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Groundwater Contamination in India

08 Aug 2025 GS 3 Environment
Groundwater Contamination in India Click to view full image

Importance of Groundwater

  • 85% of rural drinking water, 65% of irrigation water from underground sources.

  • Previously considered pure, now polluted with:

    • Nitrates

    • Fluoride

    • Arsenic

    • Uranium

    • Heavy metals

    • Pathogenic microbes

Key Contaminants & Impacts (CGWB 2024 Report)
ContaminantExtentSourcesHealth ImpactsHotspots
Nitrates>20% samples in 440 districtsFertilizer overuse, septic leachingBlue Baby Syndrome (methemoglobinemia), GI issuesPunjab, Haryana, Karnataka
Fluoride9% samples >1.5 mg/L (WHO limit)Geogenic + irrigationDental & skeletal fluorosis (66M affected nationally)Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, MP (Shivpuri 2.92 mg/L)
ArsenicHigh in Gangetic beltGeogenic + over-extraction, miningSkin lesions, gangrene, cancersWest Bengal, Bihar, UP, Jharkhand, Assam (Ballia 200 µg/L)
UraniumPunjab, Andhra Pradesh, RajasthanFertilizers, over-withdrawalNephrotoxicity, organ damage
Anything above 30 ppb unsafe.		Malwa region, Rajasthan & Punjab (>100 ppb in several samples)
Iron>13% unsafeGeological + industrialDevelopmental delays, GI issuesVarious districts
Heavy metals (lead, cadmium, chromium, mercury)Industrial dischargeFactories, tanneries, electroplatingNeuro damage, anaemia, immune disordersKanpur (UP), Vapi (Gujarat)
PathogensSewage leaks, septic tank failuresUrban & peri-urban sewageCholera, hepatitis A & EPaikarapur (Bhubaneswar)

Real-world “Death Zone” Incidents

  • Budhpur, UP: 13 deaths in 2 weeks from kidney failure – linked to mill discharges.

  • Jalaun, UP: Petroleum-like fluid from handpumps – suspected underground leaks.

  • Paikarapur, Odisha: 500+ fell ill – sewage-contaminated groundwater.

Why the Crisis Persists

  1. Institutional fragmentation – CGWB, CPCB, SPCBs, Ministry of Jal Shakti work in silos.

  2. Weak enforcement – Water Act, 1974 barely covers groundwater discharge.

  3. Lack of real-time public data – No early warning or health surveillance integration.

  4. Over-extraction – Lowers water tables, concentrates pollutants.

  5. Sanitation gaps – Especially in rural & peri-urban areas.

Reform & Solutions Proposed

  • National Groundwater Pollution Control Framework.

  • Modern monitoring (real-time sensors, public dashboards).

  • Targeted remediation (defluoridation, arsenic removal tech).

  • Integrated health + water surveillance.

  • Waste management reforms to curb industrial discharge.

  • Citizen-led groundwater governance & awareness.

Groundwater Level Measurement in India

Agency Involved

  • Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) – Nodal agency monitoring groundwater quantity and quality.

Monitoring Network

  • About 26,000 groundwater observation wells across the country.

  • Historically dependent on manual measurements by trained technicians.

Traditional Method

  • Technicians physically check the depth to groundwater using measuring tapes or electric water level indicators.

  • Data recorded periodically (often four times a year: pre-monsoon, monsoon, post-monsoon, and winter).

Digital Upgradation (since 2023)

  • 16,000–17,000 Digital Water Level Recorders (DWLRs) installed and integrated with piezometers in observation wells.

  • Piezometers: Specialized instruments for measuring the pressure head of groundwater, which is converted into depth from the ground surface.

  • Function: Automatically record water levels at regular intervals and transmit data digitally to a centralized server in real time.

Advantages of Digital Monitoring

  • Higher accuracy and reduced human error.

  • Real-time monitoring enables early warning for declining water tables.

  • Facilitates data-driven groundwater management policies.

India’s water crisis is now more about quality than quantity.
The contamination is silent, invisible, and irreversible — and the cost will be measured in lives and lost futures, not just rupees.



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