Uttar Pradesh’s Irrigation Department reunites three Ganga river streams at the Sangam to create 22 hectares of bathing space for the 2025 Mahakumbh. This reverses the river’s natural course alteration, making it easier for pilgrims to access and purify the water.
New Delhi: The irrigation department in Uttar Pradesh has combined three streams of the Ganga river in the Sangam area, thereby streamlining bathing facilities for the millions of devotees that will converge here during the Mahakumbh 2025. The officials also said around 22 hectares of additional space had been created, which would enable many devotees to bathe in a large area in the central location.
The Ganga had already shifted its course, splitting into three streams between Shastri Bridge and Sangam Nose. Officials said this splitting affected the river’s purity and complicated Mahakumbh organization Officials said this splitting reduced the mela area and affected arrangements for pilgrims. After the intervention, the river flows as a unified stream that returns to its original course.
“To convert the plan into reality, the expertise of IIT Guwahati’s team was sought. Based on their survey report, three massive dredging machines were deployed to streamline and expand the flow of Ganga in the Sangam area,” the officials said.
The project faced early problems from strong currents and high water levels. According to officials, it was difficult to stabilize dredging machines against the powerful flow and combine side streams with the central stream. The team placed dredgers strategically near Shastri Bridge to address the problem.
