Maha Kumbh: Surge in devotees leaves a trail of garbage in Ganga, Yamuna

Mahakumbh boosts pilgrim numbers in Prayagraj, causing a surge in river garbage. A trash skimmer removes 10-15 tons daily to ensure clean waters.

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.

Trash skimmer in operation near Sangam in Prayagraj. (HT photo)

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.

Looking at its working system, another machine was purchased by Prayagraj Municipal Corporation around two years ago. After this, the speed of cleaning the rivers doubled, officials shared.

The capacity of the machine cleaning both the rivers is 13 cubic metres. These machines cover an area of 4 km in the river. That is, it cleans from Sangam area to other distances including the boat club. With the help of these machines, the Yamuna is also being cleaned.

Disposal of garbage at one place

Prayagraj Municipal Corporation officials say the garbage collected by the machine is dumped at a place near Naini for disposal. From there, this garbage is taken to the plant located in Baswar by vehicles every day.

About trash skimmer machine

With the help of trash skimmer, the garbage floating on the surface of the water is collected. This machine is used to clean garbage in rivers, ports and seas. This machine collects plastic, bottles, religious waste, clothes, metal objects, puja waste, dead animals and birds etc.