Kumbh Mela: Ganga pollution still a worry at Sangam

Published: Wednesday, January 30, 2013, 15:42 [IST]

Allahabad, Jan 30: The Kumbh Mela has been attracting foreigners for ages and this year they can be assured that the Ganga water is less polluted with the government showing some seriousness, at least for the period of the mela.

The foreigners come because of the scale of experience which is not available anywhere on this universe, the spiritual path, the yoga and endless discourses.

Since bathing is a part of experience, both for Indians and the foreigners, the district administration has taken extraordinary measures to keep the Ganga waters clean.

Since early this month water from Tehri Dam is being released in a steady manner to keep the water flowing and also dilute the pollutants. The Uttar Pradesh government has also put a tight leash on the infamous leather industry in Kanpur. No effluents from the tanneries, numbering over 1000, are being allowed to be released into the river Ganga for two months. These effluents contain poisonous arsenic.

With such measures in place, the mela administration is happy to claim that the Ganga pollution has remained within the acceptable limits.

However, after the first major bathing day on January 14 a pollution study found that the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) levels - a measure of organic pollution in the water - had increased to 7.4mg per litre at the Sangam. The BOD level at Sangam a day before was 4.4mg per litre. After January 14 the BOD levels gradually decreased to 4.8mg per litre. Experts say that BOD should not exceed 2mg per litre,

Sonia and Rahul to visit Kumbh

Congress President Sonia Gandhi and party Vice-President Rahul Gandhi are likely to visit the ongoing Maha Kumbh congregation in February.

"Soniaji and Rahulji are likely to come, separately, between February 5 and February 9," said local Congress leader Abhay Awasthi. Party general secretary Janardan Dwivedi is visiting Allahabad to make preparations for their visit.

During his visit, Dwivedi met Shankaracharya of Dwarka Peeth Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati at Mankameshwar temple on the banks of the Yamuna and later also went to the camp of Swami Avadheshanand Giri, a Mahamandaleshwar of Joona Akhara.