PAC flags gaps in groundwater mapping despite drop in arsenic, fluoride levels

A parliamentary panel has flagged serious gaps in India’s groundwater quality assessment , even as official data shows a sharp decline in arsenic- and fluoride-affected habitations over the past five years.

In its 41st report on Ground Water Management and Regulation, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) noted that arsenic-affected habitations dropped from 14,020 in August 2019 to 314 in November 2024, while fluoride-hit areas declined from 7,996 to 255. The government has attributed this improvement to interventions under schemes such as the Jal Jeevan Mission and AMRUT 2.0 , aimed at ensuring safe drinking water in rural and urban areas.

However, the panel underscored that the overall threat of groundwater contamination remains unclear due to incomplete and uneven data across states and Union Territories. It pointed out that many regions have not conducted comprehensive groundwater quality assessments, leading to significant gaps in nationwide mapping.

Citing earlier findings of the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), the PAC highlighted that several contaminants continue to exceed permissible limits at multiple locations. These include arsenic, fluoride, nitrate, iron, salinity and heavy metals , all of which pose risks to human health. Notably, fluorosis cases remain significant in states like Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh .

The committee also noted ongoing efforts under the National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme (NAQUIM), including the construction of arsenic-safe wells using cement sealing techniques. However, it called for an expansion of such measures and a scientific evaluation of their effectiveness.

Emphasising the need for uniform and comprehensive groundwater monitoring , the PAC recommended that all states intensify testing and data collection to accurately assess contamination risks. While the government has initiated measures such as geo-tagging a process of attaching precise location coordinates (latitude and longitude) to water sources for better tracking and monitoring and increasing testing frequency, the panel observed that the outcomes of these interventions are yet to be fully reported, leaving critical questions about their long-term impact unanswered.