CHANDIGARH: The Parliamentary standing committee has expressed concern over groundwater contamination in eight states across the country, including Punjab and Rajasthan.
In its recent report on the demands for grants for 2026–27 of the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, the Standing Committee on Water Resources has noted that excessive groundwater extraction across the country has led to aquifer depletion and a sharp decline in water tables.
It further added that the contamination by heavy metals is generally location-specific and depends on local hydrogeological conditions and source pressures and does not necessarily indicate uniform contamination across an entire area in reference to the finding of the Central Ground Water Board.
Seeking a status update within three months, the panel stressed that the department must adopt a proactive strategy to curb groundwater exploitation at the national level and prioritise collaboration with states and union territories.
“The committee learnt from the written submission of the Department that 4,949 villages across 8 states (Assam, Bihar, Kerala, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tripura and West Bengal) have been affected by chemical contamination as reported by the states on JJM-IMIS,” read the report.
It further stated that the issue of contamination is most pronounced in the state of Rajasthan, where the maximum number of districts are affected, while districts, namely Fazilka, Ferozepur, Moga and Patiala in the state of Punjab, are affected by heavy metals like mercury, uranium, selenium and cadmium.
Since health hazards of water contamination call for urgent consideration, as consumption of unsafe and contaminated water causes severe immediate and long-term health issues, the committee recommends the department take necessary remedial measures to ensure supply of safe drinking water to all affected habitations.
In the report based on monitoring over the past five years, the committee has observed that contamination in terms of key parameters such as electrical conductivity (EC), fluoride (F), and nitrate (NO₃) has increased at an alarming pace in many partially affected districts across states and UTs.
Meanwhile the regional directorate of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in Chandigarh had constituted three monitoring teams to conduct groundwater sampling at 34 identified contaminated locations. In the report recently submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT). It observed deviations at multiple sampling locations. The pH values exceeded the acceptable range prescribed for drinking water standards at sampling areas with no relaxation prescribed under the standards.
Water table dip
Groundwater extraction has led to aquifer depletion and a decline in water tables
Contamination by heavy metals is generally location-specific
It depends on local hydrogeological conditions
It does not indicate uniform contamination across an entire area