Lok Sabha Question No. 691 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-02
Subject: Ground Water Pollution
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Pratima Mondal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI, DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 691

ANSWERED ON 02.12.2021

## GROUND WATER POLLUTION

## 691.        SHRIMATI PRATIMA MONDAL

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI 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

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## (SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU)

(a) & (b) Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) generates ground water quality data of the country on a regional scale as part of its ground water quality monitoring program and various scientific studies. These studies indicate the occurrence of contaminants such as Fluoride, Arsenic, Nitrate, Iron and Heavy Metals beyond permissible limits in various States / UTs. The ground water contamination is mostly geogenic in nature  and  does  not  show  significant  change  over  the  years.  However,  nitrate  contamination  is  mostly anthropogenic  and  its  spread  has  been  noticed  in  some  areas,  particularly  areas  adjoining  habitations. Further, nitrate contamination can also be caused by excessive use of fertilizers.

State-wise details of contamination of ground water in the country including rural areas are given at Annexure .

(c) Water being a State subject, initiatives on water management, including its quality is primarily States's responsibility; however, various steps have been taken by the Central Government for controlling ground water pollution in the country.

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in association with State Pollution Control Boards/Pollution  Control  Committees  (SPCBs/PCCs)  is  implementing  the  provisions  of  the  Water (Prevention  &  Control)  Act,  1974  and  the  Environment  (Protection)  Act,  1986  to  prevent  and  control pollution  in  water.  CPCB  has made a comprehensive programme on water pollution for controlling point

sources by developing industry specific standards and general standards for discharge of effluents notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for enforcement by SPCBs/PCCs.

This Department has issued guidelines for control and regulation of groundwater extraction with pan-India applicability notified on 24 September 2020 which include suitable provisions on measures to be adopted to ensure groundwater free from pollution.

Various  efforts  have  been  made  in  the  country  to  address  surface  water  pollution  (leading  to groundwater  pollution  at  places)  by  installing  Sewage  Treatment  Plants,  Effluent  Treatment  Plants  and better  system  of  sewage  networks  etc.  Further,  the  adverse  effects  of  the  groundwater  pollution  can  be addressed  to  a  large  extent  if  safe  water  is  made  available  to  public  for  which  central  Government  in partnership  with  States/UTs,  is  implementing  Jal  Jeevan  Mission  (JJM)  since  August,  2019  to  provide potable tap water supply of prescribed quality to every rural household in the country by 2024.

Further, the quality of groundwater can be improved to some extent if concerted efforts are made to  improve  the  groundwater  resources  through  appropriate  groundwater  recharge/rainwater  harvesting. Central Government  has  taken  a  number  of  initiatives in this direction which  can  be seen at URL:http://jalshakti-dowr.gov.in/sites/default/files/Steps\_to\_control\_water\_depletion\_Feb2021.pdf.

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## Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) & (b) of Unstarred Question No. 691 answered in Lok Sabha on 02.12.2021 regarding 'Ground Water Pollution'.

