. NEW DELHI: A parliamentary panel on water resources has expressed concern over the rising level of groundwater contamination across the country, and recommended that the govt make all out efforts towards mitigation in the most affected regions by using latest technologies, including AI/Machine Learning and best global practices.The panel, which submitted its report this week, also took note of heavy metal contamination, including uranium, lead and nitrate, detected in Delhi’s groundwater, and the serious health risks which it may pose. It referred to instances of contamination flagged by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) in its annual report in Nov last year.Though the panel appreciated corrective measures taken by the Jal Shakti ministry, it noted with concern the rising number of partially affected districts in terms of contamination of basic parameters like fluoride and nitrate in most states/UTs.Israel Iran WarUS-Israel-Iran War News Live Updates: Israel pounds Tehran as Iranians mark Nowruz; UAE, Kuwait defences respond to missile barrageTrump Rules Out Ceasefire: says US nears Iran war goals; signals wider military options’Enemy has been defeated’: Iran’s Mojtaba Khamenei claims victory over US, IsraelThe department of water resources, however, in its submission told the panel that groundwater contamination by heavy metals was “generally location-specific” and depended on local hydro-geological conditions and source pressures.“Therefore, exceedance at a monitoring location does not imply uniform contamination across the entire area,” it told the parliamentary standing committee on water resources headed by BJP Lok Sabha member Rajiv Pratap Rudy.When asked to provide a detailed note on groundwater contamination in India, its sources for contamination, and corrective measures taken in this regard, the department told the parliamentary committee that the groundwater monitoring is conducted by the respective state governments and the CGWB on a “regular basis”.“CGWB, at its level, conducts ground water quality monitoring through its network of around 17,000 monitoring stations spread throughout the country. The data so generated indicates that groundwater in India largely remains potable. However, occurrences of a few contaminants beyond permissible limits are reported in isolated pockets of some states and UTs. Reported contamination is both due to natural geogenic factors as well anthropogenic causes like rapid industrialisation, urbanisation, agricultural intensification etc.,” the department said in its response. The CGWB, in its report in Nov 2025, noted that groundwater quality across most parts of India, in general, was considered “good to excellent” but Rajasthan, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh faced “widespread contamination” and certain other states faced “localised contamination challenges”.The board’s report said arsenic contamination was a major concern in Ganga and Brahmaputra river basins while uranium contamination, although less widespread, was sporadically detected in parts of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.It attributed contamination to discharge of untreated industrial waste, excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides, improper waste disposal and sewage leakage in urban areas and over-extraction of groundwater.The CGWB’s report highlighted that exceeding trace metal concentrations in groundwater was of critical concern as it directly affected both human health and environmental safety. “Toxic metals such as arsenic, lead and uranium can cause severe neurological, skeletal, kidney and cancer-related problems, while elevated iron and manganese levels pose risks, especially to infants and children,” it said.About the AuthorVishwa MohanVishwa Mohan is Senior Editor at The Times of India. He writes on environment, climate change, agriculture, water resources and clean energy, tracking policy issues and climate diplomacy. He has been covering Parliament since 2003 to see how politics shaped up domestic policy and India’s position at global platform. Before switching over to explore sustainable development issues, Vishwa had covered internal security and investigative agencies for more than a decade.