Dont buy made in punjab wheat rice grains
Why? Because the ground water is deadly.
Almost half of the groundwater in Punjab is unsafe and contaminated with hazardous chemicals, heavy metals and radioactive material. And in the absence of any remedial steps by the government, the remaining safe groundwater is depleting at a rapid pace. These facts have come to the fore in the first-ever audit report on Punjab’s groundwater prepared by the Comptroller and Auditor General.
According to sources in the Department of Water Resources, the 26-page report will be tabled in the upcoming Budget session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha from Thursday.
The CAG report says 40 per cent of the groundwater in the state is contaminated with chemicals and heavy metals beyond permissible limits. While 10 per cent of it is unsafe even for irrigation purposes, 30 per cent is marginally to moderately saline/alkaline, but can’t be used by humans.
The quality of groundwater is classified as fit, marginal and unfit for agricultural use on the basis of electrical conductivity and residual sodium carbonate, which is indicative of its salinity and alkalinity.
Not adhering to the Bureau of Indian Standards norms, it was found that in 16 districts, fluoride was above the permissible limit (which is 1.5 mg in 1 litre); in 19 districts, nitrate (was above 45 mg in one litre); in six districts, arsenic (was above 0.05 mg) and in nine districts, iron (was above 1.0 mg).
The CAG noted that Punjab has the maximum percentage of wells showing depletion in groundwater and figures among the top 10 worst-affected Indian states (pre-monsoon data 2018).
Punjab is extracting water from the ground at the highest speed in the country. The report has found that groundwater extraction has increased from 149% in 2013 to 165% 2018. Going into the reason, the CAG has noted that paddy sowing is the main culprit.
Overdose of fertilisers
The CAG observed that excessive fertilisers were being used to increase production
Fertiliser use in the state shot up by 146.46% between 1980 and 2018
The increased use is causing deterioration in quality of both surface and ground water
Unsafe and unfit
Nearly 10% of groundwater in Faridkot, Muktsar, Bathinda and Sangrur is saline/alkaline and unsafe for all purposes
Heavy metal contamination
Lead: Amritsar, Bathinda, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Muktsar
Cadmium: Fatehgarh Sahib, Ludhiana, Nawanshahr, Patiala
Chromium: Sangrur, SAS Nagar, Tarn Taran, Amritsar,
Barnala, Bathinda, Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Mansa, Ropar.
Radioactive material found beyond permissible limit in Mansa, Bathinda, Moga, Faridkot, Barnala, Sangrur more
Almost half of the groundwater in Punjab is unsafe and contaminated with hazardous chemicals, heavy metals and radioactive material. And in the absence of any remedial steps by the government, the remaining safe groundwater is depleting at a rapid pace. These facts have come to the fore in the first-ever audit report on Punjab’s groundwater prepared by the Comptroller and Auditor General.
According to sources in the Department of Water Resources, the 26-page report will be tabled in the upcoming Budget session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha from Thursday.
The CAG report says 40 per cent of the groundwater in the state is contaminated with chemicals and heavy metals beyond permissible limits. While 10 per cent of it is unsafe even for irrigation purposes, 30 per cent is marginally to moderately saline/alkaline, but can’t be used by humans.
The quality of groundwater is classified as fit, marginal and unfit for agricultural use on the basis of electrical conductivity and residual sodium carbonate, which is indicative of its salinity and alkalinity.
Not adhering to the Bureau of Indian Standards norms, it was found that in 16 districts, fluoride was above the permissible limit (which is 1.5 mg in 1 litre); in 19 districts, nitrate (was above 45 mg in one litre); in six districts, arsenic (was above 0.05 mg) and in nine districts, iron (was above 1.0 mg).
The CAG noted that Punjab has the maximum percentage of wells showing depletion in groundwater and figures among the top 10 worst-affected Indian states (pre-monsoon data 2018).
Punjab is extracting water from the ground at the highest speed in the country. The report has found that groundwater extraction has increased from 149% in 2013 to 165% 2018. Going into the reason, the CAG has noted that paddy sowing is the main culprit.
