Study finds high uranium content in groundwater
Ruchika M Khanna
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 5
The only safe drinking water for Punjabis, living in the Malwa belt, where groundwater has high concentration of uranium contamination, is the canal water. This is because 80 per cent of Punjab is affected by the uranium contamination of groundwater.
This is the finding of a recent study by eminent scientists Hardev Singh Virk of Punjabi University, Patiala, and Savneet Kaur Kailley of Desh Bhagat University, Fatehgarh Sahib. They have examined uranium and heavy metal contamination of the Sirhind water canal and groundwater in the Malwa belt. The study goes on to discard the Punjab Water Supply and Sanitation Department’s proposal for digging deep submersible tubewells (with depth of over 200 feet) to supply uranium-free water in the Malwa belt.
The alarmingly high uranium and other heavy metal contamination of groundwater in the Malwa belt has been flagged by public health specialists since 2009, when it was first reported by a UK-based specialist, who found traces of uranium in samples of hair of children from Faridkot. Since then, several studies have established the contamination of groundwater.
Govt opts for canal water in affected areas
Officials in the Department of Water Supply and Sanitation told The Tribune that they were aware of the problem of high uranium concentration in groundwater, and thus most of the Malwa was now being covered with canal-based drinking water supply.
“The uranium found in groundwater is because of geogenic pollution. We are looking at different ways to deal with the problem. Maximum drinking water supply is being done through canals in Malwa through 960 water supply schemes. Soon, we will cover 85 villages in Moga district,” an official said.
