Uranium concentrations in ground water above safe threshold in several states

New Delhi: The 2025 Annual Ground Water Quality Report by the CGWB has sounded a serious warning:,uranium concentrations in groundwater from several parts of India have risen above safe thresholds.

According to the report, around 13–15 per cent of groundwater samples across monitored sites showed uranium levels exceeding the permissible limit of 30 parts per billion (ppb), a standard derived from guidelines set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), in line with global norms.

The contamination isn’t uniform, certain regions are far more affected than others. At the top of the list is Punjab, where over 60 per cent of tested groundwater samples failed safety checks, followed by Haryana, which also recorded “considerable” levels of exceedance.

Even the national capital, Delhi has been flagged, about 13–15 per cent of samples there surpassed the uranium threshold.

Uranium is a radioactive heavy metal. While naturally present in rocks and soils, under certain geochemical conditions (such as weathering and groundwater extraction), it can leach into aquifers and contaminate drinking water.

Long-term ingestion of uranium-contaminated water can pose serious health risks especially affecting kidneys, and potentially increasing cancer risk.

Though the older standard set by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) allowed up to 60 µg/L (ppb) of uranium in drinking water, the stricter 30 ppb limit adopted by BIS is widely accepted for public health safety.

The report’s findings especially in states like Punjab and Haryana, mean that large populations may be drawing water from sources that are unsafe for long-term use.

Environmental groups and public-health experts are calling the revelations “a red flag” for water safety in northern India. They urge state governments and central authorities to expand monitoring, identify contamination hotspots, and mandate water-treatment measures , especially in regions where over half of all samples failed the safety test.

There are also calls for better transparency, systematic publication of groundwater quality data, timely alerts to affected communities, and investment in safe water supply infrastructure.