New Delhi : 20194 samples of groundwater in as many as 18 districts in Haryana state were collected under ‘Jal Jeewan Mission’ campaign of these nearly 68% ground water samples were found unfit for drinking purpose. 20194 water samples were sent to laboratory for examination in which 13828 water samples failed. According to report Arsenic, Mercury and Uranium contents were found in 5126 water samples. During examination in 8702 water samples Bacteria very harmful for health were found present. Teams of Mission also collected 77000 ground water samples from sources of supply in rural areas at the water supply points also, of them 20194 samples were found unfit for use during examination.
The groundwater in the southern, western and central parts in the state which include Sirsa, Fatehabad, Hisar, Jind, Jhajjar, Bhiwani, Mewat, Mahendragarh, Rewari and Faridabad districts was detected saline and unfit for drinking purpose. Apart from this, ground water in Gurugram, Palwal, Rohtak districts was recorded having low potable rating in which chemical parameters were found to be higher than the required quantity in nearly 50% water samples. According to the recent Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) report, the ground water samples in many parts in these districts were found having contents of high fluoride or nitrate or combination of both.
Information reveals, in most of the rural and semi-urban areas in Haryana, groundwater is major resource for drinking and irrigation purpose mostly in area where inadequate water is available at the surface. In such cases salinity, chloride, fluoride and nitrate present in the water are major contents considered unsuitable that make such groundwater unfit for drinking purposes. According to CGWB report, ground water in 20 districts in Haryana state have Nitrate 45 mg per liter whereas more than one milligram per liter iron along with contents of salt was detected in ground water available in some part s of 20 districts across the state.
As for irrigation purposes, ground water based on residual Sodium Carbonate values in 69.52% cases has been found safe, in 13.09 % marginal and in the remaining 17.39 % ground water are unfit for irrigation use. Most of the groundwater from Ambala, Yamunanagar, Sonipat, Panipat, Karnal, Panchkula districts are suitable for irrigation in case of semi-salt tolerant crops, whereas the ground water in Bhiwani, Sirsa, Hisar, Kaithal, Jhajjar, Palwal, Rohtak districts exhibit wide variability in irrigation rating. The CGWB report concluded that almost all groundwater is suitable for irrigation on well-drained soils and crops including wheat, mustard, rice, barley and maize etc.
