New Delhi:

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has refuted a report that said faecal bacteria present in water at many places at the Maha Kumbh did not meet the criteria of water fit for bathing.

He said the water at the Sangam – the point where River Ganga meets River Yamuna, along with the mythical Saraswati – is “fit for drinking”.

Crores of people have taken holy dips at the Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday said high levels of faecal and total coliform were found at various locations at the Maha Kumbh, during a hearing on allegations that untreated sewage has been discharged into Rivers Ganga and Yamuna in Prayagraj.

The report was submitted to the NGT by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), which said the results of water quality monitoring on January 12 and 13 found the water was not fit even for bathing, let alone drinking.

The significant number of people bathing in the river at Prayagraj during the Maha Kumbh, especially on auspicious bathing days, led to an increase in faecal concentration, the report said.

Yogi Adityanath, addressing the UP assembly, also condemned people who spread misinformation against “Sanatana Dharma, Maa Ganga, and India.”

“While we are participating in the discussion here, more than 56.25 crore devotees have already taken their holy dip in Prayagraj… When we make baseless allegations or spread fake videos against Sanatana Dharma, Maa Ganga, India, or the Maha Kumbh, it is like playing with the faith of these 56 crore people,” the chief minister said.

On the stampede at the Maha Kumbh that killed 30 people on January 29, Yogi Adityanath said his condolences are with the family members, and the government will help them in every possible way.

“… But how appropriate is it to politicise this? They (Opposition) have been against the Maha Kumbh since day 1… In the last session, the discussions and preparations for the Maha Kumbh were underway… We would have discussed the plans and taken your suggestions, but you did not let the house run,” the chief minister said.

“The national president of the Samajwadi Party asked what was the need to spend money on the Maha Kumbh… The social media handles of the Samajwadi Party used language which any civilised society would not use… Lalu Yadav called the Kumbh ‘faaltu’. Another partner of the SP [Samajwadi Party] said the Maha Kumbh has become the ‘Mrityu Kumbh’… If organising events related to Sanatana Dharma is a crime, then our government will keep committing that crime,” Yogi Adityanath said, alluding to remarks by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that the Maha Kumbh has become “Mrityu Kumbh.”