Current affairs 8th August 2025 By Right IAS
Groundwater Pollution in India
Importance of Groundwater in India Primary source: Provides 85% of rural drinking water and 65% of irrigation water. Acts as a lifeline despite the presence of rivers and monsoons
Scale of Contamination (CGWB 2024 Annual Groundwater Quality Report) Nitrate contamination: Found in 20% of samples from 440 districts. Main causes: Overuse of chemical fertilizers, septic tank leakage. Health impact: Blue baby syndrome (methemoglobinemia). Fluoride: Found in 9% of samples, affecting 230 districts in 20 states. Causes dental and skeletal fluorosis (66 million affected). Worst affected: Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana.
Arsenic: Concentrated in Gangetic belt (West Bengal, Bihar, UP, Jharkhand, Assam). Levels up to 200 μg/L in Ballia, UP (20× WHO limit). Causes cancers, gangrene, neurological disorders. Uranium: Rising detection in Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan. Causes chronic kidney damage; linked to phosphate fertilizer use and over extraction.
Iron: 13% samples above safe limits; linked to GI and developmental disorders. Heavy metals (Lead, Cadmium, Chromium, Mercury): From industrial discharge; causes neurological, developmental, and immune system damage. Pathogens: From sewage seepage, leaking septic systems; cause cholera, dysentery, hepatitis.
Public Health Impact Skeletal fluorosis: 66 million affected, especially children. Arsenicosis: High cancer risk (skin, kidney, liver, bladder, lungs). Nitrate poisoning: 56% districts exceed safe limits; affects infants. Chronic exposure to heavy metals: Neurological and developmental delays. Recurring waterborne disease outbreaks due to microbial contamination.