Overdose of fertilisers
The CAG observed that excessive fertilisers were being used to increase production
Fertiliser use in the state shot up by 146.46% between 1980 and 2018
The increased use is causing deterioration in quality of both surface and ground water
Unsafe and unfit
Nearly 10% of groundwater in Faridkot, Muktsar, Bathinda and Sangrur is saline/alkaline and unsafe for all purposes
Heavy metal contamination
Lead: Amritsar, Bathinda, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Muktsar
Cadmium: Fatehgarh Sahib, Ludhiana, Nawanshahr, Patiala
Chromium: Sangrur, SAS Nagar, Tarn Taran, Amritsar,
Barnala, Bathinda, Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Mansa, Ropar.
Radioactive material found beyond permissible limit in Mansa, Bathinda, Moga, Faridkot, Barnala, Sangrur more
Viewed by 1407
View all 15 comments Below 15 comments
Thanks Kaushikk for your line of reason, but I would rather be careful than careless. Watch the cancer train which travels to Punjab hospital every week. Why should I not take precaution when I have read about it and it is certainly not fake news! more
Feb 24
This is highly debatable scientific issue and therefore needs to be decided on NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC PLATFORMS. Just putting individual's thought without any scientific base is absolutely wrong approach. If we will follow the right way then we will definitely reach to the destination safely otherwise............? more
Feb 20
I personally feel that there is a need for growing other crops in the Punjab region with reduced level use of agrochemicals and pesticides. Growing only rice and wheat is not the good thing and crop rotation method has to be followed strictly. Burning stubble is another problem for the people of NCR. I remember that previously the paddy was cut from the bottom by farmers. Now due to mechanization, it is cut from top to get the rice directly leaving the entire plant in the field which has no value. Previously it was used by people in thatching house but now due to pucca houses are built by villagers, nobody needs this straw. even today if it is cut from bottom and after removing the rice from the top portion, the straw can be sold to companies that are using it as fuel or brick kiln owners. more
Feb 20
Thanks Harsiman for the detailed report. From Amir Khan's TV programme I gathered that Punjab was not safe for any agricultural products. Except for wheat which I do not know where it comes from I stay away from products from Punjab. But Mr. Vyas is right in asking the government to input the source of the product. more
Feb 19
How come the garden of grains producer land's underground water got polluted so much. No one is focusing on that core issues. Country's largest agriculture research institute is there n there are many industries as well. The lifeline rivers like Satalaj n Sindhu passing from state ther sre big irrigation projects as well. The culprit could be of the reports are realistic n not with cooked datas, it calls for plugging the loopholes thru which the ground water gets polluted. Farmers needs to check the usage of pesticides n herbicides from which many unwanted pollutants percolated with water. The textile industries there in Punjab are also suspected culprits using dying chemicals n the effluents from these industries.
Simply telling font buy good grains from Punjab seems to be with some intentions. How come wheat don't get affected n only rice gets affected with ground water?
There seems to be over all intention to just spread hoax . The PPCB , NEERI, can do through inspection in the larger interest. more
Simply telling font buy good grains from Punjab seems to be with some intentions. How come wheat don't get affected n only rice gets affected with ground water?
There seems to be over all intention to just spread hoax . The PPCB , NEERI, can do through inspection in the larger interest. more
Feb 20
Friends, all said and done well, but we don't have any regulation to print the origin of the crop from which state or city, which year's crop and the detail analysis report of the content in the crop, the pesticides level, the pathogens and other health hazard chemicals or microbes presence in any crop or food grains , vegetables whether sold in packed or lose items. No body is obliged to give all such details as stated by Ms.Harsimran Kaur and other friends here. It is mandatory to print all such details for any food items or grains or vegetables exported from here. Even the most discussed items like Onion, or pulses, wheat, potatoes etc, etc, etc. So how one shall know all and decide whether to buy or not. The GROSS NEGLIGENCE AND IGNORENCE OF ALL SUCH DETAILS. RAM BHAROSE more
Feb 19
