Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath in the state Assembly on Wednesday, February 19, rubbished the report over faecal bacteria levels in the Sangam water at Maha Kumbh and stated that it was also fit for drinking.
“Questions are being raised about the quality of the water (at Triveni)… All the pipes and the drains in and around Sangam have been taped and the water is being released only after purification… The UP Pollution Control Board is continuously monitoring the water to maintain its quality… As per today’s reports, the amount of BOD near Sangam is less than 3, and the Dissolved Oxygen is around 8-9. This means that the Sangam is water is suitable not just for bathing but also for ‘Aachman’…” said Yogi Adityanath.
High faecal bacteria levels in Sangam water amid Maha Kumbh: Report
Various locations in Prayagraj during the ongoing Mahakumbh were not conforming to the primary water quality for bathing with respect to the level of faecal coliform which is becoming a rising cause of concern.
Faecal coliform, a marker of sewage contamination, has a permissible limit of 2,500 units per 100 ml, according to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The National Green Tribunal was informed of the same on Monday, through a report by the CPCB.
According to the US-based water research programme, KnowYourH2O, high levels of faecal coliform are associated with several health risks, including typhoid, gastroenteritis and dysentery. “Untreated faecal material adds excess organic material to the water which decays, depleting the water of oxygen,” says the research programme.
In the latest data recorded on faecal coliform from February 4, the CPCB reported its levels at 11,000 MPN/100ml in the Ganga before Shastri Bridge and 7,900 MPN/100ml at Sangam. In the Yamuna, before its confluence with the Ganga at Sangam, it was 4,900 MPN/100ml near Old Naini Bridge.
What happens if there is high faecal level in Maha Kumbh’s Sangam water?
Though the bacteria itself is not a cause of illness, it shows the presence of pathogenic organisms of faecal origin like bacteria, viruses, or protozoa, in water samples.
“The level of sanitisation and preparedness required is not up to the mark, and the bacteria from our stool are entering the water. Therefore, it is not safe for consumption or even for bathing. This is what the report has indicated,” said senior consultant in the department of internal medicine at New Delhi’s Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Dr Atul Kakar.
“Whenever there is infected water, it can lead to various waterborne diseases, including skin diseases, and ailments like loose motions, diarrhoea, vomiting, typhoid, and cholera,” Dr Atul Kakar was quoted by PTI.
Faecal bacteria in drinking water, effect on farmers
According to a paper in the WHO, contamination of water with faecal coliform bacteria in drinking-water has been implicated in the spread of important infectious and parasitic diseases such as cholera, typhoid, dysentery, hepatitis, giardiasis, guinea worm and schistosomiasis.
Inmates in 75 jails across UP to bathe in Sangam’s holy water
On the same lines, the Uttar Pradesh jail administration is making arrangements to bring holy water from Prayagraj’s Sangam to 75 jails across the state, allowing inmates to participate in the Maha Kumbh.
According to the Office of UP Jail Minister Dara Singh Chauhan, the programme will take place in all the jails on February 21, from 9.30 am to 10 am.
Over 90,000 inmates are currently lodged in 75 jails, including seven central prisons, across the state, the Prison Department officials said.
Director General (DG) of Prisons PV Ramasastry said that arrangements are being made under the supervision of the jail minister.
The holy water from the Sangam will be brought to all the jails and mixed with regular water and stored in a small tank within the jail premises. All the prisoners will bathe in the water after prayers, the officials said.
Minister Chauhan, along with senior jail officials, is expected to attend a programme at Lucknow jail on February 21.
Gorakhpur District Jail Jailor AK Kushwaha said that the prison administration has sent prison guard Arun Maurya to collect the holy water from Prayagraj’s Sangam.
The ‘gangajal’ will be mixed with regular water to ensure inmates can also take part in the Maha Kumbh, he said.
Senior Superintendent at Prayagraj’s Naini Central Jail Rang Bahadur said similar arrangements will be made for inmates on February 21.
Prayagraj District Jail Senior Superintendent Amita Dubey confirmed that around 1,350 prisoners are excited about the ‘snan’ as they will get a chance to take part in the grand event despite their confinement.
Meanwhile, the Unnao jail administered on February 17 organised a similar programme for its inmates.
Unnao Jail Superintendent Pankaj Kumar Singh said that the plan to offer prisoners a chance to bathe with the holy water had been in consideration for some time and they will get a second chance on February 21 as the jail administration will arrange another ‘snan’ for them.
The Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj will conclude on February 26.
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