High on toxicity, Punjab, Haryana groundwater unsafe for drinking

The groundwater in several districts of Punjab and Haryana contains uranium, nitrates, arsenic, chloride and fluoride in concentrations exceeding the permissible limits, according to the Annual Ground Water Quality Report-2024 released by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB).

The groundwater in 20 districts of Punjab and 16 districts of Haryana contains uranium levels exceeding the permissible value of 30 parts per billion (ppb) in samples collected in May 2023.

Report bares it all

• According to the Central Ground Water Board’s annual report, the groundwater in several districts of both states contains uranium, nitrates, arsenic, chloride and fluoride in excess of the limit
• The groundwater in 20 districts of Punjab and 16 districts of Haryana contains uranium levels exceeding the permissible value of 30 parts per billion

HC had ordered analysis

• The Punjab and Haryana HC had in January ordered an analysis of groundwater samples in Punjab to determine whether elements other than uranium posed a health hazard.
• In 2023, the NGT had taken cognisance of an IIT-Mandi study on agriculture runoff causing groundwater pollution in Punjab.

In 2019, 17 districts in Punjab and 18 in Haryana were affected. In Punjab, the number of affected districts has increased. Water with uranium concentrations above 30 ppb is not safe for drinking, as it can cause damage to internal organs and has been associated with urinary tract cancer and kidney toxicity.

According to the CGWB report, high uranium concentrations in the groundwater may be attributed to local geology, anthropogenic activities, urbanisation and excessive use of phosphate fertilisers in agriculture.

“Studies have shown that phosphate fertiliser contains uranium concentrations ranging from 1 mg/kg to 68.5 mg/kg. Hence, phosphate fertilisers manufactured from phosphate rocks may also contribute uranium to the groundwater in agricultural regions,” the report stated. Forty-two per cent of the samples from Rajasthan and 30 per cent from Punjab have been found to contain uranium concentrations greater than 100 ppb. “This indicates that these two states contribute significantly to the higher uranium concentration in the groundwater,” the report added.

The high uranium concentration in Punjab and Haryana may result from leaching through soil due to the heavy use of fertilisers in agricultural land, the report points out.

It has also been observed that a majority of the samples with high uranium concentrations come from overexploited, critical and semi-critical groundwater stress zones. “Excessive abstraction reduces the volume of water available for recharge, limiting the natural process of dilution of contaminants like uranium,” the report states.

“Nitrate contamination in the groundwater is a significant environmental and public health concern, particularly in agricultural regions where the use of nitrogen-based fertilisers and animal waste is prevalent,” the report states.

In Haryana, 128 samples contained nitrate levels above 45 mg per litre, the permissible limit, accounting for 14.56 per cent of the samples. In Punjab, 112 samples failed the test (12.58 per cent). Bathinda in Punjab, where 46 per cent of the samples failed the test, is among the 15 most affected districts in the country.

In Haryana, 21 districts are affected, while in Punjab, 20 districts have reported contamination.

High nitrate levels in the groundwater can lead to the blue baby syndrome in infants. If the limit is exceeded in public water supply, the water is considered unfit for human consumption, the report adds.

Arsenic levels above 10 ppb in the groundwater have been reported from 12 districts of Punjab and five districts of Haryana.

“Arsenic poisoning can lead to potentially fatal diseases such as skin and internal cancers. Besides its carcinogenic effects, long-term exposure to arsenic may result in cardiovascular and diabetic complications,” the report states.

“The occurrence of arsenic in the groundwater is mainly in aquifers up to a depth of 100 metres. The deeper aquifers are free from arsenic contamination,” the report adds.

Chloride in the groundwater mainly originates from natural or anthropogenic sources, including domestic effluents and fertilisers. The groundwater with a chloride concentration above 1,000 mg/L is not suitable for drinking. In Haryana, 9.67 per cent of the samples exceeded this limit, while in Punjab, fewer than 2 per cent failed the test.

Long-term intake of the groundwater with excessive fluoride concentrations often leads to waterborne fluorosis, such as dental and skeletal fluorosis. Fluoride concentrations exceeding the permissible limit (greater than 1.5 mg/L) have been reported from 17 districts each in Haryana and Punjab.