Mahakumbh: Surge in devotees leaves a trail of garbage in Ganga, Yamuna
By : Vidya
While there has been a marked surge in devotees visiting Prayagraj for the ongoing Mahakumbh, the mega event has also led to a significant rise in garbage found floating in the Ganga and the Yamuna that mostly comprises the offerings that the faithful carry when they go for the holy dip.
It includes items like flowers, garlands, incense sticks, wrappers, plastic, coconuts, clothes besides some other items that pilgrims usually lose during bathing at the Sangam.
To ensure clean water at Sangam for the pilgrims, a trash skimmer machine is working long hours removing 10 to 15 tons of floating garbage from the rivers every day. According to officers, there has been a 20-fold increase in the collection of garbage by the machine after the start of Mahakumbh.
The trash skimmer machine was pressed into service four years back to ensure that the devotees coming to bathe in Sangam get clean and pure water. At that time, the machine used to remove 50-60 quintals of garbage every day.
