Panjab’s Poisoned Groundwater

A new study reveals Panjab is suffering from high levels of groundwater pollution, gravely affecting the people living in the region. The study was conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology Mandi and published in the journal Environmental Science and Pollution Research. The study is based on 244 and 152 groundwater sampling sites in the years 2000 and 2020, respectively. The study reveals that the total acreage under rice crop has increased from 5,000 hectares in the years 2001–2002 to 28,400 hectares in the years 2019–2020. The study is also confirmed by an independent media in an in-depth report on one southwestern village in Fazilka district. The village receives water from two sources – groundwater and the river Satluj through the canal system. Overexploitation of groundwater has resulted in contamination from geological sources, causing highly toxic elements such as uranium, arsenic, manganese, zinc, copper, lead, and iron to leach from aquifer rock or sediment into the water. The leather tanneries in Jalandhar, the garment and dyeing industries, and dairy farms in Ludhiana pollute the river waters with toxic chemicals. Because of the high toxicity in the drinking water, Panjab, once known as the bread basket of India, is now frequently referred to as the cancer capital.