Source: TH
Context:
India is facing a deepening groundwater contamination crisis that threatens public health, agriculture, economic productivity, and long-term human capital. The Annual Groundwater Quality Report 2024 shows widespread contamination across hundreds of districts, exposing millions of people to toxic substances such as uranium, fluoride, nitrate, and arsenic. This is not only an environmental issue but a major economic and developmental challenge.
Scale of the Crisis
alarming contamination levels
- Nearly 20% of groundwater samples across 440+ districts exceed safe contamination limits.
- Punjab: Almost one-third of samples have uranium above permissible limits; fluoride, arsenic, and nitrates are also common.
- India depends heavily on groundwater:
- 600 million people rely on it for drinking water.
- It is the primary source of irrigation in most states.
enormous economic losses
- The World Bank estimates that environmental degradation, largely from polluted water and soil, costs India $80 billion annually (≈6% of GDP).
- Health costs from unsafe water run into billions.
- Waterborne diseases cause millions of lost working days, reducing labour productivity.
Human Capital at Risk
severe health impacts
- Fluorosis in districts like Mehsana (Gujarat) has disabled workers, reducing their earning capacity.
- Diarrhoeal diseases continue to kill hundreds of thousands of children under five.
- Exposure to arsenic and fluoride causes cognitive impairment, skeletal deformities, and long-term disability.
deepening inequality
- Wealthier families can afford bottled water or filtration systems.
- Poor households, especially in rural areas, rely entirely on contaminated aquifers.
- Out-of-pocket health spending pushes families into debt traps.
- Children exposed early face lifelong challenges in health, learning, and employability.
Impact on Agriculture and Exports
declining soil and crop health
- Nearly one-third of India’s land suffers from soil degradation.
- Polluted irrigation water introduces heavy metals and residues, reducing crop yields.
- Farms near polluted water bodies show lower productivity and income.
threats to export markets
- Global buyers increasingly demand clean and traceable produce.
- Export rejections due to contamination are rising.
- If contamination reaches staples such as rice, vegetables, or fruits, India’s $50 billion agricultural export sector faces serious risk.
unsustainable water extraction
- Punjab extracts groundwater at 1.5 times sustainable limits.
- Farmers drill deeper, encountering more toxic layers.
- Deeper drilling → poorer quality water → more fertilisers → worsening contamination cycle.
Way Forward
Nationwide, real-time groundwater monitoring
- A centralised, open-data platform is essential.
- Communities and farmers need transparent access to water quality information.
Strict enforcement on industrial effluents and sewage
- Current enforcement is weak.
- Industries often pass the environmental cost to society.
- Strong penalties and monitoring systems must be implemented.
Sustainable agricultural reforms
- Shift from chemical-heavy practices to:
- Crop diversification
- Organic farming
- Micro-irrigation (drip, sprinkler)
- Reduce fertiliser and pesticide misuse that contaminates aquifers.
Decentralised treatment and purification
- Community water treatment units provide immediate relief.
- Example: Nalgonda (Telangana) — purification systems have reduced fluorosis cases among children.
- Low-cost filters and village-level purification should be scaled up.
Farmer awareness and export-readiness
- Training on safe irrigation, contamination risks, and global standards.
- Stricter export quality checks must protect India’s credibility.
Manage over-extraction
- Incentivise less water-intensive crops (pulses, maize).
- Pilot programmes in Punjab and Haryana show improved aquifer health and stable farmer incomes.
