New Delhi: Arsenic has been discovered in groundwater in parts of 230 districts across 25 states, and fluoride in 469 districts spanning 27 states, as revealed by Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Bishweswar Tudu, in a statement to the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
The contamination, reported by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), is primarily geogenic in nature, showing no significant change over the years, according to the minister’s written response. The CGWB, under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, regularly monitors and assesses groundwater quality, including arsenic and fluoride contamination.
Various studies conducted by the CGWB, in collaboration with other institutions, indicate the occurrence of arsenic and fluoride beyond permissible limits set by the Bureau of Indian Standards for human consumption in isolated pockets across states and Union Territories.
Arsenic contamination has been reported in 230 districts across 25 states, while fluoride has been detected in 469 districts across 27 states.
The CGWB, in association with the National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), prepared a report titled “Mitigation and Remedy of Groundwater Menace in India: A Vision Document” in 2010. This report has been circulated to relevant agencies and departments for guidance and execution.
Recent developments include the CGWB signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Geological Survey of India (GSI) to study groundwater contamination, focusing on eight states: Punjab, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Assam.
Studies conducted emphasize that arsenic and fluoride contaminations are primarily geogenic, originating from the rock or soil matrix and entering groundwater through various chemical processes. There is no conclusive evidence regarding an increase in the concentration of contaminants over time.
The minister attributed the rise in arsenic contamination instances to the revision of the permissible limit in drinking water from 50 ppb to 10 ppb by the BIS in 2015, coupled with an increase in the number of sampling points. Similarly, the increase in fluoride cases can be linked to the growing number of sampling points over the years.
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By PTI
