Managing sanitation and waste disposal for the millions of devotees attending the recently concluded Maha Kumbh was a massive challenge, but authorities executed it with near perfection, according to the preliminary findings of an independent study conducted by Indian and American researchers.

Richard Dasher, director of Stanford University’s US-Asia Technology Management Center, and Amit Kapoor, professor and chair at the Institute for Competitiveness, India, led the study to evaluate the management of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) at the grand religious gathering in Prayagraj. Their findings were presented on Wednesday at the 12th Regional 3R and Circular Economy Forum in Asia and the Pacific, organised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in Jaipur.

With over 65 crore people attending the Maha Kumbh over 45 days, authorities transformed 4,000 hectares of reclaimed land along the Ganga into a temporary city. The researchers, along with a team of 10 experts, assessed various aspects of sanitation management throughout the festival.

Kapoor highlighted the enormous task of maintaining cleanliness, managing 1.5 lakh toilets and ensuring timely disposal of faecal sludge. To handle the sanitation workload, the state government deployed around 15,000 workers. “Over 1.5 crore people were defecating daily. Providing clean toilets was a huge challenge, but it was 99.9 percent perfectly managed. Authorities ensured that each toilet was cleaned every 20 minutes, and they executed it like clockwork. We examined around 10,000 toilets in different areas. The real heroes of this festival are the sanitation workers,” Kapoor said.

However, he pointed out that the toilets lacked soap dispensers, which was one missing element in an otherwise flawless arrangement.

For faecal sludge management, temporary sludge treatment plants were set up, and according to Kapoor, the process was executed almost perfectly. “The arrangement was 99.9 percent effective. In 45 days, we observed faecal sludge outside the designated areas only once, on Mauni Amavasya,” he stated. A total of 10 sewage treatment plants and three faecal sludge treatment plants were in operation throughout the festival.

Kapoor compared the current arrangements to those made for the 2012 Maha Kumbh and noted a significant improvement. “If you look at the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on the 2012 Kumbh, the difference is like chalk and cheese in terms of implementation,” he said at the Jaipur event.

Ganga Water Cleaner Than Tap Water

While a recent report by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) indicated high levels of faecal coliform in the Sangam waters, where lakhs of devotees took a holy dip daily, the study led by Kapoor and Dasher presented a contrasting finding.

“Our data shows that in some locations, the water in the Ganga was cleaner than tap water. This was particularly true on days when fewer people took a dip,” Kapoor explained.

The research team also examined the drinking water facilities at Maha Kumbh and found the quality to be nearly perfect. Between February 1 and 24, they tested 150 water taps, of which 109 (73 percent) met the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) criteria for potable water, with Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) levels below 500.

“The water quality at most locations was excellent. We did find 60 taps where the water was over-filtered and only one tap where TDS levels exceeded 500,” Kapoor noted.

The study underscores the remarkable efficiency with which sanitation and waste management were handled at Maha Kumbh 2025. Authorities ensured that the temporary city remained clean, faecal sludge was properly managed, and water quality met high standards. With findings indicating that Ganga water was as clean as tap water in some areas, the report highlights the tremendous progress made in managing an event of this magnitude.

The success of Maha Kumbh not only sets a benchmark for future religious gatherings but also reflects India’s growing competence in large-scale sanitation and environmental management.