Study detects high uranium levels in Faridkot groundwater

A water quality report has set alarm bells ringing in Faridkot after dangerously high levels of uranium were detected in the groundwater here. The uranium content was over three times more than the permissible limit.

The findings have prompted local activists to demand immediate government intervention.

According to the test report issued by the state-run Regional Advance Water Testing Laboratory, four out of five water samples collected from handpumps and a private submersible well in the area exceeded the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) limit of 30 micrograms per litre (µg/l).

The most alarming reading came from a handpump near Ganga Nursery along the Ferozepur road, where uranium concentration reached 112.25 µg/l, almost 400 per cent higher than the permissible limit.

Samples taken near a local church and Gurdwara Mai Godri Sahib also recorded levels beyond the safety threshold. The report further noted elevated traces of manganese and copper at several locations.

While health experts say the main danger from uranium contamination lies in its chemical toxicity, which primarily affects kidneys, members of the Jal Jeewan Bachao Morcha and many other voluntary organisations have demanded the state government intervention.

They termed the contamination a violation of people’s fundamental right to life. Regular consumption of the contaminated water can lead to kidney damage, chronic kidney diseases and other long-term health complications, as the heavy metal tends to accumulate in body tissues over time, alleged the NGOs.

They said the government should establish a real-time water quality monitoring system with public access.

The morcha called for the creation of a state-level task force to coordinate with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and address the underlying causes.