Lok Sabha Question No. 738 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-24
Subject: Groundwater Contamination in Bihar
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Dr. Mohammad Jawed

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 738

ANSWERED ON 24.07.2025

## GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION IN BIHAR

738.   DR. MOHAMMAD JAWED

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the contamination of groundwater in the Kishanganj region of Bihar allegedly caused by mining activities and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the specific measures taken by the Government to assess and mitigate the impact of this groundwater contamination;
- (c) the details of potential health risks identified for the local population due to the contaminated water and the steps being taken to address these risks; and

(d) the extent to which the contamination has impacted agriculture and farming in the affected areas along with the remedial actions initiated to support local farmers?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI

## ( SHRI RAJ BHUSHAN CHOUDHARY )

(a) Central  Ground  Water  Board  (CGWB)  generates  ground  water  quality  data  of  the  entire  country including Kishanganj, Bihar on a regional scale as part of its ground water quality monitoring program and various scientific studies. The data on ground water quality for Bihar indicates that the ground water in the state  remains  largely  potable.  However,  localized  occurrence  of  certain  contaminants,  including  Nitrates, Iron, Manganese etc, beyond the limits prescribed for drinking water use has been reported in some isolated pockets of the Kishanganj area, in the analysis conducted during 2024.

(b) Water  is  a  state subject and  the  responsibility of taking  initiatives  to  mitigate  ground  water contamination  and  to  provide  safe  drinking  water  to  citizens  lies  primarily  with  the  state  governments. However, to complement the efforts of the state governments, several steps have been taken by the Central Government to address these issues across the country, including the state of Bihar. Some of the important ones are mentioned below:-

- i. The ground water quality data generated by CGWB is regularly disseminated through Annual Reports, Half-yearly Bulletins and Fortnightly Alerts for quick action by the stakeholders.
- ii. In  order  to  enhance  monitoring  efficiency,  a  new  Standard  Operating  Procedure  (SoP)  for Groundwater Quality Monitoring has been adopted by CGWB, which stipulates more frequent

and  denser  sampling,  particularly  in  vulnerable  areas,  to  ensure  a  more  comprehensive assessment of groundwater quality.

- iii. Under the National Aquifer Mapping Programme (NAQUIM) of CGWB, while taking up aquifer studies,  special  attention  is  being  given  to  the  aspect  of  ground  water  quality  including contamination by toxic substances in ground water.
- iv. The ground water pollution also owes its origin to contamination of surface water sources for which various efforts have been made in the country like installing Sewage Treatment Plants, Effluent Treatment Plants and better system of sewage networks etc. Under National Mission for Clean  Ganga  (NMCG),  the  government  has  initiated  several  steps  for  improving  the  water quality along the river Ganga and its tributaries, which also covers the area of Bihar.
- v. 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.

(c) Long term consumption of ground water having contaminants above the permissible norms is known to  cause  several  adverse  health  impacts  like  Arsenicosis,  Fluorosis,  diseases  of  lungs,  kidneys  and  some types  of  cancers.   Government  of  India,  is  implementing  Jal  Jeevan  Mission  (JJM)  -  Har  Ghar  Jal,  in partnership with states for providing contamination free potable tap water to every rural household of the country in adequate quantity, of prescribed quality and on regular & long-term basis. Following measures have been taken under JJM to facilitate action on water quality aspects at state level including in Bihar :-

-  Water safety has been one of the key priorities under the JJM since its inception. Under the JJM, Bureau of  Indian  Standards'  BIS:10500  standards  have  been  adopted  as  prescribed  norms  for quality of tap water service delivery.
-  While allocating the funds to States/ UTs, 10% weightage is given to the population residing in habitations affected by chemical contaminants.
-  The  'Drinking  Water  Quality  Monitoring  &  Surveillance  Framework'  was  devised  and disseminated to states in October 2021.
-  To  facilitate  implementation  of  the  above  said  Framework,  around  2180  water  quality  testing laboratories  have  been  set  up  in  the  country  with  123  in  Bihar.  Besides  this,  five  persons, preferably  women  are  identified  and  trained  from  every  village  for  testing  the  water  samples through  Field  Test  Kits  (FTKs).  States/UTs  have  been  advised  to  carry  out  testing  of  water

quality on a regular basis and take remedial action wherever necessary to ensure that the water supplied to households is of prescribed quality.

-  States/ UTs have also been advised to install community water purification plants (CWPPs) as an interim measure, especially in quality affected habitations, to provide potable drinking water to every household.
-  As informed by Public Health Engineering Department, Bihar, to mitigate the impact of ground water contamination, under "Har Ghar Nal Ka Jal" yojana, 2325 water supply schemes have been established  with  Suitable  WTP/IRP  (Water  Treatment  Plants/Iron  Removal  Plants)  in  all  the 1769 wards of the district. Through these water supply schemes, pure drinking water is being supplied to all the household of the district by providing tap water connection.

(d) The Government is striving to make adequate water of appropriate quality available for agricultural and domestic needs across the country, including in Kishanganj, Bihar, by resorting to extensive construction of artificial  recharge,  rainwater  harvesting  and  other  water  conservation  structures  and  revival  of  traditional and existing water bodies. Towards this end, several schemes and programmes are ongoing in the country.

In order to boost their impact through convergence, Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) is being implemented by this Ministry, including in Bihar since 2019, which is a mission mode and time bound programme for harvesting the rainfall and taking up water conservation activities The Government of Bihar, on its part, is implementing Jal Jeevan Hariyali Scheme with similar objectives.

Additionally,  this  Ministry is  promoting  conjunctive  use  of  surface  water  and  groundwater  and  to reduce over-dependence on groundwater, surface water based Major and Medium irrigation projects have been  taken  up  in  the  country  under  PMKSY-AIBP  scheme  in  collaboration  with  States/UTs,  including Bihar.

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