Lok Sabha Question No. 2521 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-03
Subject: Mapping of Uranium Contaminated Areas
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Sangeeta Azad

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2521

ANSWERED ON 03.08.2023

## MAPPING OF URANIUM CONTAMINATED AREAS

## 2521. SHRIMATI SANGEETA AZAD

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a)  whether the Government has conducted a study to map areas with uranium contaminated ground water in the country;

(b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;

(c) the remedial action plan being prepared by the Government in Uranium contaminated areas;

(d) whether uranium mining project of Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) at Tummalapalle in Andhra Pradesh has caused ground water pollution and if so, the details thereof;

(e) whether the Government has paid adequate compensation for damage caused to borewells and crops due to uranium mining at Tummalapalle; and

(f) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU )

(a) & (b) Water being State subject, study on groundwater quality and making available safe water to public falls under States' mandate.  Further, Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) generates ground water  quality  data  on  a  regional  scale  during  various  scientific  studies  and  ground  water  quality monitoring throughout the country. These studies indicate the occurrence of Uranium beyond the BIS permissible limits in isolated pockets in certain parts of the country. The State-wise details of districts (isolated pockets) affected by Uranium contamination of ground water are given at Annexure .

(c) Water being a State subject, initiatives for water management, including its quality is primarily the responsibility of the States. Government of India, in partnership with States, is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) - Har Ghar Jal since August, 2019 to make provision of potable tap water supply in adequate quantity, of prescribed quality and on regular and long-term basis to every rural household by 2024. In addition, under JJM, while allocating the funds to States/ UTs, 10% weightage is given to the population residing in habitations affected by chemical contaminants including heavy metals and while planning  for  potable  water  supply  to  household  through  tap  connection,  priority  is  to  be  given  to quality-affected habitations. Further, States/UTs have been advised to plan piped water supply schemes of bulk water transfer based on safe water sources.

Ministry  of  Housing  and  Urban  Affairs  (MoH&UA)  through  Atal Mission  for Rejuvenation  and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) is supplementing the efforts of State Government to provide safe and clean drinking water in urban areas. AMRUT was launched on June 25, 2015, in 500 selected cities across the country covering around 60% of the urban population.

Data on ground water quality, including contamination by Uranium, available with CGWB have been put in public domain through reports as well as through the web-site (http://www.cgwb.gov.in) for use  by  various  stakeholders.  The  data  is  also  shared  with  concerned  State  Governments  for  taking necessary remedial measures.

(d) As  per  Department  of  Atomic  Energy  (DoAE),  hydrogeological  and  stable  isotope  tracer investigations carried out in the groundwater around the Tummalapalle uranium mining project have confirmed that there is no association between uranium mining industry and elevated uranium levels in ground water. The Uranium occurrence is natural which has been confirmed from the investigations.

(e)  &  (f) As  per  DoAE,  it  has  been  established  by  the  scientific  investigations  that  no  damage  is caused to borewells and crops due to UCIL operations at Tummalapalle. Hence, there is no question of payment of any compensation in this regard.

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) & (b) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2521  TO BE  ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 03.08.2023 REGDARDING 'MAPPING OF URANIUM CONTAMINATED AREAS'.

## The details of districts (isolated pockets) affected with Uranium in various States

|   Sl No | State            | Districts affected with Uranium (> 30ppb) at isolated places                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
|---------|------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|       1 | Andhra Pradesh   | Ananthapur, Chittoor, Guntur, Kadapa, East Godavari, Krishna, Kurnool, Prakasam                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
|       2 | Bihar            | Saran, Bhabhua, Khagaria, Madhepura, Nawada, Sheikhpura, Purnea, Kisanganj, Begusarai, Vaishali                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
|       3 | Chhattisgarh     | Bilaspur, Jashpur, Kanker, Korba                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
|       4 | Delhi            | North West District, South West District, West District, North District                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|       5 | Gujarat          | Dohad, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Patan, Botad                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
|       6 | Haryana          | Ambala, Bhiwani, Faridabad, Fatehabad, Gurugram, Hissar, Jhajjar, Jind, Kaithal, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Mahendergarh, Palwal, Panipat, Rohtak, Sirsa, Sonipat, Yamuna Nagar, Rewari                                                                                                                                                                                       |
|       7 | Himachal Pradesh | Mandi                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
|       8 | Jharkhand        | Godda, Koderma, Latehar, Palamau                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
|       9 | Karnataka        | Bangalore Rural, Bangalore Urban, Bellary, Gulbarga, Kolar, Mandya, Raichur, Tumkur                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
|      10 | Madhya Pradesh   | Balaghat, Betul, Chhatarpur, Datia, Gwalior, Jhabua, Panna, Raisen, Seoni, Shivpuri, Bhind, Sagar                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
|      11 | Maharashtra      | Bhandara, Gondia, Nagpur                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
|      12 | Odisha           | Angul, Dhenkanal, Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Bolangir                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
|      13 | Punjab           | Bathinda, Moga, Faridkot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ropar, Ludhiana, Muktsar, Pathankot, Patiala, Sangrur, SAS Nagar, Amritsar, Barnala, Mansa, Tarn Taran                                                                                                                                                                |
|      14 | Rajasthan        | Ajmer, Alwar, Banswara, Barmer, Bhilwara, Bikaner, Bundi, Chittaurgarh, Churu, Dausa, Ganganagar, Jaipur, Jalore, Jodhpur, Karauli, Nagaur, Pratapgarh, Rajsamand, Sawai Madhopur, Tonk, Udaipur, Dhaulpur, Hanumangarh, Jaisalmer, Jhunjhunu, Pali, Sikar, Sirohi                                                                                                      |
|      15 | Tamil Nadu       | Dindigul, Erode, Krishnagiri, Madurai, Mamakkal, Ramnathapuram, Salem, Thiruvannamalai, Tirupur, Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Tuticorin, Virudhnagar, Vellore                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
|      16 | Telangana        | Adilabad, Hyderabad, Mahabubnagar, Medak, Nalgonda, RangaReddy                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
|      17 | Uttar Pradesh    | Aligarh, Azamgarh, Bijnaur, Badaun, Bulandshaher, Deoria, Farrikhabad, Fatehpur, G.B.Nagar, Ghaziabad, Ghazipur, Hardoi, Hathras, J P Nagar, Kanpur Nagar, Mainpuri, Mathura, Pratapgarh, Raebarelli, Sultanpur, Unnao, Agra, Auraiya, Baghpat, Chandauli, Etah, Firozabad, Jaunpur, Kanpur Dehat, Mahoba, Muzaffarnagar, Allahabad, Saharanpur, Shahjahanpur, Varanasi |
|      18 | West Bengal      | Malda                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |

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