India's toxic taps: how groundwater contamination is fuelling chronic illnesses

The Hindu

3 days ago

Despite India's rivers and seasonal monsoons, it is groundwater that sustains most of the nation's domestic and agricultural needs. Over 85% of rural drinking water and 65% of irrigation water come from below the surface. However, the rapid and often unregulated extraction of this vital resource has triggered a growing yet largely invisible crisis: groundwater pollution. Once considered nature's purest reserve, groundwater is now contaminated with nitrates, heavy metals, industrial toxins, and pathogenic microbes—posing a silent but grave threat to millions.
The 2024 Annual Groundwater Quality Report by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) reveals alarming findings. More than 20% of samples from 440 districts were contaminated with nitrates, largely due to the overuse of chemical fertilisers and leaching from septic systems. Excessive fluoride was detected in over 9% of samples, causing widespread dental and skeletal fluorosis—particularly in Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. Arsenic levels in parts of Punjab and Bihar far exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) limit of 10 µg/L, increasing the risk of cancer and neurological disorders. Districts in Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan reported uranium concentrations above 100 ppb—attributed to phosphate fertilisers and unregulated groundwater withdrawal. Over 13% of tested samples also exceeded safe limits for iron, contributing to gastrointestinal and developmental disorders.
These figures are not mere statistics—they reflect systemic neglect and policy inertia.
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Groundwater death zones
In Budhpur, Baghpat (Uttar Pradesh), 13 people died within a fortnight this year, from kidney failure and related complications—allegedly linked to toxic discharges from nearby paper and sugar mills contaminating local borewells. In Jalaun, residents reported petroleum-like fluids from handpumps due to suspected underground fuel leaks. In Paikarapur, Bhubaneswar, sewage seepage from a faulty treatment plant led to the mass illness of hundreds.
These are not isolated incidents. These events reveal a disturbing pattern of weak enforcement, institutional apathy, and the public invisibility of a growing underground disaster.
Health impacts: what data reveals
Groundwater contamination in India has escalated into a national public health crisis. Studies by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and WHO India have documented widespread health consequences due to toxic substances in drinking water.
Fluoride contamination affects 230 districts across 20 states. Around 66 million people suffer from skeletal fluorosis—a debilitating condition that causes joint pain, bone deformities, and stunted growth, particularly in children. In Rajasthan, over 11,000 villages have reported cases. In Jhabua (Madhya Pradesh), fluoride levels exceed 5 mg/L, with 40% of tribal children affected. Unnao (Uttar Pradesh) has recorded over 3,000 skeletal deformity cases.
The 2024 CGWB report found that 9.04% of 15,259 samples groundwater samples exceeded the WHO's 1.5 mg/L fluoride limit. Sonebhadra (U.P.) reported a 52.3% prevalence rate, and levels in Shivpuri (M.P.) reached 2.92 mg/L. Effective interventions include defluoridation, improved nutrition, and provision of safe drinking water.
Arsenic exposure is concentrated in the Gangetic belt—including West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Assam—and leads to skin lesions, gangrene, respiratory problems, and various internal cancers. A study conducted in Bihar, published in Nature Scientific Reports in 2021, reveals that elevated blood arsenic levels make 1 in 100 individuals highly vulnerable to cancer, including cancers of the skin, kidney, liver, bladder, and lungs, as well as other secondary cancer types.
In Ballia (U.P.), arsenic concentrations reached 200 µg/L—20 times the WHO limit— linked to over 10,000 cases of cancer and other diseases. In Bihar's Bhojpur and Buxar districts, similar impacts have been observed. While arsenic is geogenic, its mobilisation is worsened by groundwater over-extraction, mining, and irrigation. The 2024 CGWB report identified unsafe arsenic levels in 29 districts of U.P., with Bagpat recording 40 mg/L—4,000 times above the safe threshold.
