High levels of faecal bacteria found in Ganges as millions bathe

India’s environmental authorities have raised concerns over dangerously high levels of faecal bacteria in the Ganges river at Prayagraj, particularly during the Maha Kumbh Mela – a major religious gathering that attracts millions of people for ritual bathing.

A recent report by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), a statutory organisation under India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, found that the river’s water quality did not meet safe bathing standards, especially on key ritual days when large crowds entered the water.

While sewage treatment plants were functioning, the sheer number of people using the river led to a sharp rise in contamination, the report said.

The Maha Kumbh Mela is one of Hinduism’s holiest festivals, held once every 12 years at Prayagraj in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh where the Ganga, the Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers meet. The confluence of the rivers is called Sangam and a “holy dip” in the waters is regarded as one of the festival’s main rituals.

During the ongoing Maha Kumbh Mela, a report by the CPCB showed that faecal coliform bacteria levels in the river exceed the safe limit of 2,500 units per 100 millilitres, posing a serious health risk to those entering the water.

As per the latest recorded data on 4 February, faecal coliform levels in the Ganges surged after a major bathing event at the Maha Kumbh Mela, reaching 11,000 units per 100 millilitres near Shastri Bridge and 7,900 units per 100 millilitres at Sangam – far above the safe limit of 2,500 units per 100 millilitres.

Faecal coliform bacteria are naturally present in the intestines of humans and warm-blooded animals. Their presence in water is a warning sign of possible contamination, as they indicate that the water may contain harmful pathogens such as viruses, parasites, and other disease-causing bacteria originating from human or animal waste.

Water quality assessments frequently test for faecal coliform bacteria to determine whether the water is safe for drinking, swimming, bathing, or other recreational uses.

The CPCB report which analysed Ganges water said: “The river water quality was not conforming to the primary water quality for bathing with respect to faecal coliform (FC) at all the monitored locations on various occasions.”

It added: “A large number of people bathe in the river at Prayagraj during the Mahakumbh Mela, including on auspicious bathing days, which eventually leads to an increase in faecal concentration.”

Recent reports indicate that faecal coliform levels in the Ganga River are far beyond the safe limit of 2,500 MPN/100ml (Most Probable Number per 100 millilitres), making the water hazardous for those who come into contact with it.

With millions of people gathering in Prayagraj for religious rituals, the risk of waterborne diseases has risen sharply. The situation is worsened by the discharge of untreated sewage from nearby areas, further contaminating the river.

Exposure to this polluted water can cause gastrointestinal infections, skin rashes, eye irritation, and more serious illnesses like typhoid and hepatitis A. Inhaling water droplets containing bacteria can also lead to respiratory infections, particularly in vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly.

Beyond the immediate health risks for pilgrims, this contamination threatens local communities that depend on the river for drinking, cooking, and daily activities.

Long-term exposure to faecal bacteria in the water has also been linked to an increased risk of infections and even certain cancers, such as bladder and colon cancer.

According to KnowYourH2O, a US-based programme working on promoting the use of safe drinking water, bathing in waters with high levels of faecal coliform bacteria “increases the chance of developing illness (fever, nausea, or stomach cramps) from pathogens entering the body through the mouth, nose, ears, or cuts in the skin”.

On Wednesday, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, however, dismissed the report that stated that water at multiple locations during the Maha Kumbh Mela contained faecal bacteria levels exceeding the safe limit for bathing.

He claimed that the water at the Sangam, the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati, was “fit for drinking”, according to NDTV.

Police charge woman over assault of Muslims at shopping centre

Police in Australia have charged a 31-year-old woman for assaulting two Muslim women at a shopping centre in Melbourne last week amid a wave of hate crimes.

The suspect allegedly attacked a 30-year-old pregnant woman, before assaulting another Muslim woman, aged 26, at the Pacific Epping shopping centre, the police said.

The suspect, a resident of the Pascoe Vale suburb, is due in court on Wednesday for targeting the two women because of their head coverings, a police spokesperson told Australian media.

The woman was arrested on Wednesday and charged with intentionally and recklessly causing injury, unlawful assault and aggravated assault.

One of the victims, a mother-of-two, alleged that she was grocery shopping when the suspect slapped and shoved her to the ground. The survivor was rushed to the hospital with bruises across her body.

“This lady, like out of nowhere, just came and like it was a punch, smack, something like that, right across my left side,” she told 9News.

“I’m an Australian citizen, I was born here. Getting attacked in your own country is a bit wild.”

Another victim said she was grabbed from behind and choked with her hijab in front of her four-year-old daughter while she was eating lunch.

A Victoria police spokesperson in a statement said: “There is absolutely no place in our society for discriminatory, racist, or hate-based behaviour and such activity will not be tolerated.”

