The National Green Tribunal has issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government, Prayagraj Mela Authority and the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board in response to claims that poor sanitation arrangements at the Kumbh Mela have resulted in open defecation along the banks of the Ganga river, Bar and Bench reported on Saturday.

A bench led by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Expert Member Dr A Senthil Vel had, on February 14, directed the authorities to respond a week before the next hearing – scheduled for Monday.

“The application alleges that lakhs of ordinary people and families are forced to defecate in open on the bank of the river Ganga for want of adequate facilities,” the notice from the tribunal said. “In support of the plea taken in the OA, the applicant has enclosed a pen drive containing the videos.”

The petitioner, Nipun Bhushan, filed an application seeking Rs 10 crore in environmental compensation from the Uttar Pradesh government, claiming that the state had failed to prevent pollution due to inadequate sanitation at the Kumbh Mela site.

Bhushan based his argument on the “polluter pays” principle, which holds that polluters must bear the cost of environmental damage they cause.

The application also accused the state of neglecting its duty under Article 48A of the Constitution, which requires the government to protect and improve the environment. It argued that allowing open defecation at the Kumbh violated this constitutional obligation.

Despite assurances of environmentally friendly toilets, thousands of pilgrims were forced to defecate in the open due to a lack of clean or functional facilities, the application claimed. Bhushan’s plea pointed to videos allegedly showing human waste piling up along the riverbanks.

The application also cited a November 2024 water quality test, which found fecal coliform levels at 3,300 MPN (most probable number) per 100 milliliters downstream of the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna rivers, surpassing the permissible limit of 2,500 MPN/100 ml set by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.

The presence of these contaminants could cause diseases like cholera, hepatitis A and polio. They pose a risk to millions of devotees taking dips in the Ganga, the plea argued.

Earlier this month, the Central Pollution Control Board told the National Green Tribunal that high levels of bacteria commonly found in human and animal excreta were found in the river water during the Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.

However, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath dismissed such reports and claimed that the water at the confluence of the Ganga and Yamuna was fit not just for bathing, but also for “achaman”, or the ceremonial practice of sipping holy water.