Hidden Cost of Polluted Groundwater

Syllabus: GS3/Natural Resources

Context

• Polluted groundwater poses a devastating threat to public health, agriculture, and economic stability across India.

Status of India’s Groundwater

• According to the Annual Groundwater Quality Report (2024), India’s dependence on groundwater—used by 600 million people for drinking and agriculture.
  • Over 85% of rural drinking water and 65% of irrigation water come from below the surface.
• The World Bank estimates environmental degradation costs India $80 billion annually, about 6% of GDP.
• Scope of Contamination: According to the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) 2024 Annual Report:
  • 20% of samples across 440 districts were nitrate-contaminated, primarily due to fertilizer misuse and septic tank leaks.
  • Excessive fluoride appeared in 9% of samples, causing skeletal and dental fluorosis in Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.
  • Arsenic concentrations in Punjab and Bihar exceeded WHO’s 10 µg/L limit, increasing cancer risks.
  • Uranium levels above 100 ppb were detected in Punjab, Rajasthan, and Andhra Pradesh.
  • 13% of samples contained excess iron, linked to gastrointestinal and developmental disorders.

Impacts of Contaminated Groundwater

• On Agriculture & Related Activities: Nearly one-third of the country’s land suffers from soil degradation, aggravated by polluted irrigation water.
  • Heavy metals and chemical residues infiltrate crops, reducing yields and income.
  • The economic ripple effects are alarming:
    • Farms near polluted water bodies record significant productivity losses.
    • 440 districts reported excessive nitrate levels in 2023, up from 359 in 2017—a sharp rise attributed to subsidized fertilizer use.
    • Contaminated produce threatens India’s $50-billion agricultural export sector, as global markets increasingly demand traceability and food safety.
  • Export rejections due to contamination have already dented India’s reputation abroad.
• Health Impacts:
  • Fluoride and Fluorosis: Fluoride contamination spans 230 districts across 20 states, affecting 66 million people.
    • Districts like Sonebhadra (UP) show a 52.3% prevalence rate, far exceeding the WHO’s 1.5 mg/L limit.
  • Arsenic and Cancer: The Gangetic belt—West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Assam—is the worst affected.
    • In Ballia (UP), arsenic levels reached 200 µg/L, linked to 10,000+ cancer cases.
    • A Nature Scientific Reports (2021) study found 1 in 100 people in arsenic zones highly vulnerable to cancer.
    • Bihar’s Bagpat recorded 40 mg/L, nearly 4,000 times the safe limit.
  • Nitrates and Infant Health: Over 56% of districts in India exceed safe nitrate levels.
    • Mixing baby formula with such water leads to ‘blue baby syndrome’, with a 28% rise in hospitalizations reported over five years.
  • Uranium and Organ Damage: In Punjab’s Malwa region, uranium exceeded WHO’s 30 µg/L threshold.
    • Studies show 66% of children and 44% of adults exposed face health risks, including chronic kidney damage.
  • Heavy Metals and Sewage: Lead, mercury, and chromium from industrial effluents are common in clusters like Kanpur and Vapi.
    • Contaminated wells have led to cholera, dysentery, and hepatitis outbreaks.
• Fueling Social Inequality: Groundwater contamination deepens social divides, as wealthier families can shield themselves with technology and cleaner water sources, however, the rural poor remain trapped in a cycle of contamination and disease.
  • Children exposed to toxins face impaired learning, limiting their future prospects and perpetuating intergenerational poverty.

Why Does the Groundwater Crisis Persist?

• Institutional Fragmentation: Multiple agencies—CGWB, CPCB, SPCBs, Ministry of Jal Shakti—operate in silos.
  • Their overlapping mandates hinder coordinated action.
• Weak Enforcement: The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, scarcely covers groundwater, leaving vast legal loopholes.
  • Polluters exploit lax compliance and poor oversight.
• Lack of Transparency and Monitoring: There is no real-time, publicly accessible data. Without early-warning systems, contamination is often discovered after severe health damage occurs.
• Over-Extraction and Pollution Concentration: Excessive groundwater pumping lowers tables, concentrating pollutants and mobilising geogenic toxins like arsenic and fluoride.

Efforts & Initiatives To Improve Quality of Groundwater

• Groundwater Recharge Structures: Structures like recharge shafts, pits, percolation ponds, and injection wells help direct surface water into the ground, improving both quantity and quality of groundwater.
• Atal Bhujal Yojana (Atal Jal): It focuses on Gram Panchayat-level water budgeting and Water Security Plans.
  • It encourages behavioral change and regular monitoring of groundwater quantity and quality.
  • It includes Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) tied to monitoring and sustainable practices.
• Technological and Institutional Innovations:Elevated Electrical Conductivity (EC) can indicate contamination from agricultural runoff, industrial discharge, or saline intrusion.
  • A working paper by EAC-PM advocates for:
    • Institutionalizing groundwater rights;
    • Adopting smart technologies for monitoring and irrigation;
    • Reducing overreliance on groundwater for agriculture;
• Awareness Campaign: The Ministry of Jal Shakti promotes the mantra: ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recharge, and Recycle’ to secure water sustainability.

Other Related Initiatives

• Ground Water Assessment and Management Initiatives;
• Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS);
• 15th Finance Commission Grants for rainwater harvesting and other water conservation activities;
• Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA): Catch the Rain (2024), focusing on rainwater harvesting and water conservation across rural and urban districts;
• Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0;
• Bureau of Water Use Efficiency (BWUE) under the National Water Mission, 2022
• Mission Amrit Sarovar (2022);
• National Aquifer Mapping (NAQUIM) by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB);

Way Forward: From Crisis to Action

• Establish a National Groundwater Pollution Control Framework: Empower the CGWB with statutory authority and integrate all agencies under a single, accountable framework.
• Modernize Monitoring Infrastructure: Deploy real-time sensors, remote sensing, and open-access dashboards. Integrate with public health data systems for early alerts.
• Targeted Remediation and Health Interventions: Install arsenic and fluoride removal units, expand piped water coverage, and run public awareness campaigns in high-risk areas.
• Reform Urban and Industrial Waste Management: Mandate Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD), enforce penalties for illegal dumping, and regulate landfills and effluents.
• Promote Sustainable Agriculture: Reduce fertiliser overuse through balanced nutrient management, organic farming, and soil health programs.
• Enable Citizen-Centric Governance: Empower panchayats, local water groups, and schools to participate in testing, monitoring, and reporting contamination.
• Safeguarding Export Reputation: India needs to tighten quality checks and train farmers to protect agricultural exports, sustainable practices.
  • Food safety is not just a trade issue—it’s a national security imperative.

Conclusion

• Groundwater contamination is not a marginal issue—it is a silent drain on India’s economy, health, and future. Contamination is often irreversible, unlike water scarcity.
• Only bold, coordinated action can prevent this environmental crisis from becoming an irreversible national catastrophe.

Source: TH