Water quality analysis of River Ganga and Yamuna using water quality index (WQI) during Kumbh Mela 2019, Prayagraj, India

Rivers Ganga and Yamuna have been subjected to massive degradation and pollution due to the vast amount of wastewater entering the river during the Kumbh Mela. The Kumbh Mela, the largest religious congregation, was organized at Prayagraj, India, from January to March 2019. Despite the efforts, the river quality during Kumbh Mela was not suitable for public use, and even after Kumbh Mela, it was not substantially improved. This study estimated the water quality index (WQI) for the river Ganga and Yamuna at Prayagraj from 01.12.2018 to 30.04.2019. The study focused on the use of WQI to describe the level of pollution in the river during, before, and after the Kumbh Mela. The study also identifies the critical pollutants affecting the river water quality. The properties (pH value, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), and water color) of river water were evaluated at five different locations: (i) Rasulabad (upstream the Ganga river); (ii) Shashtri Bridge (downstream the Ganga river); (iii) Main Sangam; (iv) ChhatnagGhat (downstream the Ganga river); and (v) SaraswatiGhat (at the Yamuna river). The study used the water sample data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Uttar Pradesh. This study revealed that water quality was within permissible limits except for BOD during the Kumbh Mela. The DO content was within the allowable limit for bathing at all five sampling locations during Kumbh Mela. This high DO content resulted from sanitation management efforts taken by the government and self-cleansing properties of the river Ganga.