Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj’19
CSE TEAM’S KUMBH VISIT FEB’19 AND ANALYSIS OF THE EVENT
Background: Significance of Kumbh
‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’
• Kumbh held every 12 years; Ardh Kumbh every 6 years
• Religious significance - Bathing during Kumbh ‘Clean all Sins’
• World’s Largest Religious Gathering.
• 120 mn people had visited previous Kumbh (2013).
• This year 240 mn people visited over a period of 55 days. (~18% of
country population)
• Av 2 – 2.5 million people bathed every day.
• During 6 main bathing days crowd reached around 20 - 40 mn. (i.e.
almost 40 times the existing population of Pryagraj or Allahabad)
Kumbh - Challenges for Management
Sudden Increase population density
(average daily floating population ~2-3 times the city population)
In addition to Crowd Management,
Safety, Security etc, Sanitation / Public
Health is a big challenge:
• Facilitating Water, Sanitation &
Hygienic
• Controlling - Open Defecation &
Urination
• Controlling - Stagnant water
(including waste water) causing
mosquito breeding Indiscriminate
garbage disposal, choking drains &
nullahs
• Increase in River Pollution.
• Threat of outbreaks like Cholera.
Past Outbreaks in Kumbh
• First ever Cholera Epidemic in
1817 believed by some to have
started at Kumbh Mela.
• Various Instances public health issues
reported in past Kumbh Melas:
Reasons attributed
▪ Reduced Hygienic conditions and exposure to
pathogens due to exceptionally larger proportion
of Bathers in the River
▪ Drinking of water from polluted sources (People
not able to distinguish between potable and
non-potable water)
▪ Traditional beliefs regarding drinking Ganga
water / include storing of water for relatives
back home.
Prayagraj Kumbh 2019 - Swachh Kumbh!
• ‘Kumbh Mela’ a prestige event for
the Country.
• One of the most hyped and
promoted Kumbh (even though it’s
an ardh Kumbh)
• ‘Most Expensive Kumbh ever’ –
budget inc. from INR 1300Cr to INR
4200Cr (INR 42 Billion)
• Rs 234 crores (~6%) has been
allocated for sanitation.
• SDG-6 ‘Clean Water & Sanitation’ by
2030 – efforts reflected in the
Kumbh Mela
Kumbh ‘Tented City’
• City of ‘Prayagraj’ or ‘Allahabad’
• 32 sq km area along the
Confluence of Yamuna and
Ganga river.
• Divided into 20 sectors.
• Sectors 1 to 4 – permanent
structures with sewer lines
• Other 16 sectors:
– Located on Flood Plains
– temporary facilities which are
commissioned and
decommissioned for every event.
Kumbh Mela - Arrangements
Kumbh (2019) ‘in limelight’ Guinness World Records
• Largest Crowd Management
• Largest Sanitation Drive – 20,000
• Largest Painting Exercise of Public
Site
• “Longest Parade of Buses” – 500
buses to ferry pilgrims to Kumbh
SANITATION AT PRAYAGRAJ KUMBH (2019):
HITS AND MISSES
KUMBH (2019) - HITS
1. “No Open Defecation” the motto of this year’s Kumbh
• 1.2 lakh toilets made available
spread across Kumbh.
– 62,500 public toilets + 20,000
urinals along site bus stops,
parking area, along roads etc.
– 40,000 for residential users
inside the tented city.
• Toilets connected to FRP
containment units which were
being emptied regularly.
(~daily)
KUMBH (2019) - HITS
2. Monitoring & Maintenance of Toilets with use of ICT
• Services of 10 Private Vendors hired to
operate 250 cesspool vehicles 24x7
service – on demand.
