Lok Sabha Question No. 499 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-07-25
Subject: Pollution in Ground Water
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Charanjit Singh Channi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI

## DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 499

ANSWERED ON 25.07.2024

## POLLUTION IN GROUND WATER

## 499. SHRI CHARANJIT SINGH CHANNI

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Ministry has any data regarding the Anthropogenic pollutants and heavy metals found in ground water in Punjab during the last five years and if so, the details thereof;

(b)  whether  the  Ministry  has  any  data  regarding  the  deaths  of  people  in  Punjab  caused  by  such pollutants in last five years and if so, the details thereof, gender-wise; and

(c) whether the Ministry has taken any steps to mitigate the pollutants and restore the quality of ground water and if so, the details thereof?

## 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 country including Punjab on a regional scale as part of its ground water quality monitoring program and various scientific studies. Anthropogenic pollutants and heavy metals like Nitrate, Iron, Arsenic, Selenium, Chromium, Manganese, Nickel, Cadmium, Lead and Uranium beyond permissible limits (as per BIS) for human consumption  have  been  reported  in  isolated  pockets  in  Punjab.  The  details  are  given  in Annexure . Further,  the  Central  Pollution  Control  Board(CPCB)  monitors  water  quality  through  its  network  of approximately  1200  specific  station  locations  throughout  the  country  (with  46  locations  in  Punjab) under National Water Quality Monitoring Programme (NWMP) except Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Arunachal  Pradesh  and  Sikkim  on  a  half  yearly  frequency.  Under  NWMP,  Groundwater  quality monitoring  stations  were  selected  considering  the  criteria  such  as  Drinking  water  sources  located  in sanitary conditions and prone to sewage contamination; tubewells, hand pumps or dug-wells located in industrial areas prone to contamination; as well as groundwater sources in residential areas. The ground water contamination reported by CPCB are mostly anthropogenic in nature. Year-wise and state-wise water quality data under NWMP can be accessed @ https://cpcb.nic.in/nwmp-data/

(b) As per the information received from M/o Health & Family Welfare, no specific data regarding deaths of people in Punjab caused by ground water pollution is available.

(c) Water being a State subject, sustainable development and management of groundwater resources, including  the  quality  aspect  is  primarily  the  responsibility  of  the  State  Governments.  However,  the

Central Government facilitates the efforts of the State Governments including Punjab through technical and financial assistance through its various schemes and projects. In this direction, the important steps taken by the Ministry of Jal Shakti and other central ministries are given below:-

-  Data  on  ground  water  quality  available  with  CGWB  are  made  available  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.
-  CGWB constructs wells for Exploration of Ground Water. Successful contamination- free wells are handed over to the State Governments for gainful utilization.
-  Under the National Aquifer Mapping Programme (NAQUIM) of CGWB, special attention is being given to the aspect of ground water quality including contamination by toxic substances such  as  Arsenic  in  ground  water.  CGWB  is  successfully  constructing  Arsenic  free  wells  in arsenic  affected  areas  using  the  cement  sealing  technology  for  tapping  contamination  free aquifers and also providing technical assistance to state departments in Fluoride mitigation.
-  CPCB has made a comprehensive programme on water pollution for controlling point sources, the main components of which are developing industry specific standards and general standards for discharge of effluents notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Govt. of India to be enforced by the SPCBs / PCCs through consent mechanism; Establishment of Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) for cluster  of  Small  Scale  Industries;  Installation  of  Online  Continuous  Effluent  Monitoring Systems  (OCEMS)  by  Grossly  Polluting  Industries  for  getting  real  time  information  on  the effluent quality etc.
-  Government  of  India,  in  partnership  with  States,  is  implementing  Jal  Jeevan  Mission  (JJM) since August, 2019 to provide potable tap water supply of prescribed quality and on regular & long  term  basis  to  every  rural  household  in  the  country.  Under  JJM,  while  planning  water supply schemes to provide tap water supply to house-holds, priority is given to quality-affected habitations.  While  allocating  the  funds  to  States/  UTs  in  a  particular  financial  year,  10% weightage is given to the population residing in habitations affected by chemical contaminants.
-  Awareness  generation  programs/  workshop  on  various  aspects  of  ground  water  including preventing ground water pollution and safe use of contaminated water are being conducted by CGWB periodically.
-  Since ground water is the predominant source used for drinking and since its quality is found to deteriorate when drawn from greater depths, Ministry of Jal Shakti and other central ministries are  implementing  several  programmes  for  recharging  ground  water  and  water  conservation which  are  expected  to  improve  the  underground  water  table,  thus  improving  the  quality  of ground  water.  Some  of  such  programmes  are  Jal  Shakti  Abhiyan,  Amrut  Sarovar  Mission, MNREGS, PMKSY-WDC etc.
-  In  addition  to  these  schemes,  Master  Plan  for  Artificial  Recharge  to  Groundwater-  2020  has been prepared by CGWB in consultation with States/UTs which is a macro level plan indicating various structures for the different terrain conditions of the country including estimated cost. In Punjab,  Master  plan  envisages  about  11  Lakh  Rain  water  harvesting  and  artificial  recharge structures to harness about 1200 Million Cubic Meter (MCM) of rain-water. The plan has been shared with the state Government which is devising suitable action plan for its implementation in select priority areas.

