Delhi News: Delhi’s air has kept people worried for years , smoggy mornings, coughing fits, AQI numbers that nobody wants to check. But now there’s something else creeping into daily life, and it isn’t coming from the sky. It’s coming from underground. A new report by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has picked up rising uranium levels in parts of Delhi’s groundwater, which only adds to the long list of things residents already juggle: pollution, water shortages, and now this unexpected intruder in their drinking supply.
The CGWB tests groundwater every year across the country, and this time the findings were a little unsettling. Somewhere around 13 to 15 percent of water samples taken before and after the monsoon showed more uranium than what’s considered safe. Delhi relies heavily on groundwater,almost 450 million litres a day drawn from about 5,500 tube wells,so a spike like this isn’t something that can be brushed aside.
Why Is Uranium Turning Up?
There isn’t a single neat explanation. Experts suggest a few possibilities, none of them comforting.
Some factories don’t dispose of waste properly, and when that stuff leaks into the soil, metals , including uranium , may slowly sink toward the groundwater. Then there’s the natural angle. Some rocks deep underground simply contain uranium. Over years, tiny particles can wear away and drift into the aquifers without anyone noticing.
What It Means for Health
Even though uranium is radioactive, the bigger issue in drinking water is the chemical toxicity. If someone keeps consuming contaminated water for years, the kidneys usually feel the pressure first because they’re the organs that filter metals. Researchers have linked long-term exposure to kidney problems, a higher risk of urinary-tract cancers, and even uranium settling in bones over time.
What Experts Want Right Now
Environmental groups say this really isn’t something to postpone. They want the Delhi Jal Board to:
- Treat contaminated wells using BIS-approved filters
- Publish the complete list of tube wells with high uranium readings
- Put together a plan to protect areas that depend heavily on groundwater
Delhi’s Air Quality Index: Another Shadow Over the City
Delhi News: Air pollution has been Delhi’s everyday villain for so long that most people don’t blink anymore when the AQI slips into the “poor” or “very poor” category. And now, with uranium quietly showing up in the water too, it feels like the city is being squeezed from two sides , bad air above, questionable water below. Residents who’ve long dealt with the smoke and dust now have a new question: is the water any safer?