• 20,000 Sanitation Workers, in addition
1500 Swachhgrihi specially for
monitoring of toilets was done by
Mobile app / WhatsApp used for
monitoring Toilets: included uploading
photos and filling out questionnaire
online
• Use of Jet Spray Machines for cleaning
of toilets
KUMBH (2019) - HITS
3. Nullah / Drains tapping and Wastewater management
Total Nullahs in Pryagraj – 82
– Tapped to STP : 26
– Treated in-situ : 56
Executing Method of No of
Agency Treatment drains
UPJN Bioremediation 30
UPJN Geo-tubes 5
NEERI In-situ Method 6
NPCC Bio-remediation 4
NMCG Bio-remediation 1
UPJN Filtration – up-flow 10
Filter
KUMBH (2019) - HITS
4. Preparedness for Public Health Emergencies at Kumbh
• 72 Quick medical response
team of 5 member each.
• 86 Ambulance (24x7)
Available through
• 1 Central Hospital (100
beds) & 11 Circles Hospitals
(20 beds).
• 25 First Aid Posts spread
across the Kumbh Area
KUMBH (2019) - HITS
5. Provision of Clean Water
• 300 Kms of drinking water pipeline
laid for 24x7 supply with taps across
the 20 sectors.
• Source – Borewells (67 no.)
• Water Kiosks were set-up with
private companies chipping-in (HUL,
LG).
• 2 police officers were stationed
24*7 to ensure safety of the source
water and avoid any contamination.
KUMBH (2019) - MISSES
1. Clean Ganga ‘Only Temporary’
What made the Ganga Clean during this short
period of time?
• Release of extra water upstream at the Tehri
dam around 6000-7000 cusec
• Temporary shut down of heavily polluting
industries like tanneries in Kanpur
Is it sustainable in the Long Run?
• The impact of nullah / drain tapping & insitu
bioremediation on cleaning Ganga River is
debatable . ?
KUMBH (2019) - MISSES
2. Critical Gaps Sanitation Value Chain
Designated • Effectiveness of 2
Portable toilets no. temporary
with FRP
containment
units (120,000)
Cesspool
vehicles in
each sector for
•
treatment facilities
Co-Treatment at 2
no. existing STPs ??
emptying
KUMBH (2019) - MISSES
3. Effectiveness of Temporary Treatment Facilities Established
• 2 Temporary Facilities established
to treat wastewater transported
by cesspool vehicles.
• Geo-bags for Solid-Liquid
Separation
– As per officials, not a single Geo-
Bag completely filled with Solids.
– separated liquid is simply stored
in an unlined pond in a secluded
area
KUMBH (2019) - MISSES
4. Overloading existing STPs
• Co-Treatment at Naini and Salori S.NO Name of Designed Flow during
STPs of Kumbh PTs wastewater STP Capacity Kumbh
transported by cesspool vehicles. (MLD) (MLD)
• Bio-remediation unit added at the 1 Naini 80 78.82
inlet step at Rajapur and Salori STP 2 Numayad 50 65.69
• STPs normally running under design ahi
capacity (~50%). However during 3 Salori 43 61.69
Kumbh it was overloaded. 4 Rajapur 60 80.61
5 Ponghat 10 7.67
6 Kodra 25 33.70
KUMBH (2019) - MISSES
5. Disposal / Reuse Compromised ??
• Disposal / further treatment of Bio-
Solids – not planned
• when all the glory of the event will
be finished, these solids will
probably be dumped in a landfill or
an open drain.
• Disposal of Geo-bags also an issue.
Challenges and learnings from Kumbh’19
What about other significant but less hyped events ??
• All the facilities were temporary
either a hire basis or commissioned
& Decommissioned every year.
• Smaller but significant Events like
(Annual Magh Mela - 10 million
attendance) may not get this kind
of attention.
• A more permanent approach to
ensure safe and sanitized
environment for all events is
needed.
Conclusion: Learnings for ULBs from Kumbh’19
• Organizing Sanitation Workers for maintaining a sanitized
environment.
• Monitoring of toilets using mobile Apps.
• Promoting Water Kiosks at public spaces by leveraging
corporate sector.
• Treatment & monitoring of drains
