File report with steps taken to curb groundwater pollution, CGWA told

Gurgaon: The National Green Tribunal last week directed the Central Groundwater Authority (CGWA) to submit another report, a second one, on “ground-level action” taken to counter arsenic and fluoride contamination across the country.
The order came after a report by the central govt stated excess arsenic was detected in groundwater across 230 districts in 25 states, and fluoride in 469 districts across 27 states.In Haryana, groundwater contamination was detected in 20 districts.
The Union minister of state for Jal Shakti later confirmed these findings in the Rajya Sabha in December 2023.
Taking it up as a suo-motu (on its own) case, NGT had asked CGWA to submit a report the same month. On CGWA’s first submission on the groundwater situation in several states, the tribunal said last week that the report was “theoretical” and “general in nature”.
“No concrete steps have been reflected in the report by the CGWA disclosing the action taken to remediate the problem…” the bench of chairperson Prakash Shrivastava, judicial magistrate Sudhir Agarwal and expert member Dr A Senthil Vel said.
It then directed the groundwater authority to submit a fresh report within six weeks, and all states and UTs have to file their responses in the same timeframe. The next hearing is scheduled for April 26.
CGWA, in Dec 2023, had told NGT that excess arsenic (more than 0.01 mg/L) was found in groundwater samples from Ambala, Bhiwani, Faridabad, Fatehabad, Hisar, Jhajjar, Jind, Karnal, Panipat, Rohtak, Sirsa, Sonipat, Yamunanagar, Mahendergarh, Palwal, Panchkula, Rewari and Kaithal.
Similarly, excess fluoride (>1.5mg/L) in groundwater was detected across Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ambala, Bhiwani, Fatehabad, Hisar, Jhajjar, Jind, Kaithal, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Mahendergarh, Panchkula, Palwal, Panipat, Rewari, Rohtak, Sirsa, Sonipat, Yamunanagar and Nuh.
Asked about the tribunal’s order, a CWGA official said on Sunday that the authority will “submit a report soon” based on the directions.
Long exposure to arsenic can lead to skin lesions and cancer. Excess fluoride can affect teeth and bones, and can potentially cause arthritis, cancer, brain damage and Alzheimer’s disease.
Environmentalists say “unmindful mining of groundwater” leads to contamination. “The challenge lies in the lack of visible changes in water colour or smell, making it difficult for people to recognise the associated risks of contaminated groundwater. Water quality monitoring, source diversification, treatment like nanofiltration, rainwater harvesting and safe storage, awareness programmes and a strong regulatory framework are some of the ways the problem can be managed,” said Dr Fawzia Tarannum, national coordinator for water at The Climate Reality Project (India and South Asia).
Dr Tushar Tayal, consultant at the department of internal medicine in CK Birla Hospital, said people can mitigate health effects of contaminated groundwater by including drumsticks or moringa plants in their diet.
“Fluoride is essential for health, but in excess, it affects the bones, teeth, skeletal muscles and the nervous system. In severe cases, it promotes cancer and can have adverse effects on the cardiovascular system. It also promotes kidney stones, leads to impaired fertility and causes gastrointestinal issues. Exposure to high levels of arsenic increases the risk of skin diseases, several cancers (kidney, lung, bladder and liver), and cardiovascular, respiratory and neurological diseases along with diabetes and obesity,” Dr Tayal said.