As devotees from all corners of India flocked to the Maha Kumbh at Prayagraj, a religious gathering celebrating the full orbital revolution of Jupiter around the sun, it is also an opportune moment for us to contemplate upon the health of the Ganga-Yamuna ecosystem. The Kumbh Mela, centred on the Ganga-Yamuna ecosystem has been of vital religious and cultural significance for the Hindu believer for centuries owing its origins to the sacred Hindu texts. Thus the onset of the Maha Kumbh presents us with important questions regarding the declining condition of this important river ecosystem where an estimated 1.5 crore devotees took the holy dip on the occasion of Paush Purnima alone at the Triveni Sangam( the point of confluence/convergence of three rivers namely the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati and where a total footfall of 40 million was expected during the entire duration of the Mela.
Environmental footprints of mass bathing during the Maha Kumbh
An interesting report by the CPCB reveals that at the sangam where the majority of people take the holy dip, a high concentration of Fecal Coliform, BOD, COD, CI and other organic pollutants were found in the water. Not surprisingly, the number of polluted stretches in the Indian rivers has also increased from 301 to 351 in a matter of two years while the number of critically polluted stretches has increased from 34 to 45. In fact, data from the State Pollution Control Boards shows that in several stretches the waters of the Ganga are not suitable for drinking and bathing. Official data shows that discharge of untreated waste forms the central causes of pollution in the Ganga and its tributaries. But due to efforts such as the release of extra water at the upper stream of the Tehri Dam and the temporary closure of the highly polluting tanneries located at Kanpur have played a pivotal part in ensuring that the waters of the Ganga remain relatively safe during the Kumbh Mela. Several environmentalists and river experts have called the temporary measures an act of “event management “ and have raised questions about the sustainability of such measures pointing towards the need for long term concrete solution to the problem of river pollution in the country. Looking beyond instant fixes and temporary solutions, environmentalists are demanding genuine actions plans for the development, conservation and rejuvenation to display a seriousness of intent on part of the government.
A colossal event and some difficult questions
There is no doubt that the grandeur of the Kumbh Mela has brought many important questions to the table regarding a wide array of issues such as management, logistics and infrastructure on the one hand and the impact of such a large scale event on the river ecosystem on the other. The dead fish often seen floating in the Yamuna-Ganga rivers is representative of the seriousness of the issue. How effective have programs targeted to the cleaning and rejuvenation of the Ganga such as the Namami Ganga programme been in thee last one decade?
The impending question before us is whether the river ecosystem is ready take the shock of such a massive footfall following which pollution and degradation of the water body seems but inevitable? Once the Kumbh Mela is over, an important challenge before the state will be to execute plans for reducing the impact of sewage and pollutants that have been entering the river and contributing to its toxicity. The impact of such massive pollution on the river ecosystem will lead to threatened water life as well as endanger the livelihoods of those dependent on the rivers. How long will it take for a city like Prayagraj to deal with the declining state of the river ecosystem post the conclusion of the grand gathering?
It is not surprising that within the religious ecosystem at the Maha Kumbh Mela itself there are many sects that are concerned about the pollution of the river ecosystem. Hindus despite sectorial differences assign motherlike status to the Ganga river and it continues to be a lifeline for a majority of Indians. No doubt, if the state adopted a more efficient outlook towards cleaning up the river and properly channelising sewage and waste and not allowing it to block the river, it would have done a great service towards the health and restoration of the river. It is moreover ironic that the organisers seem to care little for the wellbeing and protection of the river ecosystem beyond band-aid solutions to mega environmental problems. Given the present load on the river ecosystem, an important question that we really need to ask is whether the river Ganga will be in a condition to host another Kumbh Mela in the future and whether the massive impact of pollution and resultant degradation keep her ecosystem suitable enough to sustain those for whom she is a source of livelihood? There is no doubt that the Ganga will continue to flow as it has for centuries but what we cannot neglect is the fact that uncontrolled pollution and degradation of the river ecosystem will have an adverse impact on it and its purity may be threatened over time.
Its time we collectively rethink on the issue of environmental degradation in general and river ecosystem degeneration in particular so that we can retain and rejuvenate rivers such as the Ganga with effective and sustainable ecological programs and protect the lifeline of the nation’s rich natural heritage.
