Nitrate, uranium, nearly twice the permissible limits, in Gautam Buddha Nagar groundwater

“The concentration of nitrate has been found to vary widely. A total of 91.55% of water samples fall within the permissible limit of 45 mg/l (BIS 2012) while 8.45% samples have higher levels of nitrate concentration with the highest value at 1,177 mg/l being recorded at Naujhil in Mathura. High nitrate is found all over the state and does not follow any definite pattern of distribution,” the report adds.

According to the report, nitrate level in Gautam Buddha Nagar’s Jewar block is 104 mg/l, twice the permissible limit. A World Bank policy research working paper says that high levels of nitrates in drinking water can lead to health effects like stunting.

At Dankaur, the fluoride level was 2.3 mg/l, which is more than the permissible limit of 1.5 mg/l.

“Small quantities of fluoride help reduce tooth decay, but an excess concentration (>1.5 mg/l) can cause staining of tooth enamel and fluorosis,” said the CGWB report.

Similarly, the presence of heavy metal uranium was also found in different parts of the district. At a place in Gautam Buddha Nagar’s Dankaur, the uranium level in the water was 82 µg/L (micrograms per litre), which is almost thrice the permissible limit of 30 µg/L. In addition to this, uranium level was found to be higher in Jewar and Dadri blocks as well.

Uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive chemical element that occurs in low concentrations in nature. Studies have revealed that the presence of uranium in drinking water causes nephritis (kidney damage).

The report states, “The rise in the number of over-exploited blocks in UP is the biggest challenge because these are the blocks wherein storage groundwater resources are depleting quickly. There is a probability for adjacent blocks to become water stressed if effective intervention is not taken by stakeholders.”

“Presence of some constituents beyond the permissible limit at some locations renders the water unfit for public water supply,” adds the report.

The groundwater yearbook for Uttar Pradesh 2021-22 was prepared in September last year, while samples were collected in May 2021.