NGT raps UP Government over Ganga water quality at Mahakumbh 2025

Prayagraj: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has reprimanded the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) and the state government for failing to provide adequate details on faecal coliform and other water quality parameters in the river Ganga at Prayagraj during Mahakumbh 2025.

The NGT has given the state government a week to submit the latest water quality analysis reports from different points of the river at the Mahakumbh Mela site.

This directive comes after the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) submitted a report showing that faecal coliform and biochemical oxygen demand levels did not meet bathing criteria during monitoring in January ¹.

The CPCB report highlighted that the river water quality was not conforming to primary water quality standards for bathing due to high faecal coliform levels at all monitored locations.

The report attributed the increase in faecal concentration to the large number of people taking baths in the Ganga during Mahakumbh, especially on auspicious days.

In response to the CPCB report, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath refuted claims of high faecal coliform levels in the Sangam water, stating that it is fit for bathing and drinking. He cited improvements in oxygen levels and claimed that over 56.25 crore devotees have taken a dip during Mahakumbh.

The NGT's directive is a follow-up to its December 23 order, which instructed the UP government and the CPCB to ensure that water quality in rivers Ganga and Yamuna is fit for drinking and bathing during the Kumbh.