MP Satnam Sandhu raises issue of Punjab’s groundwater contamination with highly toxic pollutants in Parliament
Babushahi Bureau
New Delhi, December 12, 2025: Rajya Sabha Member, Satnam Singh Sandhu raised the issue of the extremely alarming situation of Uranium, Nitrate and other toxic pollutants present in the groundwater of Punjab in Parliament.
Raising the issue in the Rajya Sabha through ‘Special Mention’ during the on-going Winter Session of the House, Sandhu said the figures from the latest Central Ground Water Board’s (CGWB) 'Annual Ground Water Report 2025' are frightening.
“According to this Report, Uranium exceeds the safe limit in 62.5% of water samples in Punjab, which is the highest rate of contamination in the whole of India.This is not just an environmental crisis; it is a serious 'Public Health Emergency'. In more than half of the samples, Uranium is above 30 ppb (parts per billion) which is causing cancer and kidney diseases in our future generations. Furthermore, the excess amounts of Nitrate in 14.6% and Fluoride in 11% of the samples are making our children susceptible to 'Blue Baby Syndrome' and bone diseases,” Sandhu said.
“There is also a threat to agriculture: 'Residual Sodium Carbonate' and increasing salinity in 25% of the samples are turning our fertile land barren.I strongly appeal to the Central Government to immediately launch a 'Special Groundwater Mitigation Mission' to save Punjab from this disaster,” he addd.
The Rajya Sabha Member Sandhu demanded RO-based community systems' must be installed on a war footing in the affected villages and 'Health Screening Camps' should be set up in disease-affected areas.
“Simultaneously, 'Deep aquifer mapping' must be conducted to locate sources of clean water.Water is a 'National Asset.' The Punjab that feeds the entire country today has its own people forced to drink poisoned water. The health of the 'Annadata' (farmers) is paramount, and we must take immediate action,” MP Sandhu said.
As per latest CGWB report for 2025, Punjab is the worst-affected state with uranium levels above permissible limit of 30 ppb in 53.04% of samples before the monsoon and 62.5% of samples after it.
As compared to 2024 when 32.6% samples were contominated, the proportion of samples breaching the safe limit jumped to 62.5% this year, in increase of 91.7% spike.
As per this report, 16 of Punjab’s 23 districts which have been categorised as contaminated zones include Tarn Taran, Patiala, Sangrur, Moga, Mansa, Barnala, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot, Amritsar, Muktsar and Bathinda. Two of these distrits, Sangrur and Bathinda recorded uranium concentrations exceeding 200 ppb.