Ground Water Quality Report 2024
Source: Economic Times
GS III: Environment
Overview
- News in Brief
- Key Facts
- Central Ground Water Board (CGWB)
Why in the News?
Ground Water Quality Report 2024 report presents the findings from the nationwide groundwater quality monitoring exercise based on a standardized methodology
- Report by Central Ground Water Board
- Under Ministry of Jal Shakti
News in Brief
- A total of 15,259 groundwater monitoring locations were selected nationwide to assess groundwater quality.
- These sites form the foundation for future evaluations, offering a clear baseline for ongoing monitoring efforts.
- To examine trends, 25% of the wells, identified as vulnerable to contamination based on BIS 10500 standards, were chosen for detailed analysis.
- Groundwater quality was sampled at 4,982 trend stations during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon periods to assess the impact of seasonal recharge on groundwater quality.
- Standard procedures as given in APHA, 2012 (Standard Methods for the Examination of Water & Waste Water American Public Health Association) were used for the sample collection and analysis of water sample.
Key Facts
Specific Contaminants of Concern
- Nitrate Contamination
- States like Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra have some of the highest incidences of nitrate contamination.
- With over 40% of water samples exceeding the permissible limit.
- Reason: This is primarily linked to agricultural runoff and overuse of fertilizers.
- Fluoride Contamination
- Fluoride concentrations exceeding the permissible limit are a major concern in Rajasthan, Haryana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
- Although the monsoon season led to some improvement in fluoride levels in these states, the overall contamination levels remain alarmingly high.
- Arsenic levels (>10 ppb)
- Arsenic were found in several states, particularly in the floodplains of the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers.
- This includes regions of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, and Manipur, as well as areas in the Punjab, and Rajnandgaon district in Chhattisgarh.
- Uranium Contamination
- A notable concern in the groundwater quality report is the elevated levels of uranium in several regions.
- 42% of samples with uranium concentrations exceeding 100 ppb came from Rajasthan, and 30% from Punjab, indicating regional hotspots of uranium contamination.
- Groundwater samples with uranium concentrations greater than 30 ppb were clustered in areas identified as Over-exploited, Critical, and Semi-Critical groundwater stress zones, such as Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.
- This overlap points to the exacerbating effect of overexploitation and deepening water levels on uranium contamination in these regions.
- Sodium Range
- • It was found that in Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttarpradesh 0.96%, 1.27%, 0.34%, 0.76%, 12.38% and 0.14%.
- These samples fall in the Very high sodium range and are unsuitable for use in irrigation practices.
- Majority of groundwater samples from 2022 and 2023 have low sodium content, which is generally safe for irrigation purposes.
Water for Irrigation purposes
- Evaluates Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) and Residual Sodium Carbonate (RSC) values, which are key indicators of water suitability for irrigation.
- 100% of the water samples from regions like Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Andaman & Nicobar, Chandigarh UT, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Pondicherry, and Tripura fall within the excellent category.
- 81.49% of the groundwater samples had RSC values less than 1.25 safe for use in irrigation and 10.43% of samples had RSC values greater than 2.5 and were unsuitable for irrigation due to the risk of sodicity and soil degradation.
- The percentage of unsuitable water samples for irrigation increased slightly from 7.69% in 2022 to 8.07% in 2023.
- There is a concerning trend of increasing alkalinity and sodicity in certain groundwater sources.
Central Ground Water Board (CGWB)
- The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) is an important organization under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India.
- It plays a crucial role in the sustainable management and development of groundwater resources in the country.
Key Functions
- Groundwater Surveys and Investigation
- Monitoring and Assessment
- Data Collection and Dissemination
- Resource Augmentation
- Technical Assistance
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