Ganga-Yamuna water was suitable for bathing during Mahakumbh, CPCB releases new report

Prayagraj: A new report submitted by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) claims that according to statistical analysis, the quality of water at Sangam during Mahakumbh in Prayagraj was “suitable for bathing”. This report is in stark contrast to the previous report submitted in February.

The Central Pollution Control Board report said that statistical analysis was required because samples collected from the same location on different dates and from different locations on the same day had “variability of data”, due to which these did not reflect the “overall quality of river water in the entire stretch of the river”.

In compliance with the December order, on February 17, the CPCB submitted a report showing that the levels of fecal coliform and biochemical oxygen demand in the water of Sangam in Prayagraj did not meet the criteria for bathing during the monitoring done in the second week of January.

The water quality at the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna rivers at the ongoing Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj has failed to meet primary standards for bathing. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on Monday (February 17) told the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that the water had high levels of fecal coliform.

The CPCB’s February 3 report mentioned that fecal coliform levels at all monitoring locations were above the permissible limit of 2,500 units per 100 ml, indicating significant sewage contamination. However, a report dated February 28 and uploaded on the NGT website on March 7 said that the CPCB had monitored the water twice a week since January 12, including on auspicious bathing days during the Maha Kumbh.

The report said, “The parameters values ​​for pH, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), dissolved oxygen (DO) and fecal coliform count (FC) vary for samples taken from the same location on different dates. The values ​​of the above parameters also vary from location to location for samples collected on the same day.”

The report said an expert committee examined the issue of “variability in data” and observed that “the data represents a snapshot of water quality at a specific location and time. There can be significant variation depending on factors such as upstream anthropogenic activities (human activities), river course, mixing of streams, flow rate, sampling depth, sampling time, sampling location and many other such factors.”

As a result, these values ​​reflect the water quality parameters at the exact time and location from where these water samples were collected, but do not reflect the water quality of the entire area. The report also said that the reports vary due to variability. The statistical analysis of Ganga and Yamuna water quality data is therefore different. Samples were collected from 10 locations from January 12 to February 22 and 20 rounds of monitoring were conducted.

The report said that it is submitted that as per the above statistical analysis, the mean value (central tendency of the data) of DO, BOD, pH and FC for the monitored stretches are within the respective normative limits. According to the report, the mean value of FC was 1,400 as against the permissible limit of 2,500 units per 100 ml, while DO was 8.7 as against the prescribed norm of being more than 5 mg per litre, and BOD was 2.56 as against the prescribed limit of less than or equal to 3 mg per litre.