Consider the following statements with reference to groundwater:
1. Groundwater extraction constitutes more than 90% of India’s water supply leading to excessive depletion and contamination.
2. The World Health Organization and Bureau of Indian Standards recommend less than 45 ppm for nitrate contamination.
3. Tamil Nadu and Kerala report the highest Uranium contamination in groundwater.

How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

Question

Consider the following statements with reference to groundwater:
1. Groundwater extraction constitutes more than 90% of India&rsquo;s water supply leading to excessive depletion and contamination.
2. The World Health Organization and Bureau of Indian Standards recommend less than 45 ppm for nitrate contamination.
3. Tamil Nadu and Kerala report the highest Uranium contamination in groundwater.

How many of the above statements are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

ONLiNE UPSC · Accepted Answer

Statement 1 is not correct: According to the Central Groundwater Board (CGWB) report, 60.4% of the country&rsquo;s groundwater extraction stage is currently being used in the nation&rsquo;s water supply, showing that groundwater is heavily relied upon and being susceptible to contamination by nitrates, fluorides and uranium along with alarming groundwater extraction rates.

Statement 2 is correct: The World Health Organization (WHO) and India&rsquo;s Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) define excessive nitrate contamination in groundwater based on its concentration, with the permissible limit for nitrate in drinking water set at 45 mg per liter (or 45 ppm).

Statement 3 is not correct: Safe Limit for Uranium is below 30 ppb (parts per billion); anything above is considered unsafe for drinking water. The regions affected with highest concentration of uranium (more than 100 ppb) is found in Rajasthan and Punjab, which poses serious health risks.

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M Question 1	⏱ 0
Consider the following statements with reference to groundwater: 1. Groundwater extraction constitutes more than 90% of India’s water supply leading to excessive depletion and contamination. 2. The World Health Organization and Bureau of Indian Standards recommend less than 45 ppm for nitrate contamination. 3. Tamil Nadu and Kerala report the highest Uranium contamination in groundwater. How many of the above statements are correct? (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All three (d) None