NGT expands probe into uranium contamination in Delhi groundwater

NGT expands a suo motu case on uranium in groundwater, impleading Delhi govt and DPCC. This is based on a CGWB report finding 13-15% of Delhi's groundwater samples have uranium beyond permissible limits. The case was listed for Sept 24.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has expanded proceedings in a suo motu matter concerning uranium contamination in groundwater, directing that the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and the Government of NCT of Delhi (GNCTD) be impleaded as respondents after taking note of a report indicating that 13 to 15 per cent of groundwater samples in Delhi were contaminated with uranium beyond permissible limits.

A Bench comprising NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member Afroz Ahmad directed the Registry to issue notices to the newly added respondents, DPCC through its Member Secretary and the Delhi government through its Principal Secretary (Environment). The Tribunal also directed its office to place on record an Indian Express report dated November 28, 2025, which referred to findings of the Central Ground Water Board's (CGWB) Annual Ground Water Quality Report 2025.

Case Background and Proceedings

The Tribunal was hearing an original application initiated on the basis of a news report titled "Uranium Detected in Breast Milk Across 6 Districts of Bihar: Study". During the hearing, counsel for the Central Ground Water Commission sought six weeks' time to file a reply, stating that the response was under consideration in the Ministry.

CGWB Report Findings

According to the newspaper report extracted in the order, the CGWB's Annual Ground Water Quality Report 2025 found that 24 out of 83 groundwater samples analysed in Delhi exceeded the prescribed uranium parameters, amounting to roughly 13.35 to 15.66 per cent of the samples tested.

The report, based on nearly 15,000 groundwater samples collected across India during 2024, also indicated that several monitored locations in Delhi exceeded Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) limits for drinking water on multiple parameters. It further identified north-western India, including Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, parts of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, as hotspots for uranium contamination due to geogenic factors, groundwater depletion and aquifer characteristics.

Previous Orders on Bihar Contamination

The Tribunal also referred to contamination of nitrate and fluoride in Delhi's groundwater and noted the observations in the report emphasising the need for regular monitoring and local mitigation measures to protect drinking water quality and public health. During the proceedings, the NGT also recalled its earlier order dated December 20, 2022, passed in a separate suo motu matter relating to uranium contamination in Bihar's groundwater. The Bench observed that the issue under examination was not new as far as Bihar was concerned. The earlier proceedings had recorded the findings of a joint committee that uranium concentration in Bihar's groundwater was generally within normal natural variation, while directing authorities to maintain vigilance at locations where uranium levels exceeded permissible limits and ensure safe drinking water to residents.

The matter has now been listed for further hearing on September 24. (ANI)

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