Groundwater in India: Rajasthan, Punjab struggle with Uranium contamination; Northeast, J&K excel in quality

A report by the Jal Shakti Ministry reveals varying groundwater quality across India. Rajasthan and Punjab face severe uranium contamination, while Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and others meet BIS standards. Widespread issues include nitrate, fluoride, and arsenic contamination.

A recent report by the Ministry of Jal Shakti reveals a stark contrast in groundwater quality across India. Some states and Union Territories, like Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Jammu & Kashmir, fully meet the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for water quality. However, many other states, including Rajasthan, Haryana, and Andhra Pradesh, are grappling with significant contamination issues.  

The report highlights concerning levels of uranium contamination in several regions, particularly in Rajasthan and Punjab, which have been identified as hotspots. Data from 15,259 groundwater monitoring locations and 4,982 trend stations in 2023 revealed high uranium concentrations in groundwater stress zones. These areas are classified as "over-exploited," "critical," and "semi-critical" and include parts of Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.  

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Along with uranium, the report raises alarms about other contaminants like nitrate, fluoride, arsenic, and iron in groundwater. Around 20% of the samples tested exceeded the permissible limit for nitrate, while 9% had fluoride levels above the acceptable threshold. Arsenic was found in 3.5% of the samples.  

Long-term exposure to fluoride and arsenic, as the report warns, can lead to serious health problems, such as fluorosis and skin lesions or cancer. Fluoride contamination is particularly high in states like Rajasthan, Haryana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. Despite slight improvements during the monsoon season, fluoride levels remain dangerously high in these regions.  

Nitrate contamination is a severe issue in Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra, with over 40% of water samples exceeding safe nitrate limits. This contamination is largely due to agricultural runoff and excessive use of fertilizers.  

Elevated arsenic levels were found mainly in the floodplains of the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers, affecting West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, and Manipur. Additionally, parts of Punjab and the Rajnandgaon district in Chhattisgarh are also impacted.  

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The report does provide some good news. Over 81% of groundwater samples in India are deemed safe for irrigation based on sodium and alkalinity levels. States and Union Territories such as Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Pondicherry, and Tripura have all been rated in the "excellent" category, with 100% of their groundwater samples deemed safe for irrigation.  

The report also addresses the rising salinity in groundwater, measured by Electrical Conductivity (EC), which shows the degree of mineralization or salinity in water. High EC levels indicate a higher concentration of dissolved substances, including harmful chemicals. States like Rajasthan, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka have been found to have the highest levels of EC, signalling a growing problem of groundwater salinization.  

(Photo for representation purpose only)
Source - AI generated