The CPCB conducted water monitoring twice a week from January 12 onwards, including on significant bathing days. The monitoring was carried out at five locations along the Ganga River and two locations along the Yamuna River.
NEW DELHI: A recent report by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has concluded that the water quality of the Ganga River during the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj was fit for bathing.
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The CPCB report highlighted the need for statistical analysis due to the “variability of data” in water samples collected from the same and different locations on various dates.
The board explained that this variability prevented a clear reflection of “overall river water quality throughout the river stretch.”
The CPCB conducted water monitoring twice a week from January 12 onwards, including on significant bathing days. The monitoring was carried out at five locations along the Ganga River and two locations along the Yamuna River.
The report noted, “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 CPCB formed an expert committee to examine the “variability in data.”
The committee explained that
“the data represents a snapshot of water quality at a specific location and time and may vary significantly depending upon factors such as upstream anthropogenic activities (human actions), rate of flow, depth of sampling, time of sampling, river current and mixing of currents, sampling location and such other multiple factors.”
The report further clarified,
“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.”
Due to the variability in the collected data, the CPCB carried out statistical analysis from January 12 to February 22. This analysis covered 10 locations known for “mass bathing,” with 20 rounds of monitoring conducted.
“It is submitted that as per the above-mentioned statistical analysis, the median value (central tendency of the data) of pH, DO, BOD and FC for the monitored stretches is within the respective criteria/permissible limits,”
the report noted.
The report provided the following median values for water quality parameters:
- Fecal Coliform (FC): 1,400 units per 100 ml, well within the permissible limit of 2,500 units.
- Dissolved Oxygen (DO): 8.7 mg/l, exceeding the minimum standard of 5 mg/l.
- Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD): 2.56 mg/l, within the acceptable limit of 3 mg/l.
Earlier, on February 17, CPCB had informed the NGT that some locations in Prayagraj did not meet the primary water quality standards for bathing, particularly concerning faecal coliform levels.
“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.”
The report attributed the high levels of faecal coliform to the large gatherings during the Kumbh Mela.
“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 NGT has scheduled the next hearing for April 7. Advocate Saurabh Tiwari represented the petitioner in this case.