Melbourne police said they were also investigating reports of online threats against one of the survivors.

The targeted attack comes just days after Australia passed tough laws against hate crimes to curtail a wave of antisemitic attacks.

The Australian government was criticised by its Muslim citizens, including international cricketer Usman Khawaja, for allegedly not taking Islamophobic attacks as seriously compared to antisemitic attacks. Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese condemned the incident as “reprehensible” and rejected criticism.

“I take all attacks on people on the basis of their faith seriously, and they should all face the full force of the law,” he said on Wednesday.

“We’ve appointed a special envoy on Islamophobia. That’s an important step forward. And I’m someone who celebrates our diversity and who respects people, regardless of their faith,” he said.

Village battles disease outbreak by offering bounties for mosquitos

A village in the densely populated Philippine capital region launched a battle against dengue Wednesday by offering a token bounty to residents for captured mosquitos — dead or alive.

The initiative, launched Wednesday in the Addition Hills village of Mandaluyong City, comes amid heightened concern following a dengue outbreak declared in nearby Quezon City.

The unusual strategy underscores the growing alarm over the mosquito-borne illness. Eight areas in the region have reported a spike in dengue infections, adding to a national tally of 28,234 cases this year – a 40% increase compared to the same period last year, according to health department figures. The outbreak declared in Quezon City on Saturday followed ten deaths, predominantly children, out of 1,769 reported infections.

Addition Hills, a densely populated urban village with over 100,000 residents, has already implemented clean-up drives, unclogged canals, and launched hygiene campaigns. However, following the deaths of two young students and a surge in cases to 42 this year, village leader Carlito Cernal introduced the mosquito bounty to bolster their efforts.

“There was an alarm,” Cernal told The Associated Press. “I found a way.”

Residents will get a reward of one Philippines peso (just over 1 cent) for every five mosquitos or mosquito larva they turn in, Cernal said.

Critics warned the strategy could backfire if desperate people start breeding mosquitoes for the reward. Cernal said that was unlikely because the campaign would be terminated as soon as the uptick in cases eases.

As the campaign began, about a dozen mosquito hunters showed up at the village office. Miguel Labag, a 64-year-old scavenger, handed a jug with 45 dark mosquito larvas squirming in some water and received a reward of nine pesos (15 cents).

“This is a big help,” Labag said, smiling. “I can buy coffee.”

Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection found in tropical countries worldwide. It can cause joint pain, nausea, vomiting and rashes, and in severe cases can cause breathing problems, hemorrhaging and organ failure. While there is no specific treatment for the illness, medical care to maintain a person’s fluid levels is seen as critical.

Officials in another village in Quezon City were considering releasing swarms of frogs to eat mosquitoes.

Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said it’s crucial to clean up mosquito breeding sites, and for anyone who might be infected to seek immediate medical attention. Despite an increase in dengue infections, the Philippines has managed to maintain low mortality rates, he said.

Dengue cases surged unexpectedly ahead of the rainy season, which starts in June, likely because of intermittent downpours that have left stagnant pools of water where dengue-causing mosquitos can breed, Health Undersecretary Alberto Domingo said, adding that climate change was likely contributing to off-season downpours.

Tesla marks major step toward entry into India with new hirings

Tesla has started recruiting in India, marking a significant step toward its long-anticipated entry into the country’s electric vehicle (EV) market.

The US-based carmaker has posted job openings for 13 positions across Mumbai and Delhi, indicating that it is actively working on establishing its presence.

The hiring spree follows a meeting between Tesla chief executive Elon Musk and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi in Washington last week, where they discussed mobility, technology, and innovation.

While Tesla has not officially announced a launch date for vehicle sales in India, the recruitment drive suggests that the company is laying the groundwork for future operations.

According to job listings on LinkedIn, Tesla is looking for candidates in various roles, including service technicians, advisory positions, customer engagement managers, and delivery operations specialists. Most of these positions require employees to be physically present at Tesla locations in Mumbai or Delhi, suggesting that the company is setting up local offices or service centres.

Tesla has considered entering the Indian market for several years but has faced obstacles, particularly the country’s high import duties on EVs. The government imposes tariffs of up to 100 per cent on imported electric cars, making Tesla’s vehicles significantly more expensive compared to locally produced alternatives. Mr Musk has repeatedly urged India to reduce these duties, arguing that lower tariffs would allow Tesla to test demand before committing to local manufacturing.

Recent policy changes, however, have made the Indian market more attractive. The government recently reduced the basic customs duty on luxury EVs priced above $40,000 (£31,700) from 110 per cent to 70 per cent, potentially easing Tesla’s entry.

While India’s EV sector remains small compared to China’s – where 11 million electric cars were sold last year – demand is rising as the government promotes cleaner energy and offers incentives for EV adoption.

