While hearing a PIL against the presence of uranium in the water of Malwa region of Punjab and the cancer caused by it, the High Court has also ordered Haryana and Chandigarh to test the groundwater samples in this matter. During the hearing, the Chandigarh Administration said that only the Central Ground Water Board can test the groundwater samples in Chandigarh. On this, the court said that the administration should request the board in this regard and submit a sample report in the court. The court also ordered the Central Ground Water Board to file a reply by making it a respondent. During the hearing, the court also ordered the Haryana government to test the groundwater samples of the state and submit a report. The High Court said that not only uranium but also arsenic and other toxic elements should be tested. In 2010, Mohali resident Brijendra Singh Loomba filed a petition in the High Court raising the issue of the presence of uranium in the groundwater of the Malwa region and the increasing cases of cancer due to it. On the orders of the High Court, the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) had collected 1500 water samples from Bathinda, Ferozepur, Faridkot and Mansa to test uranium in the water of Malwa region. Out of these samples, 35 percent of the samples were found to have uranium levels exceeding the prescribed standards, with Bathinda district being the most affected. According to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, the uranium content in drinking water should not exceed 60 ppb, but this content was found to be 684 ppb in the water of Bathinda. In this case, the High Court had also ordered the Chief Secretary to conduct a fresh test of the groundwater of the entire state as a precautionary measure on a petition pending for 14 years regarding the presence of uranium in the groundwater of Malwa and especially Bathinda and the increasing cases of cancer. During the hearing, the Punjab government said that 4406 samples were taken from all over Punjab and out of these, the amount of uranium was found to be more than the prescribed standards. During the hearing, the High Court was told that according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the standards related to uranium in water have been changed. Now the prescribed amount is 30 ppb. The Punjab government said that there is a letter from the Central Government that 60 ppb. can be considered appropriate.
Why is Punjab facing a crisis of clean water?
Recently, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources has drawn attention to the increasing radioactive and toxic substances in the groundwater in Punjab and recommended the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti to ensure the supply of clean drinking water in the affected areas. The report of the parliamentary committee has highlighted that the levels of iron, salts, nitrates and heavy metal particles in the groundwater in nine districts of Punjab including Fatehgarh Sahib, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Moga, Patiala and Rupnagar are quite high. The effects of using bad water have started to be seen among the people of these districts. Continuous consumption of water mixed with radioactive elements like uranium can cause fatal diseases of the kidneys, liver, bones and skin. According to the findings of the committee, such hazardous elements have been found in 32 places in these districts, out of which only 22 have been provided with the facility of collective water purification plants (CWPPs) and individual household purification; such facilities could not be provided to the remaining ten places. Some time ago, in the report of the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) for the year 2024, it was recorded that the presence of hazardous elements like uranium, nitrates, arsenic, chloride and fluoride in the groundwater of 20 districts of Punjab and 16 districts of Haryana has been found to be much more than the permissible limits. Although some studies have blamed the excessive use of chemical fertilizers for the increase in the amount of uranium, the fact is being ignored that very deep tubewells are being dug in both urban and rural areas of Punjab to extract groundwater for agricultural, residential and industrial purposes; This has disturbed the balance of the groundwater table and has increased the risk of such harmful elements being mixed in very deep waters. The Punjab government needs to take decisive action on this very serious issue and should also contact the relevant agencies to assess the situation at its own level. The water has been getting polluted for a long time and it has also become unusable. The irony is that no section of the civil society is seen working on this issue. Due to this, the issue is getting worse instead of being resolved.
