Maha Kumbh 2025: Plea Filed In NGT To Comply With Directions Pertaining To Maintaining Purity Of River Water

A plea has been filed in the National Green Tribunal's (NGT) principal bench seeking directions to Central Board of Pollution Control (CPCB) , Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) and other authorities to ensure the compliance of the guidelines issued by NGT pertaining to maintaining purity of the rivers during the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj.In Kamlesh Singh v. State of UP, the Tribunal in December, 2024 had issued a slew of guidelines including the following:(1) During the Maha Kumbh in order to have a better monitoring mechanism and to ensure that on account of the unwanted flow of untreated sewage in river Ganga and Yamuna, the pilgrims who come for holy bath may not suffer, the CPCB and UPPCB will increase their monitoring points and frequency of monitoring on river Ganga and Yamuna. il) The CPCB and UPCB will take the water samples from river Ganga and Yamuna from the points at least twice a week at regular intervals by avoiding duplicity of sample on the same day and will display the sample analysis report on the website of UPPCB and CPCB.(iii) Periodic samples will be collected by UPPCB, and CPCB at the outlet of STPs and advanced, oxidation ponds and the analytical reports be uploaded on website of UPPCB and CPCB. Apart from the above, the online monitoring data will also be uploaded.The plea, filed by ex-Indian Police Service officer and political activist Amitabh Thakur, highlights that these directions include uploading various data, like the sample analysis report including performance of STPs and geo-tubes, analytical reports of periodic samples collected at the outlet of STPs and advanced oxidation.It added that the website of CPCB does not seem to be carrying any of the facts/data/reports directed by the Tribunal in the above given order at any place, despite passing of more than 3 weeks from the delivery of order and the Kumbh Meal actually having started now."That the situation seems to be no different in case of UPPCB website https://uppcb.up.gov.in/en/. Here again the applicant would not find the above required facts/data/reports etc at any of its webpages at this time," it added.The application stated that the matter is of huge relevance and ramifications for the life and safety of millions of Kumbh Yatri hence, direction be issued "Central Pollution Control Board and the UP Pollution Control Board to display the sample analysis report, with links on the Main page of the respective websites."Title: Amitabh Thakur v. CBPC and others

Maha Kumbh 2025: Plea Filed In NGT To Comply With Directions Pertaining To Maintaining Purity Of River Water

Aiman J. Chishti

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