Maha Kumbh water fit for bathing, says new CPCB report, cites 'variability in data' | India News – The Times of India

NEW DELHI: The Central Pollution Control Board in its new report has said that water quality in the recently concluded Maha Kumbh was “fit for bathing”. This comes after the board had termed water in Prayagraj at several locations during Kumbh unfit for bathing due to high faecal bacteria levels.
In the new report dated February 28, the pollution control board said that a statistical analysis was required due to inconsistencies in the data, as water samples taken from the same locations on different dates—and from different spots on the same day—varied significantly. As a result, the findings did not accurately represent the overall water quality across the entire river stretch.
“There is a significant variability in the values on various parameters, viz pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and fecal coliform count (FC) for the samples taken from the same location on different dates. The values of the afore-mentioned parameters also vary at different locations for the samples collected on the same day,” the report said.

How ‘variability in data’ affected the water quality report?

The report clarified that an expert committee analyzed the issue of data variability and concluded that the findings represent only a snapshot of water quality at a specific location and time.
It highlighted that water quality can fluctuate significantly due to various factors, including human activities upstream, flow rate, sampling depth, time of collection, river currents, mixing of currents, and the exact sampling location, among other influences.
“As a result, these values reflect water quality parameters at the exact time and place from where these water samples were collected, and may not fully represent the overall characteristics of the river, therefore, not necessarily reflecting the overall river water quality throughout the river stretch,” it said.

What did the previous report say?

The previous report, submitted on February 17, said that water quality at several locations in Prayagraj during Kumbh did not meet primary bathing standards due to high faecal coliform levels.
“A large number of people bathe in the river at Prayagraj during the Maha Kumbh Mela, including on auspicious bathing days, which eventually leads to an increase in faecal concentration,” the report had said, adding “The river water quality was not conforming to the primary water quality for bathing with respect to faecal coliform at all the monitored locations on various occasions.”

How UP government reacted to the report?

The UP CM Yogi Adityanath had rejected the faecal bacteria in Sangam waters claim and had said that the Kumbh was fit for bathing. He had also called it an attempt to defame the religious gathering.
“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,” he had said.
“The reasons for increased faecal coliform can be several, such as sewage leakage and animal waste, but the amount of faecal coliform in Prayagraj is, as per the standards, less than 2,500 MPN per 100 ml. This means that the false campaign is only to defame the Maha Kumbh. The NGT has also said that the faecal waste was less than 2000 MPN per 100 ml,” he added.