Groundwater Contamination: Annual Groundwater Quality Report 2024

Context

The Annual Groundwater Quality Report 2024, released recently by the Central Groundwater Board, highlights alarming levels of contamination in groundwater across the country.

Findings of the Report

• Nitrate Contamination: 20% of samples exceeded the permissible limit for nitrate.
• Fluoride Contamination: 9.04% of samples had fluoride levels above the limit.
• Arsenic Contamination: Found in 3.55% of samples, especially in the Ganga-Brahmaputra floodplains.
• Contamination hotspots: Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, and Andhra Pradesh.
• States like Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, and Meghalaya had 100% compliance with Bureau of Indian Standards norms.

Reasons for Groundwater Contamination

• Natural Factors: Natural leaching of minerals into aquifers.
• Anthropogenic Factors:
  • Overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides (e.g., Punjab).
  • Agricultural runoff leading to nitrate contamination.
  • Industrial discharge and untreated sewage.
  • Unregulated mining activities.
  • Presence of microplastics in urban areas.
  • Over-extraction leading to salinity and seawater intrusion in coastal regions.
• Urban Groundwater Issues: Microbial contamination due to improper waste management.

Impacts of Groundwater Contamination

• Public Health Hazards
  • Contaminants like nitrates, arsenic, and fluoride cause severe health issues:
    • Nitrate contamination can lead to methemoglobinemia (blue baby syndrome).
    • Arsenic exposure causes skin lesions, cancer, and neurological disorders.
    • Excessive fluoride results in dental and skeletal fluorosis.
  • Microbial contamination increases the spread of waterborne diseases like diarrhea and cholera.
• Agricultural Productivity Decline
  • Contaminated groundwater affects soil fertility and reduces crop yields.
  • Harmful substances absorbed by crops enter the food chain, impacting food safety.
  • In coastal regions, salinity due to seawater intrusion reduces the productivity of agricultural land.
• Economic Losses
  • Healthcare costs rise due to diseases caused by polluted groundwater.
  • Declining agricultural yields lead to financial losses for farmers.
  • Increased costs for industries and households to treat water before use.
• Ecosystem Degradation
  • Contaminants harm aquatic ecosystems as polluted groundwater often discharges into lakes, rivers, and wetlands.
  • Soil degradation due to toxic substances affects biodiversity and plant life.
• Social and Equity Issues
  • Rural communities, dependent on groundwater, face severe hardships due to contamination.
  • Inequities arise as only wealthier households can afford water purification systems.
  • Migration may increase as people move away from regions with poor water quality.
• Reduced Availability of Safe Drinking Water
  • Groundwater contamination decreases access to potable water, especially in rural and urban areas reliant on it.
  • Excessive extraction of contaminated groundwater exacerbates water scarcity issues.

Solutions to Address Groundwater Contamination

• Improved Water Management:
  • Promote sustainable agricultural practices.
  • Use low-cost water filtration techniques for poor households.
  • Recharge aquifers artificially.
  • Provide proper sewage disposal systems.
• Policy Interventions: Central schemes like Atal Bhujal Yojana and state programs like Tamil Nadu’s rainwater harvesting.
  • Arsenic-mitigation programs in West Bengal.
• Community Participation: Enable local institutions and communities to make decisions regarding groundwater management.
• Technological Measures: Establish hydrogeological monitoring networks.
  • Form water security plans at the gram-panchayat level.
• Awareness and Regulation:
  • Launch public-awareness drives.
  • Install water meters and formalize rights to groundwater access.
  • Enforce groundwater rights detached from land ownership.

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