India’s environmental authorities have raised concerns over dangerously high levels of faecal bacteria in the Ganges river at Prayagraj, particularly during the Maha Kumbh Mela – a major religious gathering that attracts millions of people for ritual bathing.
A recent report by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), a statutory organisation under India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, found that the river’s water quality did not meet safe bathing standards, especially on key ritual days when large crowds entered the water.
