(a) whether the Central Ground Water Board monitors the quality of ground water in the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof along with the details of areas where the quality of ground water
monitored during the last three years was found to be contaminated including by salinity;
(c) the follow-up action taken thereon; and
(d) the remedial measures taken including provision of alternate sources of water supply?
THE MINISTER OF WATER RESOURCES (SHRI HARISH RAWAT)
(a) to (d) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF STARRED QUESTION NO. 516 TO BE ANSWERED ON
02.05.2013 IN LOK SABHA REGARDING “MONITORING OF GROUND WATER QUALITY†ASKED BY SHRI MANSUKH BHAI
D. VASAVA AND DR. BALIRAM, M.Ps, LOK SABHA:
(a) & (b) Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) under the Ministry of Water Resources regularly
monitors ground water quality of shallow aquifers through 10714 monitoring stations on regional scale
once every year including last three years during pre-monsoon (April/May). Ground water quality data
generated during various scientific studies and ground water quality monitoring indicates that the
ground water in some parts of various States is contaminated by Salinity, Arsenic, Fluoride, Iron,
Nitrate and heavy metals. Fourteen States have high concentration of salinity. Eight States have
excess concentration of Arsenic, nineteen States have higher concentration of Fluoride, twenty States
have higher concentration of Nitrate and twenty three States have higher concentration of Iron beyond
norms prescribed by the Bureau of Indian Standards(BIS). State-wise details are given in Annexure.
(c) & (d) Since R&D work of in-situ remediation of aquifers contaminated with Salinity, Arsenic,
Fluoride, Iron, Nitrate and heavy metals is in early stages, remedial measures are concentrated on
providing alternate sources of water supply. The CGWB assists in identifying aquifers which are free
from contaminants. Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation has informed that 20% of the allocated
funds under the National Rural Drinking Water Program (NRDWP) are earmarked for water quality problems.
Further, it is indicated that the States may utilize up to 65% of funds released under NRDWP for
improving water quality of ground and surface water.