Mahakumbh 2025

Sets High Green Standards for Future Generations

- Manu Shrivastava

In this article, Manu Shrivastava highlights that Mahakumbh 2025 is not only a spiritual event but a pioneering environmental movement, demonstrating that large-scale gatherings can be sustainable while preserving tradition. By blending technology, community engagement, and eco-friendly practices, it set a new standard for water preservation and sustainability, offering a model for other global events. The success of these initiatives reflects a growing commitment to environmental responsibility.

The Mahakumbh 2025 in Prayagraj stands as a landmark of tradition and sustainability, welcoming over 450 million pilgrims, including 1.5 million foreign tourists. The event not only showcased India’s spiritual heritage but set new benchmarks in environmental stewardship. With meticulous planning and innovative strategies, Mahakumbh 2025 emerged as a model for sustainable mega-event management.

Managing a congregation of over 450 million people over weeks is an immense task that could easily spiral into chaos. However, Mahakumbh 2025 defied expectations, becoming a beacon of organized waste management, eco-friendly practices, and river conservation. The sheer volume of waste generated— over 4000 tonnes daily, comparable to the waste output of a metropolitan city like Lucknow—was staggering. Authorities implemented a three-tiered waste collection system across the sprawling grounds to ensure the sacred site did not turn into a dumping ground, prioritizing sanitation and hygiene.

The state government’s comprehensive sanitation plan to ensure a “Clean Maha Kumbh” comprised innovative and advanced waste management systems, stringent bans on single-use plastics and extensive awareness campaigns. This underscored a commitment to environmental stewardship, blending spirituality with sustainability at the monumental gathering to ensure a greener, cleaner pilgrimage.