Kumbh Mela: UP Police to keep eye on River Ganga, its tributaries to check industrial waste disposal in water

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Police on Wednesday directed their department officials to keep an eye on River Ganga and its tributaries during Kumbh Mela so that no industrial waste is disposed of in the water. Actions will be taken if such activities come to notice, police added.

The direction has come from the Director General of Police (DGP), said Praveen Kumar, IG Law and Order.

The Kumbh Mela, or the festival of the sacred pitcher, is the largest public gathering as the event draws tens of millions of pilgrims over the course of approximately 48 days to bathe at the sacred confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati.

This year, the auspicious bathing dates are Makar Sankranti (January 15), Paush Poornima (January 21), Mauni Amawasya (February 4), Basant Panchami (February 10), Maghi Poornima (February 19) and Mahashivratri (March 4).

The Mela area will also be lit by setting up more than 40,000 LED lights.