Alarming Discovery: 15% of Delhi's Groundwater Contains Uranium Contamination According to Government Report

Recent analysis reveals that uranium contamination affects 13 to 15 percent of Delhi's groundwater samples, according to the Annual Ground Water Quality Report 2025 released on Friday.

The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), operating under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, based this concerning finding on approximately 15,000 water samples collected throughout India in 2024.

The investigation of 86 monitoring locations in Delhi showed that multiple water samples exceeded the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) drinking water safety parameters.

According to the report, "While most groundwater in India remains safe, specific regions are experiencing increasing uranium levels, highlighting the necessity for continuous monitoring and implementation of localized mitigation strategies to safeguard drinking water quality and public health."

Detailed analysis indicates that out of 83 samples examined, 24 contained uranium levels exceeding acceptable parameters, representing between 13.35 and 15.66 percent of all collected samples.

The report noted that samples from designated trend stations during both pre-monsoon and post-monsoon periods revealed contamination levels surpassing 30 parts per billion (PPB), indicating that seasonal recharge does not mitigate the issue.

The CGWB report identified a significant contamination hotspot in northwestern India, encompassing Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and portions of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. This concentration likely stems from "geogenic factors, groundwater depletion, and aquifer characteristics."

Beyond uranium, elevated levels of nitrate and fluoride—both serious health hazards—were also detected in the groundwater samples. This is particularly concerning as Delhi extracts approximately 125 million gallons of groundwater daily for drinking water purposes.

Environmental activist Pankaj Kumar emphasized citizens' rights in a letter to the Delhi Jal Board (DJB): "Delhi residents have a fundamental right to know the quality of water supplied to their homes. We demand that the DJB, which operates around 5,000 tubewells, make public the latest water quality test reports for all operational tubewells and ranney wells, with no report being older than six months."

The groundwater quality report concludes that developing effective and comprehensive remediation methods for uranium-contaminated groundwater has become an urgent necessity.