## States Wise Number of Partly Affected Districts with different Contaminants in Ground Water of India.

| S. No.   | State/ UT        | Salinity (EC above 3000 micro mhos/ cm) (EC: Electrical Conductivity)   | Fluoride (above 1.5 mg/l)                | Nitrate (above 45 mg/l)                  | Arsenic (above 0.01 mg/l)                | Iron (above 1mg/l)                       | Lead (above 0.01 mg/l)                   | Cadmium (above 0.003 mg/l)              | Chromium (above 0.05 mg/l)               |
|----------|------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
| 1        | Andhra           | 12                                                                      | 12                                       | 13                                       | 3                                        | 7                                        |                                          |                                         |                                          |
| 2        | Telangana        | 8                                                                       | 10                                       | 10                                       | 1                                        | 8                                        | 2                                        | 1                                       | 1                                        |
| 3        | Assam            |                                                                         | 9                                        |                                          | 19                                       | 18                                       |                                          |                                         |                                          |
| 4        | Arunachal        |                                                                         |                                          |                                          |                                          | 4                                        |                                          |                                         |                                          |
| 5        | Bihar            |                                                                         | 13                                       | 10                                       | 24                                       | 19                                       |                                          |                                         |                                          |
| 6        | Chhattisgarh     | 1                                                                       | 19                                       | 12                                       | 1                                        | 17                                       | 1                                        | 1                                       | 1                                        |
| 7        |                  | 7                                                                       | 7                                        | 8                                        | 2                                        |                                          | 3                                        | 1                                       | 4                                        |
| 8        | Delhi Goa        |                                                                         |                                          |                                          |                                          | 2                                        |                                          |                                         |                                          |
| 9        | Gujarat          | 21                                                                      | 22                                       | 24                                       | 12                                       | 10                                       |                                          |                                         |                                          |
| 10       | Haryana          | 18                                                                      | 21                                       | 21                                       | 15                                       | 17                                       | 17                                       | 7                                       | 1                                        |
| 11       | Himachal         |                                                                         |                                          | 6                                        | 1                                        |                                          |                                          |                                         |                                          |
| 12       | Jammu& Kashmir   |                                                                         | 2                                        | 6                                        | 3                                        | 9                                        | 3                                        | 1                                       |                                          |
| 13       | Jharkhand        |                                                                         | 12                                       | 11                                       | 2                                        | 6                                        | 1                                        |                                         |                                          |
| 14       | Karnataka        | 29                                                                      | 30                                       | 29                                       | 2                                        | 22                                       |                                          |                                         |                                          |
| 15       | Kerala           | 4                                                                       | 5                                        | 11                                       |                                          | 14                                       | 2                                        |                                         | 1                                        |
| 16       | Madhya           | 18                                                                      | 43                                       | 51                                       | 8                                        | 41                                       | 16                                       |                                         |                                          |
| 17       | Maharashtra      | 25                                                                      | 17                                       | 30                                       |                                          | 20                                       | 19                                       |                                         |                                          |
| 18       | Manipur          |                                                                         | 1                                        |                                          | 2                                        | 4                                        |                                          |                                         |                                          |
| 19       | Meghalaya        |                                                                         | 1                                        |                                          |                                          | 6                                        |                                          |                                         |                                          |
| 20       | Nagaland         |                                                                         | 1                                        |                                          |                                          | 1                                        |                                          |                                         |                                          |
| 21       | Odisha           | 17                                                                      | 26                                       | 28                                       | 1                                        | 30                                       |                                          |                                         | 1                                        |
| 22       | Punjab           | 10                                                                      | 19                                       | 21                                       | 10                                       | 9                                        | 6                                        | 8                                       | 10                                       |
| 23       | Rajasthan        | 30                                                                      | 33                                       | 33                                       | 1                                        | 33                                       | 3                                        |                                         |                                          |
| 24       | Tamil Nadu       | 28                                                                      | 25                                       | 29                                       | 9                                        | 2                                        | 3                                        | 1                                       | 5                                        |
| 25       | Tripura          |                                                                         |                                          |                                          |                                          | 4                                        |                                          |                                         |                                          |
| 26       | Uttar Pradesh    | 13                                                                      | 34                                       | 59                                       | 28                                       | 15                                       | 10                                       | 2                                       | 3                                        |
| 27       | Uttarakhand      |                                                                         |                                          | 4                                        |                                          | 5                                        |                                          |                                         |                                          |
| 28       | West Bengal      | 6                                                                       | 8                                        | 5                                        | 9                                        | 16                                       | 6                                        | 2                                       | 2                                        |
| 29       | Andaman& Nicobar | 1                                                                       |                                          |                                          |                                          | 2                                        |                                          |                                         |                                          |
| 30       | Daman &Diu       | 1                                                                       |                                          | 1                                        | 1                                        |                                          |                                          |                                         |                                          |
| 31       | Puducherry       |                                                                         |                                          | 1                                        |                                          |                                          |                                          |                                         |                                          |
|          | Total            | Parts of 249 districts in 18 states &UTs                                | Parts of 370 districts in 23 states& UTs | Parts of 423 districts in 23 states &UTs | Parts of 154 districts in 21 states& UTs | Parts of 341 districts in 27 states &UTs | Pb in parts of 92 districts in 14 states | Cd in parts of 24 districts in 9 states | Cr in parts of 29 districts in 10 states |

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