Maha Kumbh over, fire tenders to take Sangam water to all UP districts

The initiative is aimed at providing sacred water to those who couldn’t visit the Kumbh, allowing them also to partake in the holy ritual

A fire brigade vehicle being filled with Ganga water from Sangam in Prayagraj on Friday (PTI)

4 min readLucknowMar 1, 2025 06:11 AM IST First published on: Mar 1, 2025 at 06:11 AM IST

A DAY after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced the conclusion of the Maha Kumbh Mela, the state government now faces the significant task of carrying and distributing sacred Sangam water across all 75 districts.

The initiative is aimed at providing sacred water to those who couldn’t visit the Kumbh, allowing them also to partake in the holy ritual. An official said on Friday that this would enable people to “collect the water, take it home and use it for holy bath.”

The responsibility for this initiative has been entrusted to the UP Police’s Fire and Emergency Services Department, which will transport the water using fire tenders.

“We have finalised the plan to send the water to all 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh. Depending on the requirement, more than one fire tender carrying Sangam water will be dispatched to districts,” said Pramod Sharma, Chief Fire Officer and Nodal Officer (Kumbh).

The distribution process began on Friday, with 21 fire tenders carrying Sangam water dispatched. District officials have been directed to make arrangements for its distribution. Among the 21 districts includes Lucknow, Chitrakoot, Shamli, Moradabad, Bareilly and Ballia.

District officials have chalked out several methods to distribute the water in their respective areas. In Sambhal, a fire tender filled with the water will be stationed at the Reserve Police Lines, from where the distribution will take place. Officials have also planned to sprinkle the water at religious sites.

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Sambhal Superintendent of Police Krishna Kumar said the public would be informed about the availability of sacred water at the police lines for collection.

More than 300 fire tenders from various districts were deployed for duty at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj. The plan is to use these same fire tenders to transport the water back to the districts. Fire tenders with varying levels of water-holding capacities are being used to transport Sangam water, with each tender carrying an average of 5,000 litres. In total, over five lakh litres of the water is being dispatched. The district administration, in coordination with public representatives from different districts, will ensure that the water reaches those who were unable to attend the Maha Kumbh.

“The fire tenders carrying the sacred water will be stationed at designated locations determined by district officials. With the assistance of public representatives and senior authorities, the water will be distributed among the public,” Sharma added.

The plan to distribute sacred Sangam water to all 75 districts was initiated after the Chief Minister, on Thursday, expressed his wish that those unable to visit the Maha Kumbh for a holy dip should receive the water at their homes.

Following this, the fire department was immediately tasked with facilitating the distribution. Starting Friday, fire tenders stationed at the Maha Kumbh will begin returning to their respective districts, carrying Sangam water.

ADG (Fire) Padmaja Chauhan has directed Chief Fire Officer (CFO) Pramod Sharma to ensure that all returning fire tenders transport the sacred water to their districts.

Over 66 crore pilgrims visited the 45-days Maha Kumbh Mela, which began on January 13 in Prayagraj. These pilgrims came from different parts of the country and abroad.

To ensure safety during the event, 55 fire stations were set up. While several fire incidents were reported, no casualties or injuries occurred.
Since pilgrims are still arriving for a holy dip, the fire department has decided to dismantle its infrastructure in a phased manner. As per the plan, only 20 of the 55 fire stations remain operational at present.

Earlier, the government had sent sangam water to all jails across Uttar Pradesh for prisoners who wish to perform ‘snan’ at the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj. After the snan, ritual officials were also held in jails. There are over 90,000 prisoners across 75 jails in the state.