Complementary to the above, the important steps taken by the  Government of Punjab for improving quality of ground water in the State of Punjab are-

1. The  Punjab  Water  Resources  Regulation  and  Development  Authority  (PWRDA)  has  been established  under  section  3  of  Punjab  Water  Resources  (Management  and  Regulation)  Act, 2020 Act. The Authority will ensure conservation, management and regulation of water in the State in accordance with the Integrated State Water Plan (ISWP).This plan includes measures for  improving  water  quality,  ensuring  sustainable  use,  and  enhancing  overall  water  resource management in Punjab.
2. In the state of Punjab, 30 canal-based recharge schemes are currently operational, and work for the  construction  of  189  additional  recharge  schemes  has  been  approved.  These  initiatives  are designed to enhance groundwater recharge and contribute to the improvement of groundwater quality by promoting the natural filtration of water.

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## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 499 TO  BE  ANSWERED  IN  LOK  SABHA  ON  25.07.2024  REGARDING  'POLLUTION  IN GROUND WATER'.

## Year wise details of contaminants above BIS permissible limit in ground water of Punjab from 2019 to 2023

| Year                           | Nit rate (>45 mg/L)          | Chro mium (>0.05 mg/L)        | Mang anese (>0.3 mg/L) Iron (>1.00 mg/L)   | Nickel (>0.02 mg/L)         | Arse nic (>10 µg/L)           | Sele nium (>10 µg/L)                     | Cadm ium (>3.00 µg/L)                     | Lead (>10 µg/L)                                              |   Uran ium (>30 µg/L) |
|--------------------------------|------------------------------|-------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|-------------------------------|------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------|
| 23.18% (70 out of 302 samples) | 0.66% (2 out of 302 samples) | 5.3% (16 out of 302 samples)  | 3.97% (12 out of 302 samples)              | 0% (0 out of 302 samples)   | 5.96% (18 out of 302 samples) | 0.66% (2 out of 302 samples) (0 samples) | 0% out of 302 1.0% (3 out of 302 samples) | 24.17% (73 out of 302 samples)                               |                  2019 |
| 31.0% (100 out of 323 samples) | 0% (0 out of 323 samples)    | 9.0% (29 out of 323 samples)  | 4.64% (15 out of 323 samples)              | 0% (0 out of 323 samples)   | 5.57% (18 out of 323 samples) | 0% (0 out of 323 samples) (0             | 0% out of 323 samples) (5                 | 1.5% out of 323 samples) 31.58% (102 out of 323 samples)     |                  2020 |
| 22.4% (74 out of 330 samples)  | 0.30% (1 out of 328 samples) | 7.0% (23 out of 328 samples)  | 5.18% (17 out of 328 samples)              | 0% (0 out of 328 samples)   | 5.18% (17 out of 328 samples) | 0% (0 out of 328 samples)                | 0% (0 out of 328 samples)                 | 1.2% (4 out of 328 samples) 28.96% (95 out of 328 samples)   |                  2021 |
| 19.2% (65 out of 338 samples)  | 0.30% (1 out of 338 samples) | 15.7% (53 out of 338 samples) | 4.73% (16 out of 338 samples)              | 1.2% (4 out of 338 samples) | 4.44% (15 out of 338 samples) | 0.30% (1 out of 338 samples)             | 0% (0 out of 338 samples)                 | 6.8% (23 out of 338 samples) 66.86% (226 out of 338 samples) |                  2022 |
| 12.8% (118 out of 924 samples) | 0% (0 Out of 924 samples)    | 4.1% (38 out of 924 samples)  | 5.52% (51 out of 924 samples)              | 0.1% (1 out of 924 samples) | 4.87% (45 out of 924 samples) | 0.43% (4 out of 924 samples)             | 0% (0 out of 924 samples)                 | 0.5% (5 out of 924 samples) 32.14% (297 out of 924 samples)  |                  2023 |

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