India News | Akhilesh Raises Concerns over Quality of Water in Sangam, Seeks Probe
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday expressed concerns over the quality of water at the Sangam in Prayagraj and asked the Uttar Pradesh government to conduct a thorough probe into the matter.
Lucknow (UP), Feb 19 (PTI) Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday expressed concerns over the quality of water at the Sangam in Prayagraj and asked the Uttar Pradesh government to conduct a thorough probe into the matter.
The former chief minister's remarks come amid a recent report from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) that the water at the Sangam during the ongoing Maha Kumbh could contain high levels of faecal bacteria.
On February 17, the National Green Tribunal was informed, through the CPCB report, that various locations in Prayagraj during the ongoing Maha Kumbh were not conforming to the primary water quality for bathing with respect to the level of faecal coliform.
Yadav also slammed the Yogi Adityanath government for its alleged poor management of the Maha Kumbh.
He expressed his concerns over the stampede, traffic jams, and the quality of water at the Sangam, which he claimed had led to health issues among devotees.
Speaking to the media here, Yadav said, "No one is against the Maha Kumbh, but the government invited people to the event claiming to have made arrangements for 100 crore people."
"Then how did the stampede happen? How did the traffic jam occur? People were stuck in vehicles for hours. Devotees died in road accidents. This shows the complete mismanagement of the event," he said.
Raising concerns about the quality of water in the Sangam, Yadav said, "Why did they hide the true state of the water? What are the parameters of the water quality? Where does this bacteria come from?
He attacked CM Adityanath over the issue. "Perhaps the chief minister doesn't even know. If he knew, he himself wouldn't have bathed in that water."
He added, "I demand that the government provide help to the families of devotees who have lost their lives, and arrange for medical treatment for those who have fallen ill after taking a dip in the Sangam."
The SP chief also claimed that many 'Kalpavasis' (devotees who stay during the Kumbh for an extended period) had fallen ill after bathing in the Sangam.
"It's being reported that a large number of Kalpavasis have fallen sick. The illness they are experiencing seems to have developed after their dip in the river. I suggest the government conduct a thorough investigation into this matter," he said.
Yadav further alleged that the government's mishandling of the event was not limited to the current Maha Kumbh.
"In the last 'Ardh Kumbh', there was a scam related to the arrangements made for the event. This time, when an investigation is carried out, it will be found that the sanitation facilities, particularly toilets, will top the list of issues," he added.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)