High court directs Punjab to analyse groundwater for harmful elements beyond uranium

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed a thorough analysis of groundwater samples in Punjab to determine whether elements other than uranium pose a health hazard. The directive came amid concerns over uranium contamination in the Doaba and Majha regions, with the court on a previous date of hearing emphasising that the testing must adhere to the updated WHO standards.

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“The counsel for the state of Punjab is directed to carry out analysis of the samples of collected ground water in order to find out as to whether other elements found in the water, besides uranium, are harmful for consumption or not,” the division bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sudhir Singh asserted.

The court also instructed the Union of India to evaluate the reports and suggest solutions to the “problem being faced by the citizens of Punjab as regards traces of uranium found in the ground water in various districts of Punjab”.

The high court, on a previous date of hearing, had ordered comprehensive re-testing of water samples for uranium contamination in Punjab’s Doaba and Majha regions, following discrepancies in previous test standards. The court had made it clear that the water testing was required to be redone in accordance with the updated WHO standards.

Taking up the petition filed way back in 2010 against the Union of India and other respondents by Brijender Singh Loomba, the bench had taken note of an affidavit filed on behalf of the Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant chief engineer, stating that 11 samples, out of 4,406 tested, were found to be “infected” in districts such as Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Amritsar and Tarn Taran within Doaba and Majha regions. The tests were based on the standards of “60 parts per billion (PPB)” recognised by the atomic energy regulatory body.

Another report by Punjab’s Department of Local Government said three samples were found to be “infected with traces of uranium” out of 269 tested in the Doaba and Majha regions. The standard applied for testing was 30 ug/l.

Taking a note of the two reports, the bench asserted the WHO had apparently re-fixed the standards of testing uranium content in water at 30 ug/l, while 60 µg/l-standard was previously used for testing 4,406 samples. “The the tests have to be re-conducted based on the current standards recommended by the WHO i.e. 30 ug/l. Let fresh exercise of collecting as well as testing the samples be done again by the state of Punjab in the Doaba and Majha regions,” the bench ordered.

Virtually placing the government in dock for not taking concrete steps to ensure supply of uranium free water in the Malwa region despite lapse of 9 years since the matter was brought under judicial scanner, the high court in December 2019 had not only directed the constitution of a principal secretaries’ committee, but also provision of clean potable water. Directions were also issued to the Union of India and Punjab Government to explore the possibility of deactivating the uranium.