Tesla’s expansion into India also comes at a time of broader trade negotiations between India and the United States. Following the Modi-Musk meeting, former US president Donald Trump noted that both countries were working to address trade imbalances and strengthen defence ties, including discussions on potential F-35 fighter jet deals.

Although Tesla has not confirmed whether it will begin by importing cars or establishing a local production facility, analysts suggest the company may test the waters with imports before making a long-term investment decision. With hiring now underway, Tesla’s long-awaited entry into India appears to be moving forward.

Additional reporting by agencies

Pakistani couple detained on suspicion of murdering teen

Police in Rawalpindi in northeastern Pakistan detained a couple accused of murdering a 13-year-old domestic worker over stolen chocolates.

The child, who was identified only as Iqra, was reportedly working as a domestic help with the couple and preliminary police investigation revealed that she had been tortured.

She died from multiple injuries in a hospital on 12 February.

Rashid Shafiq, his wife Sana, and their unidentified Quran teacher were arrested for the suspected murder of the teen by the police.

Iqra had been working as a domestic worker since she was eight, earning just £23 a month, as her father, a farmer, sent her to work due to debt.

Police said Iqra’s employers accused her of stealing chocolates, and initial findings revealed severe abuse.

The teacher reportedly took Iqra to the hospital but left after telling staff that her father was dead and her mother was not around, reports said. It is unclear if she believed this to be true.

Iqra’s father, Sana Ullah, a 45-year-old farmer, told the BBC that she worked for the Shafiq family because he was in debt.

“I felt completely shattered inside when she died,” Sama Ullah told the outlet.

According to Iqra’s grieving father, police informed him last Wednesday that his daughter had been hospitalised. When he arrived, she was unconscious and died minutes later from multiple injuries.

Human rights activist, Shehr Bano, condemned the abuse on social media. “My heart cries tears of blood. How many… are subjected to violence in their homes every day for a trivial job of a few thousand?” she wrote on X.

“How long will the poor continue to lower their daughters into graves in this way?” she added.

An autopsy will reveal the full extent of Iqra’s injuries.

The case has sparked outrage with a hashtag demanding justice for the teen drawing tens of thousands of views and rekindling debates on child labour and domestic workers’ abuse in Pakistan.

In Punjab, children under 15 cannot legally work as domestic workers, yet an estimated 3.3 million children in Pakistan are engaged in child labour, according to data.

In 2020, another couple in Rawalpindi was arrested for allegedly torturing and murdering their eight-year-old maid after she accidentally freed two expensive parrots. The girl, hired by her uncle with promises of education and a small salary, was brutally beaten and later died in hospital. Medical reports revealed signs of severe abuse and possible sexual assault, reports at the time said.

In 2018, a judge and his wife in Islamabad were sentenced to one year in prison for unlawfully confining their 10-year-old maid, burning her hand over a missing broom, beating her with a ladle, and locking her in a storeroom.

In another case, a doctor and her husband allegedly tortured their 14-year-old domestic worker to death, initially claiming she had fallen down the stairs. An autopsy later confirmed she had been subjected to severe abuse.

Gil Won-ok, survivor of Japan’s wartime military sexual slavery, dies

Gil Won-ok, a survivor of Japan’s wartime military sexual slavery and a lifelong advocate for justice, has died at the age of 96.

The South Korean government confirmed her passing at her home in Incheon on Sunday, 16 February. The cause of death was not disclosed, but officials noted she had suffered from Alzheimer’s and age-related ailments in her final years.

A vocal critic of Japan’s refusal to take legal responsibility for its wartime atrocities, Gil dedicated decades to demanding justice for the tens of thousands of women, euphemistically called comfort women, who were forced into military brothels during the Second World War. She maintained that the fight would continue beyond her lifetime.

“They are wrong if they think it will be over when the last of us die,” she declared in 2013, reported the New York Times. “There will be our descendants continuing to campaign as long as it takes to get the apology we deserve. It will not be over with our death.”

Born in 1928 in Hoichon, in present-day North Korea, Gil was just 13 when she was taken from her home in Pyongyang under false promises of work and sent to serve as a military sex slave for Japanese soldiers in northeast China. After a year, she was released due to severe sexually transmitted infections. She later returned to China in 1942 to seek work but was once again forced into servitude in a military brothel.

Following Japan’s defeat in 1945, Gil returned to Korea, never marrying and keeping her past hidden for decades. She made a living selling street food and eventually adopted a son. In 1998, after seeing other survivors protesting in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul, she decided to break her silence and join the movement.

Gil became a central figure in the campaign, attending weekly protests, speaking at international conferences, and travelling the world to amplify the voices of the women who had suffered. She also founded the Gil Won-ok Women’s Peace Prize in 2017, aimed at supporting female activists working towards peace and Korean unification.

