Editorial: Muddy waters

Earlier this week, it was reported that the Central Pollution Control Board had shared some alarming data with the National Green Tribunal regarding the Ganga water at the Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj, where lakhs of people are taking a holy dip every day during the ongoing Maha Kumbh. As per the report, the point of confluence is unsafe for bathing as it does not conform to the primary water quality standards with respect to faecal coliform levels. Faecal coliform presence, a significant metric of water pollution, at the most probable number (MPN) of 49,000 per 100 ml was 20 times the tolerable limit of 2,500 MPN per 100 ml for bathing; the desirable limit, according to CPCB was 500 MPN per 100 ml.

To top this off, it was pointed out that the water exceeds the prescribed limit for biological oxygen demand (BOD), a key parameter to determine water quality. BOD refers to the amount of oxygen required by aerobic microorganisms to break down organic material in a water body. River water is considered fit for bathing if the BOD level is less than 3 milligrams per litre. A higher BOD level indicates more organic content in the water. The BOD level at Sangam was 5.09 milligrams per litre on Feb 16. It was recorded at 4.6 mg per litre on Feb 18 and 5.29 mg per litre on Feb 19.

So far, over 54 crore people, roughly one third of our population have taken a dip in the sacred waters of Triveni Sangam. And the Mahakumbh Nagar, the world’s largest temporary city, can accommodate between 50 lakh to 1 crore devotees at any given time. The waste generated runs into 16 mn litres of faecal waste and 240 million litres of greywater daily from activities like cooking, washing, and bathing. Obviously, there is a high risk of infection if the water is unsafe. Flying into damage control mode, the UP government issued a release, quoting a scientist to debunk doubts about the purity of Ganga water at the Maha Kumbh, while asserting that the river water is as pure as alkaline water. Officials said that 10,000 to 11,000 cusecs of water is being released into the Ganga to ensure it meets bathing standards. The NGT has now cracked the whip on the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board over reports of old water samples taken from the Sangam at Prayagraj, submitted to the tribunal.

Refutals and allegations of conspiracy aside, these poor metrics, vis-a-vis river water quality are resultant of the poor upkeep of sewage treatment plants (STPs) across the region. Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi cut a sorry figure when it comes to adherence to water quality norms in the Yamuna river, a major tributary of the Ganga. The pollution monitoring stations where the river flows have fared poorly in water quality, as per a report tabled by Parliament standing committee on water resources in February 2024. The problem is worst in Uttar Pradesh where just one of its 12 stations conform to key water quality parameters such as dissolved oxygen, pH levels, BOD and faecal coliform. A contributing factor is the slow progress in setting up new STPs under the aegis of the Namami Gange Programme, which aims to sanitise critical tributaries of the Ganga, including the Yamuna.

As many as 20 STPs have been sanctioned in UP, of which only six are completed while the treatment capacity created is under 20 per cent of the target. The state has spent Rs 692 crore out of the sanctioned Rs 3,596 crore, which points to a serious underutilisation of funds.