House panel expresses concern over rising levels of groundwater contamination, asking government to use the latest technology in artificial intelligence to combat it

New Delhi: A parliamentary panel on water has expressed concern over the rising levels of groundwater contamination across the country and advised the government to go all out to mitigate the impact in the worst-affected areas, using the latest technologies such as artificial intelligence/machine learning and global best practices.The panel, which submitted its report this week, also noted the detection of heavy metal contamination in Delhi’s groundwater, including uranium, lead and nitrates, and the serious health risks it could pose. It referred to the pollution incidents noted by the Central Groundwater Board (CGWB) in its annual report in November last year.While the panel appreciated the corrective measures taken by the Jal Shakti Ministry, it noted with concern the increasing number of partially affected areas in most states/Union Territories where essential parameters like fluoride and nitrates are contaminated.However, the Ministry of Water Resources told the panel in its submission that heavy metal contamination of groundwater “is usually localized” and depends on local hydrogeological conditions and water source pressure.“Thus, exceedances at monitoring sites do not mean uniform contamination across the area,” it told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources headed by BJP Lok Sabha member Rajiv Pratap Rudy.When asked to provide a detailed account of groundwater contamination in India, its sources and corrective measures taken in this regard, the department told the parliamentary committee that groundwater monitoring is conducted “regularly” by state governments and CGWB.“CGWB, at its level, conducts groundwater quality monitoring through a network of about 17,000 monitoring stations spread across the country. The data thus generated suggest that India’s groundwater remains largely drinkable. However, some pollutants exceeding the permissible limits have been reported in remote areas of some states and union territories. The reported pollution has both natural and geographical factors as well as man-made causes such as rapid industrialization, urbanization, and agricultural intensification.,” the department said in its response. The CGWB’s November 2025 report noted that groundwater quality in most parts of India is generally considered “good to excellent” but that Rajasthan, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh face “widespread contamination” and certain other states face “localized contamination challenges.”Arsenic contamination is a major problem in the Ganges and Brahmaputra river basins, while uranium contamination, although less common, has also been found sporadically in parts of Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the committee’s report said.The report blames the pollution on untreated industrial waste emissions, overuse of fertilizers and pesticides, improper waste disposal and sewage leaks in urban areas, and overexploitation of groundwater.The CGWB report highlights that excessive concentrations of trace metals in groundwater are a serious problem as it directly affects human health and environmental safety. “Toxic metals such as arsenic, lead and uranium can cause serious neurological, skeletal, kidney and cancer-related problems, while elevated levels of iron and manganese also pose risks, particularly to infants and children,” the report said.