(a) whether indiscriminate use of chemicals and fertilizers during the last three years is a major cause of rapidly increasing ground water pollution in the country;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the steps taken by the Government to check the pollution of the ground water during the last three years?
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI
(SHRI BISHWESWAR TUDU)
(a) & (b) Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) generates ground water quality data of the country on a regional scale as part of its ground water quality monitoring program and various scientific studies. These studies indicate the occurrence of contaminants such as Fluoride, Arsenic, Nitrate, Iron and Heavy Metals beyond permissible limits in various States / UTs. The ground water contamination is mostly geogenic in nature and does not show significant change over the years. However, nitrate contamination is mostly anthropogenic and its spread has been noticed in some areas, particularly areas adjoining habitations. Further, nitrate contamination can also be caused by excessive use of fertilizers.
State-wise details of contamination of ground water in the country including rural areas are given at Annexure.
(c) Water being a State subject, initiatives on water management, including its quality is primarily States’s responsibility; however, various steps have been taken by the Central Government for controlling ground water pollution in the country.
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in association with State Pollution Control Boards/Pollution Control Committees (SPCBs/PCCs) is implementing the provisions of the Water (Prevention & Control) Act, 1974 and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to prevent and control pollution in water. CPCB has made a comprehensive programme on water pollution for controlling point
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sources by developing industry specific standards and general standards for discharge of effluents notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for enforcement by SPCBs/PCCs.
This Department has issued guidelines for control and regulation of groundwater extraction with pan-India applicability notified on 24 September 2020 which include suitable provisions on measures to be adopted to ensure groundwater free from pollution.
Various efforts have been made in the country to address surface water pollution (leading to groundwater pollution at places) by installing Sewage Treatment Plants, Effluent Treatment Plants and better system of sewage networks etc. Further, the adverse effects of the groundwater pollution can be addressed to a large extent if safe water is made available to public for which central Government in partnership with States/UTs, is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) since August, 2019 to provide potable tap water supply of prescribed quality to every rural household in the country by 2024.
Further, the quality of groundwater can be improved to some extent if concerted efforts are made to improve the groundwater resources through appropriate groundwater recharge/rainwater harvesting. Central Government has taken a number of initiatives in this direction which can be seen at URL:http://jalshakti-dowr.gov.in/sites/default/files/Steps_to_control_water_depletion_Feb2021.pdf.
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ANNEXURE
Annexure referred to in reply to part (a) & (b) of Unstarred Question No. 691 answered in Lok Sabha on 02.12.2021 regarding “Ground Water Pollution”.
States Wise Number of Partly Affected Districts with different Contaminants in Ground Water of India.
S.
No. State/ UT Salinity (EC above 3000 micro mhos/ cm)
(EC: Electrical Conductivity) Fluoride
(above 1.5 mg/l) Nitrate
(above 45 mg/l) Arsenic
(above 0.01 mg/l) Iron
(above 1mg/l) Lead (above 0.01 mg/l)
Cadmium (above 0.003 mg/l)
Chromium (above 0.05 mg/l)
1 Andhra Pradesh 12 12 13 3 7
2 Telangana 8 10 10 1 8 2 1 1
3 Assam 9 19 18
4 Arunachal Pradesh 4
5 Bihar 13 10 24 19
6 Chhattisgarh 1 19 12 1 17 1 1 1
7 Delhi 7 7 8 2 3 1 4
8 Goa 2
9 Gujarat 21 22 24 12 10
10 Haryana 18 21 21 15 17 17 7 1
11 Himachal Pradesh 6 1
12 Jammu & Kashmir 2 6 3 9 3 1
13 Jharkhand 12 11 2 6 1
14 Karnataka 29 30 29 2 22
15 Kerala 4 5 11 14 2 1
16 Madhya Pradesh 18 43 51 8 41 16
17 Maharashtra 25 17 30 20 19
18 Manipur 1 2 4
19 Meghalaya 1 6
20 Nagaland 1 1
21 Odisha 17 26 28 1 30 1
22 Punjab 10 19 21 10 9 6 8 10
23 Rajasthan 30 33 33 1 33 3
24 Tamil Nadu 28 25 29 9 2 3 1 5
25 Tripura 4
26 Uttar Pradesh 13 34 59 28 15 10 2 3
27 Uttarakhand 4 5
28 West Bengal 6 8 5 9 16 6 2 2
29 Andaman& Nicobar 1 2
30 Daman & Diu 1 1 1
31 Puducherry 1
Total Parts of 249 districts in 18 states & UTs Parts of 370
districts in 23 states & UTs Parts of 423
districts in 23
states & UTs Parts of 154 districts in 21 states & UTs Parts of 341 districts in 27 states & UTs Pb in parts of 92 districts in 14 states
Cd in parts of 24 districts in 9 states
Cr in parts of 29 districts in 10 states
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