Her activism took place against the backdrop of one of the most contentious historical disputes between South Korea and Japan. While Tokyo maintains that past apologies and a 1965 treaty settled all claims, survivors like Gil rejected this, arguing that their suffering had never been properly addressed.

For many South Koreans, Gil and other survivors symbolised the broader suffering endured under Japan’s colonial rule from 1910 to 1945. The movement gained significant recognition in the 1990s when women began publicly sharing their experiences, shattering decades of imposed silence. Historians estimate that up to 200,000 women – mostly Korean – were coerced into sexual slavery for the Japanese military.

Despite the painful memories, Gil found solace in music, often saying that singing had helped her endure the trauma. In 2017, she even recorded an album. “When I was lonely and felt empty at heart, I always sang songs to myself,” she once said.

At her funeral service on Tuesday, mourners paid tribute to her courage and resilience. Woo Won-shik, the speaker of the National Assembly, said in a statement: “Through her life, we have seen what human dignity is.”

The Reverend Jeong Seok-won, who led the service, reflected on the hardships Gil faced throughout her life. “She had to constantly move to avoid shame, yet she chose to expose her pain so it would not be repeated,” he said. “She overcame her past to lead a remarkable life.”

Her death leaves only seven registered survivors of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery in South Korea, all aged 90 or older.

Man wins case against cinema for ‘wasting time’ with adverts

A man in India has won a case against PVR INOX and ticket booking platform BookMyShow for “wasting” 25 minutes of his time by running lengthy commercials before the screening of the movie.

Abhishek MR, 30, filed a complaint in December 2023 after he booked three tickets for a Bollywood movie for a 4.05pm show which eventually started at 4.30pm. He alleged that he was supposed to return to work after the movie was supposed to end by 6.30pm.

He alleged that the incident caused a “mental agony” and “wasted nearly 30 minutes of the time”, demanding compensation for the whole ordeal.

“The complainant could not attend other arrangements and appointments which were scheduled for the day, has faced losses that cannot be calculated in terms of money as a compensation,” the complaint read.

The consumer court in Bangalore has directed PVR INOX to pay Rs 100,000 ($1,150) in penalty, an additional Rs 50,000 ($575) for causing mental agony and Rs 10,000 ( $115) for charges incurred by the complainant to file a complaint.

“In the new era, time is considered as money, each one’s time is very precious, no one has the right to gain benefit out of others’ time and money,” it said.

It added “25-30 is not less to sit idle in the theatre and watch whatever the theatre telecasts”.

“It is very hard for busy people with tight schedules to watch unnecessary advertisements,” it said.

The court however did not hold BookMyShow, the ticketing aggregator, liable for any claims as it has no control over the streaming of advertisements.

The cinemas defended themselves by saying that have to play the government-mandated public service advertisements and that they have to be accommodating for viewers who run a few minutes late.

“The viewers who seated early in the theatre watch advertisements silently till the scheduled time. Taking beyond the scheduled time for the purpose of telecasting the advertisements that too commercial advertisements, is unjust and unfair,” the court said.

Chinese village apologises for fake cotton wool snow

A tourist village in China‘s Sichuan province has apologised after facing backlash for using cotton wool and soapy water to create fake snow.

The Chengdu Snow Village project, in its defence, said the weather was warm and the snow village did not take shape as anticipated during the Lunar New Year holiday at the end of January.

The newly-opened tourist zone in suburban Chengdu faced flak shortly after opening for the holidays as visitors complained that the snow on top of cottages and scattered on forest paths was cotton.

“I feel cheated. I think my intelligence has been insulted!” one tourist said in a video on Chinese social media.

“In today’s age of well-developed Internet, scenic spots must advertise truthfully and avoid deception or false advertising, otherwise they will only shoot themselves in the foot,” wrote another user.

Photos on WeChat showed large cotton wool sheets strewn about the grounds, only partially covering leafy areas. A thick snow layer appeared to blanket the houses in the zone, which on a closer inspection, turned out to be fake.

A worker at the Snow Village’s management office admitted the fake snow made of cotton was cleaned up following public outrage.

“It snowed every winter in the past. So we upgraded this area to become a tour site and promoted it widely before its opening,” the unnamed worker was quoted by the Shanghai Morning Post as saying.

“We were waiting for the arrival of snow. Unfortunately, the weather did not side with us,” the worker said.

The Chengdu Snow Village in a statement on 8 February said: “In order to create a ‘snowy’ atmosphere the tourist village purchased cotton for the snow…but it did not achieve the expected effect, leaving a very bad impression on tourists who came to visit.”

The village said it “deeply apologises” for the changes and that tourists could get a refund. The site has since been closed, Reuters reported.

Last year, a famous waterfall in the Henan province was accused of incorporating pipes to add more water flow during the dry season.