INDIA, Oct 8 (VNN) — Taking a holy dip at the ''Triveni Sangam'', the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati, may not be a good idea from the hygienic point of view.

Discharge of sewage water from several drains has led to increased pollution of the Ganga and Yamuna, making the Sangam at Allahabad unfit for the auspicious bath on the occasion of Kumbh Mela early next year, according to a non-government organization.

'Ecofriends', a city-based NGO striving to bring a pollutant-free Ganga back to the Kanpur ghats, recently conducted a survey which revealed that 57 drains carried 210 MLD (million litres a day) of waste water into the two rivers.

The discharge included a deadly cocktail of waste materials and chemicals (137 MLD) that reached Yamuna through twelve drains, while 34 drains flowed into the Ganges to contribute the remaining 73 MLD of waste water. No data was collected about eleven streams as they were not being covered under the second phase of the Ganga Action Plan.

About the 46 rivers being taken into consideration in the second phase of the action plan, the local civic bodies had completely trapped the water in 39 drains and partially in one, according to Ecofriends Executive Secretary Rakesh Jaiswal.

''Interception and diversion of 120 MLD drain water and treatment of 150 MLD of water remains to be done if the water is to turn fit for people to take their holy dip at the Kumbh,'' he told UNI.

Mr. Jaiswal said that it was none other than the Ministry of Environment and Forest that had certified the water at the Sangam as unfit for bathing. ''Information available on the ministry's website grades the water (both in the upstream Rasoolabad and downstream Sangam) as belonging to 'E' category. That is, water which is fit only for irrigation or industrial cooling,'' he said, pointing out that the desired class of water for outdoor bathing is 'B'.

Mr. Jaiswal recalled that the quality of water in Allahabad was 'D' in 1996-97. The deterioration in class took place despite the implementation of the first phase of the Ganga Action Plan. The NGO chief maintained that the government could at least go for short-term measures to ensure cleanliness of the Sangam waters by temporary closure or diversion of the polluted drains. Adequate chlorination of water reaching the Allahabad ghats -- a suggestion raised last year as well -- could also help improve the state, he added.

''Imagine the kind of water the devout would be carrying back as 'Ganga jal' in cans... It is irresponsible on the part of the government to be lackadaisical with stopping sewage water reaching the Ganga on the one hand, and organizing the mela on the other,'' he observed.

A foreign expert, currently staying here to oversee the Ganga Pollution Control Campaign, shared the sentiments of the NGO. ''It is a criminal offence to organize a mass-bathing event when so much of raw sewage is being discharged into the Ganges,'' Mr. Reing Sekhuis, an engineer from Holland said.

He also expressed surprise over the authorities not letting the people know about any steps they were taking to fight out the health and pollution threats. ''It is high time the government authorities worked with the public to ensure an clean Kumbh'', he added.

-UNI Story from: indiaexpress.com


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