Union Minister Credits Nuclear Technology For Disease-Free Maha Kumbh

Union Science Minister who visited Sangam said that “no sign of hygiene disruption or epidemic risk” even though over 50 crore devotees have taken a holy dip.

Union Science Minister Dr Jitendra Singh at Sangam.

Source : X/@DrJitendraSingh

Union Science Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said that there have been no signs of any disease outbreak at the Maha Kumbh even though millions are taking a bath at Prayagraj due to nuclear technology.

Over 500 million have taken a dip bath at the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and the lost river Saraswati.

According to an NDTV report, the Union Science Minister who visited Sangam on Saturday (February 15), said that “no sign of hygiene disruption or epidemic risk” even though over 50 crore devotees have taken a holy dip.

This “Herculean task” was possible through the deployment of innovative Indian sewage treatment plants, pioneered by the Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC), Mumbai, and the Indira Gandhi Center for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam. Both of the institutions have been affiliated to the Department of Atomic Energy. The sewage treatment system that’s called, Hybrid granular Sequencing Batch Reactors or hgSBR technology is deployed at the Maha Kumbh.

These plants utilise microbes to treat wastewater and are commonly known as Fecal Sludge Treatment Plants. This technology was researched and developed by Dr Venkat Nancharaiah, a scientist at the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), according to NDTV.

As per the report, the plants that have been set up on the banks of the River Ganga can treat almost 1.5 lakh litres of sewage a day at the Maha Kumbh site.

The technology employs bacteria-laden granules (bio-beads) as a sustainable biological treatment alternative for wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). Compared to activated sludge systems, this method offers higher biomass retention, superior settling, and enhanced treatment efficiency.

The granule-based system can significantly reduce costs due to its smaller land footprint, minimal infrastructure requirements, and lower operational expenses. To implement this technology, a novel method was developed to cultivate bio-beads — a combination of biofilms and granules — using wastewater microbes.

Beyond its superior treatment capabilities, the system can reduce land usage by up to 60 per cent and costs by approximately 30 per cent, offering substantial advantages over conventional wastewater treatment processes.

The technology reduces the volume of biological treatment tanks by up to 20 per cent compared to conventional sequencing batch reactors (SBRs). This advancement plays a crucial role in rapidly bridging the gap between sewage generation and treatment capacity in the country. This achievement is particularly significant, as past Kumbh Melas were often plagued by cholera and dysentery outbreaks due to open defecation and contaminated water.

To address sanitation challenges, the Uttar Pradesh government has built 1.5 lakh toilets at the Mela site. Additionally, 11 permanent sewage treatment plants and three temporary ones are managing the vast sewage outflow. Clean drinking water is being provided through over 200 automatic water dispensing machines, ensuring better hygiene and safety for attendees.