Nitrate contamination is rampant in northern India and poses a severe threat to infants. When baby formula is mixed with nitrate-laced water, it can cause 'blue baby syndrome' (methemoglobinemia). The 2023 National Health Profile recorded a 28% rise in hospital admissions from acute nitrate toxicity over five years, particularly in Punjab, Haryana, and Karnataka. Today, 56% of Indian districts exceed safe nitrate levels.
Uranium, once confined to select geological zones, is increasingly detected due to excessive groundwater extraction and fertiliser use. A study by the Central University of Punjab in the Malwa region found uranium levels in groundwater exceeding the WHO threshold of 30 µg/L, posing serious risks of chronic organ damage and nephrotoxicity. The results showed that 66% of samples posed health risks for children and 44% for adults.
Heavy metals—lead, cadmium, chromium, mercury—enter groundwater from unchecked industrial discharges, causing developmental delays, anaemia, immune system issues, and neurological damage. The ICMR-National Institute for Research in Environmental Health (NIREH) found dangerously high blood lead levels among children near industrial clusters in Kanpur (U.P.) and Vapi (Gujarat).
Contamination from leaking septic systems and sewage infiltration has triggered repeated outbreaks of cholera, dysentery, and hepatitis A and E. In Paikarapur, Bhubaneswar, over 500 residents were recently affected by a waterborne disease outbreak tied to sewage-contaminated groundwater.
Why the crisis persists
The crisis is rooted in a fragmented regulatory system. The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, scarcely addresses groundwater. The CGWB lacks statutory authority, and State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) are under-resourced and technically constrained. Industries operate with minimal oversight, and sanitation infrastructure, especially in rural and peri-urban India, remains deficient.
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Key structural issues include:
Institutional fragmentation: Agencies such as CGWB, CPCB, SPCBs, and the Ministry of Jal Shakti operate in silos, often duplicating efforts and lacking coordination for integrated, science-based interventions.
Weak legal enforcement: While the Water Act exists, its enforcement—especially on groundwater discharge—is inadequate. Regulatory loopholes and lax compliance embolden polluters.
Lack of real-rime, publicly-accessible data: Monitoring is infrequent and poorly disseminated. Without early warning systems or integration with public health surveillance, contamination often goes undetected until after serious health outcomes emerge.
Over-extraction:Excessive pumping lowers water tables and concentrates pollutants, making aquifers more vulnerable to geogenic toxins and salinity intrusion.
What needs to change
India's groundwater crisis calls for a bold, coordinated, and multi-dimensional strategy that integrates regulation, technology, health, and public participation. Key reforms include:
A National Groundwater Pollution Control Framework: Clearly define responsibilities across agencies and empower the CGWB with regulatory authority.
Modernized monitoring infrastructure: Use real-time sensors, remote sensing, and open-access platforms. Integrate water quality data with health surveillance systems like HMIS for early detection.
Targeted remediation and health interventions: Install community-level arsenic and fluoride removal systems, especially in high-risk regions. Expand piped water access and awareness campaigns.
Urban and industrial waste reforms: Mandate Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD), regulate landfills strictly, and enforce penalties for illegal discharges.
Agrochemical reform: Promote organic farming, regulate fertiliser and pesticide use, and encourage balanced nutrient management.
Citizen-Centric groundwater governance: Strengthen the role of panchayats, water user groups, and school programmes in water testing, monitoring, and advocacy.
The water below, and within
India's groundwater crisis is no longer about quantity—it is about safety and survival. With over 600 million people depending on it every day, this is a public health emergency, not just an environmental issue. As India aspires to become a $5 trillion economy, millions remain deprived of the most essential resource: clean water.
Groundwater pollution is silent, invisible, and slow—but its damage is irreversible. Unless urgent, collective action is taken, we risk learning the value of clean water only when the well runs dry. And in doing so, we will pay the price not in rupees, but in lives and lost futures.
(Dr. Sudheer Kumar Shukla is an environmental scientist and sustainability expert. He currently serves as head-think tank at Mobius Foundation, New Delhi. [e-mail] )