High germ count flies in face of ‘Nirmal Jal’ claim
Ganga and the Yamuna waters found unsuitable for bathing at Prayagraj
PRAYAGRAJ: Despite claims of the Kumbh Mela authorities about having provided ‘Nirmal Jal’ (clean water) fit for bathing during the ongoing Kumbh Mela and many VVIPs as well as crore of pilgrims having taken a dip in the Sangam, the Ganga and the Yamuna waters were found unsuitable for bathing here due to a high bacteria count, according to the UP Pollution Control Board report for January 2019.
The coliform bacteria count was 40 times the permissible level for outdoor bathing in the Ganga in Prayagraj, the report said. The UPPCB report said the coliform bacteria level in the water of the Ganga (downstream) was at a shocking 20,000 Most Probable Number (MPN)/100ML as against the permissible limit of 500 MPN/100ML. The bacteria count in the Ganga (upstream) was detected at 17000 MPN/100 ML. Similarly, the level of coliform bacteria recorded in the Yamuna in Prayagraj during January was found to be at 1000 MPN/100 ML. Further, the report revealed that level of the coliform bacteria in Ganga after meeting the Tamsa river in Sirsa was recorded at 14000 MPN/100 ML.
As per the report, the level of bacteria in Ganga (downstream) was the highest in Varanasi at 43000 MPN/100 ML while the second highest count of the bacteria was recorded at 34000 MPN/100ML in Kanpur. R Vishwakarma, scientific officer of the UP Pollution Control Board (Prayagraj regional office), said the level of coliform bacteria in the Ganga at Prayagraj was very high, which made the river water unfit for bathing.
He said the maximum permissible count of the bacteria was 500 MPN/ML for outdoor bathing while for drinking purpose, the same was 50 MPN/100ML. AK Gupta, environmentalist and amicus curie in the ‘Re-Ganga pollution’ case at Allahabad high court, said the water of the Ganga and the Yamuna was not at all fit for bathing during Kumbh Mela, which has also been revealed by the report of Pollution Control Board.
“The purification process of sewage water itself is faulty and hence the ‘Nirmal Jal’ claim of Kumbh mela officials was fake,” he said.