1,132 rural habitations in Punjab reported to have quality issues in drinking water sources

Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 5

Of the 47,873 rural habitations reported to have quality issues in drinking water sources, as many as 1,132 are in Punjab and just one in neighbouring Haryana, according to the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) which generates groundwater quality data on a regional scale as part of its groundwater quality monitoring programme and scientific studies.

The studies indicate the occurrence of contaminants, including Arsenic and heavy metals, beyond permissible limits (as per BIS) for human consumption in isolated pockets in various states/UTs, according to a written reply of Minister of State of Jal Shakti Prahlad Singh Patel to a question on contamination of groundwater by Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal in the Lok Sabha.  

Patel said as reported by states/UTs as on July 23, Community Water Purification Plants (CWPPs) had been installed in 107 of these habitations in Punjab while 1,025 are still remaining.

In the country on the whole, of the 47,873 affected habitations, only 3076 have been covered by the CWPPs

According to CGWB data, in Punjab, Arsenic concentration in groundwater beyond permissible limit has been reported from 10 districts, Lead from 6 districts, Cadmium from 8 districts, Chromium from 10 districts and Uranium from 16 districts.

In Malwa belt, Arsenic concentration in groundwater beyond the permissible limit has been reported from Mansa, Faridkot and Sangrur, Lead from Bathinda, Ferozepur and Muktsar, Cadmium from Fatehgarh Sahib, Ludhiana, Patiala and Sangrur, Chromium from Bathinda, Mansa, and Sangrur districts, and Uranium from nine districts, Bathinda, Moga, Faridkot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Ferozepur, Ludhiana, Muktsar, Patiala and Sangrur, Patel told the Lok Sabha.

Regarding the Central government’s efforts, Patel said Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) launched in 2019 is a time bound campaign with a mission mode approach intended to improve water availability including groundwater conditions in the water stressed blocks of 256 districts, including Punjab.

In addition, ‘Jal Shakti Abhiyan – Catch the Rain’ campaign was also launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March 2021.

Patel said Punjab has launched a “long-term and short-term mitigation strategy to tackle the water quality problems in the state”.

First preference is given to surface water projects, wherever it is techno-economically feasible.

Accordingly, Punjab is covering 642 quality affected habitations as per feasibility for which work is under progress.

Short term measures include CWPPs. “However, installing CWPPs in very small habitations is generally not economical and sustainable. Therefore, after successful demonstration of household purifiers in one village, concept is being replicated in Arsenic affected habitations for providing household purifiers.

With as many as 20,956 rural habitations with quality issues in drinking water sources, Assam tops the list followed by Rajasthan (12,160), Bihar (3,966), Odisha (3,465) West Bengal (3,092) and Tripura (1,335).