Congress Raises Alarm on Ganga Pollution Ahead of Maha Kumbh
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New Delhi, Dec 9 (NationPress) The Congress party has raised serious concerns about the alarming level of pollution affecting the Ganga River in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand in light of the upcoming Maha Kumbh, which is slated for early next year.
During a press conference held at the AICC headquarters, party leader and Media Coordinator Abhay Dubey highlighted the negligent attitude of the BJP administrations in both states that have contributed to the degradation of the sacred Ganga waters.
He questioned whether the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh could assure the public that the sanctity of the holy Ganga waters would be restored prior to the Maha Kumbh.
Abhay Dubey pointed out that although PM Modi claimed to have been summoned by Maa Ganga, in his own constituency of Varanasi, raw sewage continues to flow into the revered river. He challenged the Prime Minister to apologize to the nation and take urgent actions to preserve the Ganga's purity.
According to the compliance report from the Uttar Pradesh government submitted to the NGT, the Prayagraj Municipal Corporation has sewage treatment facilities capable of processing only 340 MLD (Million Litres per Day) out of a total of 468.2 MLD of sewage. This indicates that roughly 128 MLD of untreated sewage is being dumped directly into the Ganga River, which Dubey termed a grave transgression, especially with the Kumbh Mela approaching in Prayagraj.
Referring to official data, Dubey mentioned that surveys of the Ganga River have shown alarming levels of both human and animal fecal contamination. Water samples collected from 41 sites in Uttar Pradesh indicated that in 16 locations, the fecal coliform bacteria levels exceeded 500 MPN per 100 ml, with 17 sites exceeding 2500 MPN per 100 ml.
Dubey expressed disbelief that the sacred water, which devotees consume during the Kumbh with utmost faith, contains such contaminants, holding the Uttar Pradesh government accountable.
He further revealed that fecal contamination was detected even in samples taken from Gangotri, the source of the Ganga River.
Blaming the BJP governments at both the national and state level for the pollution of the holy Ganga, Dubey pressed the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister for a commitment that the Ganga water would be made safe for drinking and bathing prior to the Kumbh.
The Congress leader emphasized that the rampant pollution is a direct result of governmental ineptitude, as they have failed to implement pollution control regulations and adhere to NGT guidelines. He noted that many sewage treatment plants in both states are either non-operational or inadequately maintained.
