Kumbh water quality: What’s the truth

A Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) report on the quality of water at the Maha Kumbh raised quite a storm. While the Uttar Pradesh government issued a quick rebuttal, in all the dust and heat generated, nobody paid attention to the nuances captured in the CPCB data.The report had data for all main bathing dates. Data was collected from at least five different locations on different days. The numbers were then parsed based on multiple metrics that define what is clean water and what isn't.Here’s a deep dive into the CPCB report to understand what it really revealed. But before that, let’s understand the scientific parameters that decide what water is fit to take a dip in. What decides whether the water is fit or unfit for a dip?The key metrics for evaluation of the quality of water for bathing are: pH: That is how alkaline or acidic water is. As per norms, the water can be slightly acidic or slightly alkaline and still fit for outdoor bathingDissolved oxygen: the amount of oxygen that is present in water that has come from the atmosphere and from aquatic plants. It’s expected to be higher in moving bodies of water like riversBOD: The amount of oxygen consumed by microorganisms to break down the organic waste, as well as oxygen consumed by chemical reactions due to inorganic chemicals is known as the Biochemical Oxygen Demand or BOD. The higher the value from the standard, the worse the quality of water. Fecal coliform bacteria: These are bacteria present in the faeces of all warm-blooded animals and humans and their presence indicates the water is unfit for drinking. However, for bathing purposes a certain amount of fecal coliform bacteria being present isn’t necessarily harmful. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r Water that doesn’t meet these quality standards can cause a variety of problems. If consumed, water with high faecal bacterial content risks causing:Gastrointestinal issues like diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps,In severe cases serious infections like typhoid fever, hepatitis A, and dysentery. Young children and older people are particularly vulnerable due to weaker immunity systems. Having a bath in water with high fecal coliform bacteria can cause skin issues including rashes, or worse, if the water enters the body through a cut or scratch. medium118557741How bad was the water at the Kumbh?The national pollution regulator’s report submitted to the National Green Tribunal seems to indicate that the worst metric seems to be the fecal coliform levels at various locations where devotees take a dip. The report filed showed that that the water quality was not conforming with the primary water quality for bathing with respect to fecal coliform levels at the monitored locations on various occasions. The report blamed the high number of people taking a dip leading to this increase in fecal bacteria levels.The state’s pollution control board (UPPCB) defended the quality of the water in the rivers and said that the Ganga and Yamuna rivers met the required standards for bathing, except at one bridge. However, it hasn’t submitted its own data to support the claim and has even come in for criticism from the National Green Tribunal for not sharing updated data after the Kumbh began. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r On February 22, the CPCB released a fresh set of measurements taken during the event (Jan 12 - Feb 17) that has seen lakhs travel to Prayagraj. It also added a disclaimer that the data represented a snapshot of water quality at a specific location and time and could vary significantly depending various factors. The disclaimer also said it may not fully represent the overall characteristics or river water quality.Out of 17 days when readings were taken, on 14 of those days (most of them in January) at least one location where the water was tested had bacteria levels above the safe level as per the pollution board’s standards. The data shows that locations along the Yamuna (before Sangam, Old Naini bridge) had worse fecal coliform bacteria levels than most locations along the Ganga.The only location along the Ganga which was comparable was the Deeha Ghat site, which the CPCB said is around 18-20 km downstream from Sangam, the most popular spot for devotees to take a dip. medium118557772The worst days to have taken a dipThe data also shows that certain days were particularly bad in terms of bacterial levels to take a dip. For example, on January 15 and February 4, five out of the seven locations where the water was tested had fecal coliform levels above the prescribed standard. January 15 was the day after the auspicious day of Makar Sankranti (January 14) when 3.5 crore people as per official estimates had taken a dip during the first ‘amrit snan’. Similarly, February 4 was the day after the auspicious date of Basant Panchami, which was the third ‘amrit snan’ at the event. However, even on January 14 during the first ‘amrit snan’, the water quality at four out of seven locations didn’t meet the pollution board’s standard for fecal coliform levels. If one looks at the days when three or more locations recorded fecal coliform levels above the prescribed standard it indicates that it wasn’t just an isolated reading that registered high bacterial levels. Sometimes the readings were 10 times over the levels that are deemed fit to bathe in. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r Not just bacterial levels, another problematic metricThe CPCB’s readings showed that the dissolved oxygen levels never fell below the prescribed metric of 5 mg/litre, the water quality did fall below the prescribed standard when it came to the Biochemical Oxygen Demand or BOD. As per the national standard, the BOD level in water for bathing should be 3mg/litre or less. However, on multiple dates and at multiple locations the BOD levels were above the standard.Here’s a look at when high BOD levels were recorded at three or more locations where water standards were being checked. !function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll("iframe");for(var t in a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var r=0;r Among the significant dates on which higher than expected BOD levels were recorded were on January 13 (Paush Purnima), January 24 and January 29 (Mauni Amavasya). The CPCB report submitted before the National Green Tribunal also stated that it had visited the sites of seven geosynthetic dewatering tubes in Prayagraj. All the tubes, which are used to isolate solids from drain water, were found not to be in compliance with various metrics. However, the data released by CPCB - while listing the metrics of the water tested at the tubes - doesn’t not specify the inefficiency of this system. Multiple experts have contested the data released so far and have said that data on key parameters like nitrate and phosphate levels are missing. Those metrics have not been released in the latest CPCB data. medium118557710These experts have said that for bathing purposes, a dissolved oxygen level of 3 mg/litre was safe. They also claimed the water wasn’t acidic, something that the latest CPCB data bears out as well. "Concluding the water is unsafe for bathing would be premature. There is not enough data to claim that the water in Prayagraj is not safe for bathing," Dr RK Ranjan, associate professor at the Central University of South Bihar, said.However, while it has released more data, the CPCB has offered no explanation on the data and whether the water was fit enough to conduct mass bathing even if certain metrics were exceeded. And given it’s a matter of faith, lakhs of devotees were unlikely to change their plans on the basis of these metrics. Meanwhile, doctors in at least one city - Ranchi - reported seeing more cases of skin infections among those returning from the Kumbh."We're experiencing a marked increase in patients with skin infections, particularly fungal issues. The common complaints include persistent itching and rashes, likely resulting from prolonged exposure to damp clothing, unhygienic conditions, and shared facilities during the Mela,” Dr. Yashwant Lal, a dermatologist at Laxmi Clinic, said.