Why in the news?

  • The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources called for urgent actions to safeguard public health over concerns of continued presence of uranium contamination in drinking water sources in Punjab.

Uranium Contamination of Groundwater

  • What is it?:
    • It refers to the presence of excessive levels of Uranium in groundwater beyond the safe levels for life.
    • Prescribed Safe limit: 0.03mg of Uranium per litre of water is prescribed by WHO and Bureau of Indian Standards(BIS).
  • Health Impacts:
    • Radioactivity as well as Chemical toxicity of Uranium poses risks to both human beings and animals.
    • Intake of contaminated water or food can lead to Cancers, Chronic Kidney Diseases (CKD), Skeletal damage, Reproductive health disorders etc.
  • Uranium Contamination in India:
    • In India, the contamination is more prevalent in the alluvial aquifers of the northwestern region and hard-rock aquifers of southern India.
    • Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat were the states found to be the most affected.
  • Sources of Groundwater Contamination:
    • Natural Sources: Weathering of uranium-bearing rocks and the movement of groundwater, can release uranium into water sources.
    • Anthropogenic Sources:
      • Industrial Processes: Industrial activities like those involving nuclear facilities and phosphate fertilizers can cause Uranium release.
      • Mining and Milling: Uranium mining and processing can cause release of uranium into the environment.
      • Groundwater depletion: Lowers the water table and alters aquifer chemistry, leading to uranium release.
  • Government Measures Taken:
    • Hybrid membrane techniques and Reverse Osmosis (RO) plants developed by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) are being installed in affected areas of Punjab and Haryana on a pilot basis.
    • Central Ground Water Board is generating scientific data to understand aquifer behavior and provide site-specific solutions under National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme (NAQUIM) to mitigate contamination risks.
    • Low cost adsorbents and nanomaterials are being developed to filter uranium from groundwater under the ambit of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
  • Way Forward:
    • The Government of India needs to formally recognize uranium as a major groundwater contaminant as they have done with Arsenic and Fluoride, in order to streamline interventions that can bring in a change.
    • Adoption of low-cost, decentralized treatment technologies such as adsorption filters in severely affected villages.
    • Public awareness campaigns must be conducted to educate people regarding the health risks of uranium contamination and how to use water safely.