1.22 lakh toilets, 50 RO water ATMs installed for Kumbh Mela visitors

India's one of the biggest religious congregations-Kumbh Mela-is going to be a perfect platform for promoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious scheme-Swachh Bharat!

For the visitors of Mela, the administration has put up 1.22 lakh toilets in line with the theme of 'Swachh Kumbh, Surakshit Kumbh.' The Mela, which begins on January 14 to conclude on March 4, attracts lakhs of devotees from across the country and many from other foreign countries.

In order to meet the drinking water needs of devotees, the Kumbh Mela authority has also installed a total of 50 reverse osmosis (RO) water ATMs at various locations. The Mela administration is geared up to ensure total sanitation against all odds, indeed!

Additional Mela Adhikari DK Tringunayat told ANI: "One of our main aims for this Kumbh is to ensure and promote sanitation. Water will be supplied through 5,000 stand posts. As an experiment, we are installing 50 RO water ATMs at the most crowded areas for the people's convenience."

The World Health Organisation's (WHO) 'Sanitation Matters,' which links sanitation with public health, has culminated in the 'Clean Water and Sanitation' goal of SDG-2030, and is now reflected in the Kumbh Mela preparations as well.

On Thursday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said: "The theme 'Swachh Kumbh, Surakshit Kumbh' is appropriate enough, a message which the 'Kumbh' can send to the world."

More than 40,000 street lights have also been put up to avoid any kind of inconvenience to the pilgrim during nights.

The Ardh Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj will commence from January 14 at the Triveni Sangam-the holy confluence of river Ganga, Yamuna, and Saraswati-where thousands of pilgrims take a holy dip.