Paper: GS – III, Subject: Environment and Ecology, Topic: Pollution, Issue: Groundwater Contamination.
Context:India’s reliance on groundwater for domestic and agricultural needs, unregulated extraction and inadequate oversight have led to widespread contamination with nitrates, heavy metals, industrial toxins, and pathogenic microbes.
Key Takeaways:
The Groundwater Crisis in India:
- Despite India’s network of rivers and seasonal monsoons, groundwater is the primary source for most of the nation’s domestic and agricultural requirements.
- Over 85% of rural drinking water and 65% of irrigation water are sourced from below the surface.
- However, the rapid and often unregulated extraction of this vital resource has triggered a growing yet largely invisible crisis: groundwater pollution.
| Central Ground Water Board (CGWB): About The Central Groundwater Board (CGWB) is a key organization under India’s Ministry of Jal Shakti, responsible for monitoring, managing, and regulating groundwater resources. It maintains a vast network of observation wells to assess groundwater quality and availability. It also provides technical guidance, promotes sustainable practices, and formulates policies to address groundwater-related challenges across the country. Head quarter: Bhujal Bhawan, Faridabad, Haryana Organization Setup: The Board is headed by the Chairman and has five members.Measurement of Groundwater Levels: Observation Network Current Network: The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) uses 26,000 observation wells to manually measure groundwater levels. |
Groundwater Death Zones: Real-Life Examples Several incidents highlight the severity of the crisis:
- Budhpur, Baghpat (Uttar Pradesh): People died within a fortnight from kidney failure and related complications allegedly linked to toxic discharges from nearby paper and sugar mills contaminating local borewells.
- Jalaun: Residents reported petroleum-like fluids from hand pumps due to suspected underground fuel leaks.
- Paikarapur, Bhubaneswar: Sewage seepage from a faulty treatment plant led to the mass illness of hundreds.
Arsenic and Groundwater Contamination in India:
India’s groundwater crisis is no longer about quantity; it is about safety and survival. Groundwater pollution is silent, invisible, and slow, but its damage is irreversible. Unless urgent, collective action is taken, we risk learning the value of clean water only when the well runs dry. And in doing so, we will pay the price not
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