and provision of a 200-kilometer temporary drainage system to channelize gray water towards treatment plants.
- Waste Treatment Technologies-The collaboration between various institutions like Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and ISRO has afforded the introduction of advanced technologies for the management of human waste with little environmental impact.
Issues and Problems
On the other hand, excessive perpetuation of the issue exists. Reports reveal that approximately 39 drains are said to discharge nearly 72.41 million liters of untreated sewage daily into the Ganga and Yamuna.
The National Green Tribunal has pointed out that 22 of those drains have not yet received a comprehensive plan concerning their rehabilitation before the commencement of the next Mahakumbh.
In addition, water quality assessments have indicated elevated levels of Biological Oxygen Demand, or BOD, at various points, sometimes exceeding the permissible limit of 3 mg/l for organic pollution.
Future Initiatives
In addition, the state government has decided to close the industrial units temporarily for several districts during the Mahakumbh so that these units discharge nothing into the rivers, saying unprocessed sewage remains inoperative.
Municipal bodies have been assigned the task of not allowing the outfall of untreated sewage water, with a view to providing clean drinking water for the devotees in their rituals.
The Mahakumbh Mela portrays India’s historic and pine cultural heritage. Yet, challenges in terms of environmental management posed by such massive gatherings call for constant and improved efforts to restore the Ganga and Yamuna rivers.
The delicate equilibrium needed to align tradition and sustainability exists so that these holy waterways can be properly preserved for generations to come.
