With 40 crore expected visitors, the Uttar Pradesh government is bolstering the sanitation infrastructure at the Mahakumbhnagar to ensure that it remains open defecation-free when the mega fair begins on January 13, an official statement said on Friday.

Plans are also afoot to enhance the spiritual experience of the visitors through the traditional flower petal showers over key pilgrimage areas, it said.

The area on the banks of Sangam in Prayagraj, where the Maha Kumbh will be held, has been named Mahakumbhnagar and notified as a new district by the state government. The Maha Kumbh is organised every 12 years. It will conclude on February 26, 2025.

The Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam (Urban) has initiated an ambitious sanitation drive, constructing 1.5 lakh toilets across the Maha Kumbh area, it said.

Advanced infrastructure is being deployed to manage the significant sludge generated during the fair, including three temporary sewage treatment plants (STPs), permanent STPs at Naini and Jhunsi, and a faecal sludge treatment plant in Arail.

"The three temporary STPs have been set up with the assistance from BARC, and a network of pipelines and cesspool vehicles will transport the sludge for efficient treatment," Executive Engineer of the Jal Nigam Saurabh Kumar said.

Efforts to bolster municipal services include expanding the Alopi Pumping Station's capacity from 45 KLD to 80 KLD, ensuring that Prayagraj's regular services remain unaffected by the influx of pilgrims.

The station is set to operate at full capacity starting December 10.

Additionally, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is scheduled to visit Prayagraj on December 7 to inspect the operational faecal sludge treatment plant in Arail, which has been processing sludge since June with minimal environmental impact.

Simultaneously, the Uttar Pradesh government is gearing up to enhance the spiritual splendour of the Maha Kumbh 2025 by continuing the tradition of showering flower petals on devotees from helicopters.

Vijay Vishwas Pant, Divisional Commissioner of Prayagraj said, "This revered tradition, symbolising homage to Sanatan culture and faith, will be expanded to cover all major ghats, in addition to the Sangam Nose, given the anticipated rise in the number of devotees." The flower petal showers, which have become a hallmark of religious events under Adityanath, were widely appreciated during the 2021 Mauni Amavasya, where #PushpVarsha trended on social media, according to the statement.

For Maha Kumbh 2025, the government plans to scale up the initiative, aiming to create an unforgettable spiritual ambience and reinforce its commitment to celebrating India's rich cultural heritage, it stated.

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