Ground realities: Groundwater contamination poses serious hazards

Well-defined and enforceable groundwater rights, detached from land ownership, can offer solutions in this regard

India’s reliance on groundwater as a primary source of drinking water and irrigation has grown exponentially over the years. With around 85 per cent of rural water supply and 62 per cent of the country’s irrigation needs met by groundwater, its importance cannot be overstated. However, the Annual Groundwater Quality Report 2024, released recently by the Central Ground Water Board, highlights alarming levels of contamination in groundwater across the country. Not only has groundwater been undervalued and overexploited, but its quality too has been neglected. The findings of the report suggest that almost 20 per cent of the samples exceeded