NEW DELHI: The government today said a new research has found the presence of high concentration of heavy metals, including copper and lead, in ground water samples taken from the e-waste dumping site in Krishna Vihar here.
In January, researchers at Jamia Milia Islamia published a paper titled 'Assessment of Contamination of Soil and Ground Water due to E-waste Handling'.
It indicated presence of heavy metals, Minister of State for Environment Mahesh Sharma said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha.
"(The report has) indicated presence of higher concentration (against the prescribed drinking water standards) of heavy metals like copper, lead, cadmium, nickel and chromium in the underground water samples collected from the e-waste dumping site situated in an industrial area at Krishna Vihar in Delhi," he said.
The minister said according to Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), heavy metal (lead) contamination in samples has been detected in North, West and South-West districts along Najafgarh drain.
He said that cadmium contamination has been detected in South-West; North-West, South, East and New Delhi districts (chromium contamination); and East and North-East districts (arsenic contamination).
In view of high pollution potential and human health implications of heavy metal contamination, the government has taken various preventive measures for restricting their entry into the natural ecosystem, especially in ground water, Sharma said.
The measures include guidelines published by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for implementation of the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016, in respect to collection centers, channelisation, storage, transportation, environmentally sound dismantling, recycling and refurbishment of e-waste as well as responsibilities of e-waste producers in this regard.
It also includes ground water quality monitoring and awareness creation across the country, including Delhi, generation of ground water quality data through scientific studies, mapping of vulnerable areas of groundwater depletion and pollution, directives for sealing of bore wells which are contaminated among a host of other measures.