As Maha Kumbh 2025 Concludes, Prayagraj Undergoes Massive Cleanup Drive

The grand Maha Kumbh Mela 2025, the world’s largest religious festival, came to an end last week in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj. The 45-day extravaganza, which witnessed a record-breaking influx of more than 60 crore pilgrims from all over the globe, has now left the city moving towards normalcy.

As the celebrations reach their conclusion, the Mela grounds, which were once abuzz with activity, now have a deserted appearance. Thousands of temporary tents set up for pilgrims have been taken down, vehicles are open to being brought onto the grounds again, and there are hardly any visitors left at the Sangam in comparison to the massive crowds seen over the last two months.

Massive Cleanliness Drive Underway

Following the grand extravaganza, the Uttar Pradesh government has kicked off a 15-day special sanitation campaign to bring back the region to its former glory. The drive, which was kicked off on Friday, aims to clean up Sangam ghats, roads, and temporary as well as permanent structures at the Mela grounds.

Special Officer Akanksha Rana is spearheading the cleaning process with the assistance of ‘Swachhata Mitras’ and ‘Ganga Sewa Doots.’ Officials say that festival waste is being processed systematically at the Baswar plant in Naini.

Temporary pipelines installed by the Urban and Rural Water Corporation, streetlights erected for the occasion, and temporary pavilions occupied by seers and Kalpvasis are also being removed. Additionally, more than 1.5 lakh temporary toilets will be removed in the coming days. Maha Kumbh’s Record-Breaking Feats

Apart from its religious and cultural significance, Maha Kumbh 2025 set multiple Guinness World Records. The event witnessed:

• The largest simultaneous river clean-up
• The highest number of volunteers participating in a single-site cleanliness drive.
• Most participants making handprint paintings within only eight hours

A number of notable figures, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Droupadi Murmu, performed a holy dip at the Sangam. Apple co-founder Steve Jobs’ wife, Laurene Powell Jobs, was also present on the first day but did not take a dip because of allergies. Global stars such as Coldplay’s Chris Martin and actor Dakota Johnson were also present.

Tragedy Strikes: Stampede and Accidents

Even with sophisticated planning, the event saw unfortunate accidents. On January 29, a stampede at the Sangam region on Mauni Amavasya, a sacred day, resulted in the deaths of at least 30 individuals, and 60 others were injured. The disaster has ignited political scandal, with opposition parties calling for accountability from the ruling BJP government.

Additionally, several cases of fire accidents took place during the festival, where a few people were injured.

ALSO READ: Maha Kumbh 2025: 15,000 Sanitation Workers Attempt Guinness World Record with Cleanliness Drive