Cong: Will Yogi assure devotees Ganga water will be fit for bathing?

New Delhi : The Congress Monday expressed concern over sewage dumping in the Ganga and asked whether Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will assure devotees that the river's water will be fit for bathing and drinking by the time of the Kumbh Mela early next year.

Congress leader Abhay Dubey said Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself should make efforts in this. The Maha Kumbh Mela will begin on January 13 and conclude on February 26. "It is believed that wherever the Kumbh is held, there is immortality. But the BJP government has tampered with our culture.

The principal bench of the NGT (National Green Tribunal) passed an order on November 6, 2014, which mentioned the Uttar Pradesh government had submitted a report on October 30, 2014. "In that report, it was found that sewerage treatmentplants of 340 MLD capacity have been installed to treat the drain water in the area of ??Prayagraj's Nagar Palika Nigam," he said. He claimed about 12.8 crore litres of sewage water is being poured directly into the Ganga and it is a "heinous sin".

"When NGT tested 1 MLD of Gangotri water for Uttarakhand, it wasfound that 540 mpn of faecal coliform bacteria were found in 100 ml. This means that the BJP government has defiled the very origin of the Ganga. In Uttarakhand also, 195 MLD sewerage is being mixed into Ganga, that is, 19 crore 50 lakh litres of drain/sewer water is going into Uttarakhand every day," he said. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi should also make efforts to maintain the sanctity of Ganga before Maha Kumbh and he should apologize for what has happened with the sanctity of this holy river under the BJP government," he said.

Devotees and seers visiting the Maha Kumbh in Pyragaraj will be given a sapling of sandalwood and rudraksha along with the special prasad from the iconic Bade Hanuman temple, an official said.

Organised after a gap of every 12 years, the Maha Kumbh will be held in Prayagraj from January 13 to February 26.

On the instructions of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, the Ministry of Forest and Environment has initiated this special campaign aimed at enriching the spiritual and ecological significance of this grand gathering, according to an official stateme.