The Prayagraj Kumbh Mela 2025 was a significant convergence of faith, a stunning example of excellent waste management and a testament to human humility. In a matter of 30 days, 744 manpower worked on street cleaning, there was a huge haul of waste disposal (1.1 crore kg) during the whole affair, like never before in the Maha Kumbh sanitation efforts. This accomplishment emphasizes the approach to environmental stewardship during this massive event.
Combatting Waste on a Massive Scale
Managing the waste generated by the millions who visit the centuries-old Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj in 2025 will be no mean task. The waste management strategy during Maha Kumbh Mela was multi-prong, integrating innovative technologies with conventional methods.
Main Initiatives:
- Advanced Waste Management Technologies: As a part of the initiative, the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela 2025 used advanced solutions such as Hybrid Granular Sequencing Batch Reactor (hgSBR) and Geotube Technology. These KSPs effectively treated faecal sludge, greywater, and solid waste, crucial for Ganga River pollution control.
- Extensive Infrastructure: More than 1.5 lakh toilets and urinals installed, 25,000 dustbins with liner bags placed across the Mela ground. Efficiently manages faecal sludge, greywater and solid waste, critical for Ganga River pollution control 20,000 Trash bins were placed to enable waste segregation practices.
- Dedicated Workforce: 10,000 cleaning staff labouring to keep it clean. A group of 300 sanitation workers formed a world record and cleaned up the river in a single coordinated effort all in a day.
- Efficient Transportation: Waste collection was done with 120 tippers and 40 compactor vehicles from the doorsteps by positioning the transport on the GPS for timely and efficient cleaning.
Segregation and Disposal
Effective waste segregation practices were necessary for controlling the various types of waste produced.
- Biodegradable Waste Management: Uses of biodegradable materials such as kulhad, dona and pattals were localized as a replacement for plastics. They composted food instead of throwing it away, along with fruit and vegetable peels and flower clippings.
- Non-Biodegradable Waste Disposal: Systems were put in place to collect and dispose of materials that were not biodegradable such as plastic, paper and glass.
- Sewage Treatment Plants Kumbh Mela: Three temporary sewage treatment plants (STPs) were installed at the Mela for the treatment of wastewater and to avoid untreated sewage from finding its way into the Ganga and Yamuna rivers.
Public Awareness and Community Involvement
The successful complementing of the cleanliness drive was public awareness of waste management.
- Community Attention: Workshops for schools and community outreach initiatives helped them practice the non-use of plastics.
- Volunteer Initiatives: The One Bag, One Thali initiative led by volunteers, where 15 lakh steel plates and 20 lakh cloth bags have been distributed to reduce waste.
A Model for Future Events
Prayagraj Kumbh Mela 2025 will also be a role model for sustainable waste management at mass gatherings. The event was pollution-free and sanitary through technology, community participation, and meticulous planning. If we try to take a positive out of this it is that we learn lessons on proper waste management in the face of other larger events of that nature happening around the world. The success is a reaffirmation of India’s commitment towards environmental stewardship and serves as a guidepost for future celebrations.
The scale of the challenge is reflected in Kumbh Mela visitor statistics an estimated 46 to 47 crore devotees thronged the Prayagraj Kumbh Mela 2025. The Kumbh Mela cleanup efforts showed that with willpower, even the largest of get-togethers can be held in an eco-friendly way.
