A recent report from the Central Pollution Control Board presented to the National Green Tribunal indicates that, according to statistical analysis, the water quality at the recently completed Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj was suitable for bathing.
The report from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) indicated that the statistical analysis was required due to the “data variability” found in the samples gathered from identical locations on various dates and from different sites on the same day, which resulted in these samples not representing the “overall river water quality along the river stretch.”
The report, dated February 28 and posted on the tribunal’s website on March 7, indicated that the board had performed water monitoring twice weekly from January 12 onwards, including on important bathing days, at five sites on the Ganga river and two sites on the Yamuna river.
“There exists considerable variability in the values across different parameters, namely pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and fecal coliform count (FC) for samples collected from the same site on various dates. The values of the previously mentioned parameters also differ at various locations for the samples gathered on the same day,” the report stated.
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The DO, which indicates the level of oxygen in water, BOD, which gauges the oxygen required to decompose organic substances in water, and FC, a sign of sewage pollution, are crucial indicators of water quality.
The report stated that an expert panel looked into the matter of “variability in data” and noted that “the data reflects a snapshot of water quality at a particular place and time and can differ greatly based on elements like upstream human activities, flow rate, sampling depth, timing of samples, river current and mixing patterns, sampling site, and various other factors”.
The report indicated that due to variability, a statistical assessment of water quality data from various monitoring sites for the key parameters was conducted from January 12 to February 22 at 10 “mass bathing” locations, with 20 rounds of monitoring completed.
As per the report, the median value for FC stood at 1,400 in contrast to the allowable limit of 2,500 units per 100 ml, while the DO measured 8.7 compared to the required standard of exceeding 5 milligrams per litre, and the BOD recorded 2.56 versus the stipulated threshold of being less than or equal to 3 mg per litre.
On February 17, the CPCB reported to the tribunal that several areas in Prayagraj during the Maha Kumbh did not meet the basic water quality standards for bathing concerning faecal coliform levels.
