2024 Annual Groundwater Quality Report:
The 2024 Annual Groundwater Quality Report by the Central Ground Water Board’s (CGWB) reveals widespread contamination of India’s groundwater.
- With over 600 million Indians depending on groundwater daily this pollution has become a serious public health crisis, not just an environmental issue.
Causes for India’s Groundwater Contamination Crisis:
- Unregulated discharge of heavy metals (lead, cadmium, chromium, mercury) and toxic chemicals from industries pollutes groundwater.
- Areas near industrial clusters like Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh) and Vapi (Gujarat) have dangerously high groundwater toxicity, creating “death zones.” Toxic effluents have caused kidney failures.
- Excessive use of nitrogen-rich fertilizers leads to nitrate pollution. Phosphate fertilizers contribute to uranium contamination in groundwater.
- Leakage from septic tanks and sewage systems contaminates groundwater with pathogens. Faulty sewage treatment plants cause localized outbreaks of waterborne diseases.
- Fluoride, arsenic, and uranium naturally occur in certain geological formations, especially in states like Rajasthan, Bihar, Punjab, and West Bengal.
- Excessive pumping lowers water tables and concentrates pollutants, making aquifers more vulnerable to geogenic toxins and salinity intrusion.
- The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, largely overlooks groundwater, and its enforcement on groundwater pollution is inadequate, allowing polluters to exploit loopholes.
- The CGWB lacks statutory authority, and State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) are under-resourced and technically constrained.
- Agencies like CGWB, CPCB, SPCBs, and the Ministry of Jal Shakti work in silos, duplicating efforts and lacking coordination for integrated action.
- Poor Monitoring and Public Awareness: Data collection is infrequent and not publicly accessible, delaying detection and response.
- Poor involvement of local communities and panchayats in monitoring and managing groundwater quality.