Toxic Groundwater Found in Panjab; Court Orders Uranium Re-testing & Checks

A joint research conducted by Pondicherry University’s earth sciences department and Fatehgarh Sahib’s World University has revealed alarming levels of Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) in 2,709 groundwater samples collected by the state’s water supply and sanitation department from Tarn Taran, Amritsar, Gurdaspur, and Pathankot districts. High levels of arsenic, uranium, iron, and nitrate have dangerously contaminated groundwater in Panjab’s Majha region. The study found that arsenic levels exceeded the safe limit of 0.05 parts per million (ppm) in 16% of the samples, with Amritsar being the most affected. On 24 Aug, the Punjab and Haryana High Court (PHHC) ordered a comprehensive re-testing of water samples for uranium contamination in Panjab’s Doaba and Majha regions, citing discrepancies in previous test standards. The Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Anil Kshetarpal, emphasized that the re-testing must adhere to the updated World Health Organization (WHO) standards, which have lowered the acceptable uranium concentration in water to 30 µg/l from the previously used 60 µg/l. On 31 Aug, the PHHC also directed the Panjab govt. to deposit $1.45M with the court registry and instructed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to conduct tests at all sewage treatment plants (STPs) in the state to check pollution levels in the discharged water. The court ordered immediate action to prevent untreated sewage near schools and medical institutions, with a status report due by 30 Sep, and set aside $1.45M for CPCB recommendations. Expert teams will sample all 128 STPs, with results submitted to the court (SDW Vol. 1 Issue 5, Story 5).