NGT says UP report on Ganga water quality during Kumbh lacks details, days after CPCB flagged that faecal coliform levels were high

A bench of NGT chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, judicial member Sudhir Agarwal, and expert member A Senthi Vel were hearing the matter on the compliance of a December order, wherein it had directed the UP government and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to ensure that water quality in rivers Ganga and Yamuna was fit to drink and bathe in during the Kumbh.

On Monday, in compliance with the December order, the CPCB submitted a report which showed that faecal coliform and biochemical oxygen demand levels did not meet the bathing criteria during monitoring carried out in the second week of January. The NGT bench took the CPCB’s report on record on Monday and noted that the UPPCB did not file an action taken report in compliance with its December 23 order.

On Wednesday, the UPPCB said that it had filed a compliance report, but it also sought details from the CPCB on the exact locations from where they collected water samples. This prompted the bench to ask whether they were disputing the CPCB’s report. However, the bench also asked the CPCB counsel to provide the details of the points from where water samples were collected as well as the lab test reports.

The bench also noted that the UPPCB’s compliance report on water quality did not include details on biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen, and faecal coliform. It directed the UPPCB to file the latest reports, including those up until February 18.

The Additional Advocate General of UP, Garima Prashad, submitted that the UPPCB will examine the disclosures made in CPCB’s report and appropriate action will be taken to improve water quality.

The CPCB report on water quality in the Ganga at Kumbh had said, “River water quality was not conforming with the primary water quality for bathing with respect to faecal coliform at all the monitored locations on various occasions. A huge number of people (are) taking a bath at Prayagraj during Maha Kumbh Mela in the river, including auspicious bathing days, which eventually leads to an increase in faecal concentration.”

The NGT’s December 23 order was passed while disposing of a petition, which raised grievances about the discharge of untreated sewage from drains into the Ganga in Prayagraj.