Why in news?
A study has found widespread uranium contamination in groundwater from aquifers in 16 Indian states.
What are the findings?
- The main source of Uranium is natural.
- But human factors such as groundwater-table decline and nitrate pollution may exacerbate the problem.
- Over-exploitation of groundwater for irrigation also have exacerbated the problem.
- Many of India’s aquifers are composed of clay, silt and gravel carried down from the Himalayas by streams or uranium-rich granitic rocks.
- When overpumping of these aquifers’ groundwater occurs and their water levels decline, it induces conditions that enhance uranium enrichment in the shallow groundwater that remains.
- Nearly a third of all water wells tested in Rajasthan contained uranium levels that exceed the WHO safe drinking water standards.
- It also identified aquifers contaminated with similarly high levels in 26 other districts in northwestern India and nine districts in southern or southeastern India.
- So there is a need to revise current water-quality monitoring programmes in India and re-evaluate human health risks in areas of high uranium prevalence.
Source: The Hindu
