Ganga River in Uttarakhand and Jharkhand meets safety standards

The Indian government has assured that the Ganga River in Uttarakhand and Jharkhand is not polluted. The Jal Shakti ministry stated this during a session in the Lok Sabha. The report was shared in response to questions about water quality, especially following the Maha Kumbh event. According to a report from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the river meets bathing quality standards for faecal coliform levels across these regions. This includes certain areas in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal. The minister, Raj Bhushan Choudhary, highlighted that faecal streptococci levels also meet the bathing standards in much of the Ganga. Concerns were raised after a previous CPCB report revealed high faecal coliform levels. On January 20, the reported level was 49,000. This raised alarms, and the National Green Tribunal had criticized the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board over the findings. Uttar Pradesh's Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath, defended the water's quality, claiming it was safe for both bathing and drinking. A follow-up report from the CPCB on February 28 showed that all key water quality parameters were within safe limits for bathing across the monitored locations. The government maintains that the Ganga is clean in the regions mentioned.