Groundwater contamination: Haryana, Punjab top chart in the region

Ravi S.Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 12

Reeling under the problem of fast depleting water-table, Haryana has also topped the chart followed by equally concerned Punjab with regard to overall ground water contamination.

The joint capital of Haryana and Punjab, UT Chandigarh is comparatively the most secure place in this regard.

The other states in the region concerned are Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Uttarakhand.

A recent study conducted by the Water Resources Ministry and a comparative analysis of the data done by The Tribune, reveals that while Haryana is on the top with regard to overall contamination of  underground water, Punjab has the highest quantity of Nitrate, Cadmium and Chromium (heavy metals) among the region’s states.

The salinity content is highest in Haryana with presence of 15 units (as against the benchmark of Electrical Conductivity above 300 micro mhos/cm) followed by 9 units in Punjab. It would bring cheers to citizens of hill states of Himachal, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand,  and the UT Chandigarh that the salinity content is zilch.

Haryana tops with regard to presence of debilitating Fluoride pollutant with 20 units (against standard above 1.5 mg/L), followed by 19 in Punjab, 2 in Jammu and Kashmir and nil in other areas of the region.

With regard  the presence of nitrate, Punjab is affected the most in the region having 20 units (above 45 mg/L), followed by 15 in Haryana, 6 in Himachal Pradesh, 4 in Jammu and Kashmir, 3 in Uttarakhand and nil in Chandigarh.

The presence of the dangerous Arsenic content is highest in Haryana, at 15 units (above 0.01mg/L) against 10 in Punjab, 3 in Jammu and Kashmir and equal quantum in Uttarkhand, one in Himachal Pradesh and nil in Chandigarh.

Haryana also top with regard the iron content measuring 17 units (against standard above 1mg/L), followed by 9 in Punjab, 6 in Jammu and Kashmir, and nil in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and  Chandigarh.

With regard presence of heavy metals, presence of lead is highest in Haryana with 17 units (above 0.01 mg/L), followed by 6 in Punjab, 3 in Jammu and Kashmir, and no presence in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Chandigarh.

Punjab  tops the list with regard presence of Cadium (above 0.003 mg/L) and Chromium (above0.05 mg/L) measuring, respectively, 8 units and 10 units followed by Haryana with 7 and 1 in the same order. Other regions do not have their presence in the ground water at all.