Mahakumbh round the corner, no plan to check 22 untapped drains before event

Even as the 45-day Mahakumbh Mela-2025 is slated to begin on January 13, 2025, there are still 39 untapped drains discharging 72.41 MLD (Million Litres Per Day) of untreated sewage in the Ganga and Yamuna rivers here, according to a National Green Tribunal order that quotes a report filed by the Prayagraj district magistrate.

The DM’s report is dated September 19, 2024. It was filed before the NGT.

A perusal of the so-called action plan in the DM’s report reveals there is no scheme or plan to tap 22 drains discharging 60.80 MLD sewage before the commencement of the fair, the NGT has noted. The NGT order is dated September 23, 2024, a copy of which is with HT.

Further, two sewage treatment plans (STPs) are anticipated to be complete by August 18, 2025 and February 23, 2026 and the third will take 16 months after tendering, says the DM’s report, according to the NGT order.

Mahakumbh-2025 is set to conclude with the bathing festival of Maha Shivratri on February 26.

In respect to the remaining 17 drains discharging 11.61 MLD, it is stated in the report that these will be tapped before the Mahakumbh Mela but does not disclose as to what will happen to be sewage after tapping of drains except mentioning that after tapping, these drains will be treated in existing STPs, the tribunal further noted.

Hence, not only the earlier direction of the Tribunal to file a time-bound action plan has not been complied with, but a vague report has been submitted by the Prayagraj district magistrate, the tribunal has said.

As per its September 23 order, the NGT has formed a high-powered committee to consider the issue of improving the quality of water of the Ganga and the Yamuna at Prayagraj and take effective steps for preventing the discharge of untreated sewage and other pollutants in rivers before the commencement of Mahakumbh Mela-2025.

The tribunal has ordered that the committee will comprise the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary, the secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti, the secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), chairman, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and chairman, Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB). The UP chief secretary will the chairman of this high-powered committee, it held.

The principal bench of the NGT ,including chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi and Dr A Senthil passed the order, while hearing a matter regarding discharge of sewage into rivers Ganga and Yamuna in reference to the issue of availability of clean water at the time of the Mahakumbh Mela to be organised from January 13, 2025.

In its order, the tribunal said that the CPCB will do the sample analysis of the water quality of untapped drains and STP outlets from the point of their discharge in the Ganga and the Yamuna in Prayagraj and also of the quality of the river water of Ganga and Yamuna at different places at least at equal distance at 10 points in the entire stretch where the congregation for the Mahakumbh Mela will take place.

This report will be placed by the CPCB before the high-powered committee within 15 days. The high-powered committee will submit the report before the tribunal within two months, the tribunal held.

The case has been listed for the next hearing on November 29, 2024.

The tribunal had on July 1, 2024 directed Uttar Pradesh to prepare a time-bound action plan to ensure minimum discharge/stoppage of discharge of sewage in the Ganga and Yamuna before the commencement of Mahakumbh and for this purpose eight weeks was granted to the State of U.P. to file a further report.

In its latest hearing, the tribunal noted that its directions had not been complied with and no time-bound action plan has been filed by the State of UP to ensure minimum discharge/stoppage of discharge of sewage into rivers Ganga and Yamuna.

Pilgrims to get good quality water,

says Mahakumbh Mela officer

Mahakumbh Mela officer Vijay Kiran Anand said that 37 drains were tapped ahead of Kumbh-2019 and work is on to tap another 15. Three drains have zero discharge. Proper remediation of waste of another 22 drains would be ensured from funds of the National Mission for Clean Ganga ahead of the Mahakumbh as the work of their interception and diversion along with augmentation of the STPs would be completed after the mega fair, he said.

The official said that pilgrims coming to Mahakumbh-2025 would get good quality water to take a holy dip in the Sangam and all efforts are underway to “ensure a truly divine experience for them.”

Other officials, who did not wish to be named, said that the work is in progress for interception and diversion of two drains discharging 3.37 MLD, out of which one drain will be tapped by this month end while another will be tapped by October 31. Similarly, interception and diversion of Jai Guru Dev drain discharging 1.19 MLD is also in progress and it will be tapped by October 31. As much as 70% of the work of tapping these three drains is complete as of now.

Similarly, interception and diversion of six drains and two sewage pumping stations of 4.14 MLD and 1.83 MLD of Mahewa is also underway and these drains will be tapped by November 30, 2024 as 40% of the work is already complete.

Interception and diversion of Madauka drain and 471 MLD sewage pumping station (SPS) is also in progress. The drain will be tapped by November 30. This drain is under construction (44% work done) and its present flow is zero, officials shared.

Even the work of intercepting and diverting Kashipur area drain discharging 1.05 MLD sewage and construction of 1.52 MLD sewage pumping station is also ongoing and would be tapped by October 30 even as six drains of Baluaghat area and a 1.75 MLD SPS will also be completed by October 30. These are among the 17 drains that will be tapped before the Mahakumbh.