Raj Thackeray flags Ganga pollution issue, declines drinking Maha Kumbh water

NEW DELHI: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Sunday raised concerns over water quality of Ganga and said that "despite calling our rivers 'mother,' we fail to keep them clean." Citing this, he said that he refused to drink water brought from Maha Kumbh by one of the party workers.

"During our recent gathering in Mumbai, some office bearers were absent. When asked for reasons, some cited attending the Kumbh Mela. I asked them, Why indulge in so many sins that you need to wash them away in the Ganges?" he said

"Our own Bala Nandgaonkar brought back Ganga water in a kamandalu. How can the Ganges remain clean after so many people have taken baths in it? We call our rivers 'mother,' but we don't keep them clean," he added.

His remarks come after an earlier report by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) declared that the water at different locations in Prayagraj was unfit for bathing during Kumbh due high level of faecal bacteria.

However, a new report by CPCB concluded that the Ganga's water quality during the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj was suitable for bathing. It highlighted significant "variability in data," noting fluctuations in water quality across samples taken from the same locations on different dates and from different sites on the same day.