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosAir India Wrong Plane Blunder Explained: Five Reasons Why Vancouver Flight U-Turn Was A Costly MistakeHigh Risk Voyage: India LPG Tankers Set To Cross Strait Of Hormuz After Diplomatic Push By Modi GovtPak Claims India Developing 12,000 Km Range Missile After US Report Places Islamabad Alongside IranAsaduddin Owaisi Slams PM Modi Over Iran War Says India Lost Neutral Voice In Global Peace EffortsMoD Reveals India Exploring Joining GCAP Or FCAS Sixth Generation Fighter ProgrammePM Modi Speaks To Bahrain King, Condemns Attacks On Energy Infra, Stresses Secure Shipping RoutesTrump Sending Troops To Strait Of Hormuz?; ‘Iran Being Decimated’: Bibi Denies Dragging U.S Into WarDiplomacy In New Avatar: Why Vikram Doraiswami Picked Chinese Name Wei Jiameng As India’s New EnvoyHow Iran’s Attack on Qatar’s Ras Laffan Gas Hub Sparks India’s Energy EmergencyIndian National Killed In Riyadh, MEA Confirms Total 6 Dead, 1 Missing Amid Israel-Iran War123Photostories5 reasons why everyone is talking about Chile right nowFrom shopping, applying mehendi to preparing the last Iftar: Shoaib Ibrahim and Dipika Kakar share their Eid 2026 preparationsChallaghatta railway bridge: Bengaluru’s long-awaitedwest corridor nears completionHow to reverse fatty liver naturally without medication: Proven diet, weight loss, and lifestyle changes that work’Don 2,’ ‘Pathaan,’ ‘Jawan’: 8 Shah Rukh Khan films that prove he is the ultimate action hero6 living tiger subspecies and where you can see them in the wildTour of Sania Mirza’s ₹13 crore Hyderabad residence; a Greek-inspired luxury villa with personal styleMargot Robbie’s most stylish looks: From Barbiecore to timeless red carpet glamour5 tips to build confidence in your childTilak flyover expansion underway as Mumbai pushes to ease congestion on busy corridors123Hot PicksIran newsGautam SinghaniaStrait of HormuzGold rate todayIncome Tax CalculatorPublic holidays March 2026Bank Holidays MarchTop TrendingIga SwiatekAir India Boeing 77760% free seat ruleQatar LNG ExportsMojtaba KhameneiJames GraceySpring EquinoxDiesel price hike8th Pay CommissionPremium Petrol Price Hike
NEW DELHI: A parliamentary panel on water resources has expressed concern over the rising level of groundwater contamination across the country, and recommended that the govt make all out efforts towards mitigation in the most affected regions by using latest technologies, including AI/Machine Learning and best global practices.The panel, which submitted its report this week, also took note of heavy metal contamination, including uranium, lead and nitrate, detected in Delhi’s groundwater, and the serious health risks which it may pose. It referred to instances of contamination flagged by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) in its annual report in Nov last year.Though the panel appreciated corrective measures taken by the Jal Shakti ministry, it noted with concern the rising number of partially affected districts in terms of contamination of basic parameters like fluoride and nitrate in most states/UTs.The department of water resources, however, in its submission told the panel that groundwater contamination by heavy metals was “generally location-specific” and depended on local hydro-geological conditions and source pressures.“Therefore, exceedance at a monitoring location does not imply uniform contamination across the entire area,” it told the parliamentary standing committee on water resources headed by BJP Lok Sabha member Rajiv Pratap Rudy.When asked to provide a detailed note on groundwater contamination in India, its sources for contamination, and corrective measures taken in this regard, the department told the parliamentary committee that the groundwater monitoring is conducted by the respective state governments and the CGWB on a “regular basis”.“CGWB, at its level, conducts ground water quality monitoring through its network of around 17,000 monitoring stations spread throughout the country. The data so generated indicates that groundwater in India largely remains potable. However, occurrences of a few contaminants beyond permissible limits are reported in isolated pockets of some states and UTs. Reported contamination is both due to natural geogenic factors as well anthropogenic causes like rapid industrialisation, urbanisation, agricultural intensification etc.,” the department said in its response. The CGWB, in its report in Nov 2025, noted that groundwater quality across most parts of India, in general, was considered “good to excellent” but Rajasthan, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh faced “widespread contamination” and certain other states faced “localised contamination challenges”.The board’s report said arsenic contamination was a major concern in Ganga and Brahmaputra river basins while uranium contamination, although less widespread, was sporadically detected in parts of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.It attributed contamination to discharge of untreated industrial waste, excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides, improper waste disposal and sewage leakage in urban areas and over-extraction of groundwater.The CGWB’s report highlighted that exceeding trace metal concentrations in groundwater was of critical concern as it directly affected both human health and environmental safety. “Toxic metals such as arsenic, lead and uranium can cause severe neurological, skeletal, kidney and cancer-related problems, while elevated iron and manganese levels pose risks, especially to infants and children,” it said.
