Lok Sabha Question No. 1125 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-08
Subject: Ground Water Pollution
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: KANWAR SINGH TANWAR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1125

TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.02.2019

## Ground Water Pollution

## 1125.   SHRI KANWAR SINGH TANWAR:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether indiscriminate use of chemicals and fertilizers during the last three years is a major cause of rapidly increasing ground water pollution in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the steps taken by the Government to check the pollution of the ground water during the last three years?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

(a) & (b)  According to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), the ground water available in the country in general is potable and suitable for various usages. However, localized occurrence of ground water having various chemical constituents in excess of the limits prescribed for drinking water use has been observed in some states. The commonly observed contaminants such as, Arsenic, Fluoride and Iron are geogenic,  whereas  contaminants  such as, nitrates, phosphates,  heavy  metals etc. are anthropogenic i.e. owe  their origin to various human  activities including domestic wastewater, agriculture run-off, etc.    Based  on  monitoring  results  carried  out  during  20152017,  the  pesticide  levels  have  been  observed  to  be  either  below  detection  limit  or  not detected  at  most  of  the  ground  water  monitoring  locations.  Non-conformity  has  been observed  at  1  location  in  West  Bengal,  6  locations  in  Daman  &  Diu  and  Dadra  &  Nagar Haveli. The non-conformity with respect to heavy metals has been observed at 182 locations out  of  807  locations  monitored  throughout  the  country  during  2015-2017  .  The  details  are given in Annexure .

(c ) The steps taken by the Government to check the pollution of the ground water, inter alia , include  carrying  out  water  quality    monitoring  under  National  Water  Quality  Monitoring Programme (NWMP) at 3500 locations including monitoring of Ground water resources  in association with State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) ; formulation and notification of standards for effluents from industries, operations or processes;  enforcing  of  these  standards  by  SPCBs/  PCCs  through  consent  mechanism  and regular  monitoring;  installation  of  Online  Effluent  Monitoring  System  for  17  categories  of industries and Grossly Polluting Industries in Ganga Basin to help to track the discharges of pollutants  from  these  units  ;  issuance  of  directions  under  Section  5  of  Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, under Section 18(1)(b) of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and  Air ( Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1981; etc.

In addition, CGWB undertakes construction of wells for exploration of ground water and successful  contamination-free  wells  are  handed  over  to  the  State  Governments  for  gainful utilization.  They  also  undertake  awareness  generation  programmes/  workshop  on  various aspects of ground water including preventing ground water pollution.

*********

## Annexure referred in reply to the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1125 due for answer on 08.02.2019 regarding 'Ground Water Pollution'

## State-wise no. of non-conformity locations with respect to  Heavy metals

| State Name                        | Arsenic   | Cadmium   | Lead   | Copper   | Total Chromium   | Nickel   | Zinc   | Mercury   | Iron total   |
|-----------------------------------|-----------|-----------|--------|----------|------------------|----------|--------|-----------|--------------|
| Andhra Pradesh                    | -         | 2         | 7      | -        | -                | -        | -      | -         | NA           |
| Assam                             | -         | 2         | 10     | -        | -                | 4        | -      | -         | 6            |
| Bihar                             | -         | -         | -      | -        | -                | -        | -      | -         | NA           |
| Chhattisgarh                      | -         | -         | -      | -        | -                | -        | -      | -         | NA           |
| Chandigarh                        | 5         | 5         | 5      | 5        | -                | 5        | -      | -         | 5            |
| Daman & Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli | -         |           | -      | -        | -                | 1        | -      | -         | 6            |
| Goa                               | -         | -         | -      | 2        | -                | 8        | -      | -         | 9            |
| Gujarat                           | -         | 3         | 5      | 3        | 1                | 1        | -      | 1         | 1            |
| Himachal Pradesh                  | -         | -         | -      | -        | -                | -        | -      | -         | 1            |
| Jammu & Kashmir                   | -         | -         | -      | -        | -                | -        | -      | -         | NA           |
| Lakshadweep                       | -         | -         | -      | -        | -                | -        | -      | -         | NA           |
| Karnataka                         | -         | -         | -      | -        | -                | -        | 9      | -         | 19           |
| Kerala                            | -         | -         | 3      | 1        | 3                | -        | -      | -         | 3            |
| Madhya Pradesh                    | -         | 5         | 5      | 16       | 7                | 10       | -      | 3         | 15           |
| Maharashtra                       | -         | -         | -      | -        | -                | -        | 3      | -         | 7            |
| Meghalaya                         | -         | -         | -      | -        | -                | 8        | -      | -         | 6            |
| Mizoram                           | -         | -         | -      | -        | -                | -        | -      | -         | NA           |
| Nagaland                          | -         | -         | 3      | -        | 2                | -        | -      | 4         | 25           |
| Odisha                            | 4         |           | 2      | 17       | -                | 2        | -      | -         | 6            |
| Puducherry                        | 2         |           | -      | -        | -                | -        | -      | -         | 7            |
| Punjab                            |           |           | 3      | -        | 1                | 5        | 1      | -         | 11           |
| Rajasthan                         |           |           | 9      | 1        | -                | -        | -      | -         | NA           |
| Punjab                            |           |           | -      | -        | -                | -        | -      | -         | NA           |
| Tamil Nadu                        | 1         | 1         | 1      | 1        | 1                | 1        | 1      | 1         | 1            |
| Telangana                         |           |           | 5      | -        | -                | -        | -      | -         | 17           |
| Tripura                           |           | 1         | 11     | 6        | -                | 15       | -      | -         | 22           |
| Uttar Pradesh                     | 3         |           | 8      | 4        | -                | 6        | -      | -         | 15           |
| West Bengal                       |           |           | -      | -        | -                | -        | -      | -         |              |
| TOTAL                             | 15        | 19        | 77     | 56       | 15               | 66       | 14     | 9         | 182          |