Ground Water Pollution in India-2021

Ground Water Pollution

DATED: 25 MAR 2021

Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) generates ground water quality data on a regional scale through ground water quality monitoring throughout the country. This monitoring indicates the occurrence of Fluoride, Arsenic, Nitrate, Iron and Heavy Metals beyond the BIS permissible limits for human consumption in isolated pockets in various parts of the country.

State-wise number of partly affected Districts with different contaminants in Ground Water are given below.

Water being a State subject, initiatives on water management including conservation and water harvesting in the Country is primarily States’ responsibility. However, the important measures taken by the Central Government for conservation, management of ground water and effective implementation of rain water harvesting 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 & The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to prevent and control pollution.

A number of States have done notable work in the field of water management/conservation. Of these, mention can be made of ‘Mukhya Mantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan’ in Rajasthan, ‘Sujalam Sufalam Abhiyan’ in Gujarat, ‘Mission Kakatiya’ in Telangana, ‘Neeru Chettu’ in Andhra Pradesh, ‘Paani Bachao, Paisa Kamao’ in Punjab and ‘Jal Hi Jeevan’ in Haryana among others.

With a view to facilitate sustainable development of ground water, Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) is presently granting No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for groundwater extraction with mandatory conditions in 19 States and 02 Union Territories (UTs) as per the extant ground water regulation guidelines. In balance States/UTs they are regulating as per their extant provisions.

The latest guidelines (with pan-India applicability) for regulation and control of groundwater extraction in the country have been notified by the Ministry on 24 Sep 2020. As per the guidelines all new/ existing industries and industries seeking expansion, infrastructure projects and mining projects extracting groundwater shall be required to seek NOC from CGWA or, the concerned State/ UT Ground Water Authority.

Further, the guidelines provide for registering the drilling rigs by the States/UTs to maintain a database of wells drilled by them to control illegal extraction of groundwater.

Government of India launched Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) in 2019, a time bound campaign with a mission mode approach intended to improve water availability including ground water conditions in the water stressed blocks of 256 districts in India. In this regard, teams of officers from Central Government along-with technical officers from Ministry of Jal Shakti were deputed to visit water stressed districts and to work in close collaboration with district level officials to undertake suitable interventions.

In addition ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan – Catch the Rain’ campaign has been launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India on 22 March 2021. The Campaign will be undertaken across the country, in both rural and urban areas, with the theme “catch the rain, where it falls, when it falls”. It is being implemented from 22nd March 2021 to 30th November, 2021 during the pre-monsoon and monsoon period in the country. It is being launched as a Jan Andolan to take water conservation at grass-root level through people’s participation for sustainable management of water resources.

States Wise Number of Partly Affected Districts with different Contaminants in Ground Water of India

This information was given by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti & Social Justice and Empowerment Shri Rattan Lal Kataria in Lok Sabha today.