Groundwater Contamination in India: A National Public Health Crisis

• Groundwater contamination in India has escalated into a national public health crisis.

• Contamination includes fluoride, arsenic exposure, nitrate contamination, uranium, and heavy metals.

• The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, lacks statutory authority and State Pollution Control Boards are under-resourced and technically constrained.

• Industries operate with minimal oversight and sanitation infrastructure remains deficient in rural and peri-urban India.

• Over 20% of samples from 440 districts were contaminated with nitrates.

• Over 9% of samples had excessive fluoride, causing widespread dental and skeletal fluorosis.

• Arsenic levels in parts of Punjab and Bihar exceeded the WHO limit of 10 g/L, increasing the risk of cancer and neurological disorders.

• Uranium levels in groundwater exceeded WHO threshold, posing risks of chronic organ damage and nephrotoxicity.

• Heavy metals like lead, cadmium, chromium, and mercury enter groundwater from industrial discharges.

• Contamination from leaking septic systems and sewage infiltration triggers repeated outbreaks of cholera, dysentery, and hepatitis A and E.