‘High fluoride content in groundwater at 58 locations in Capital’

New Delhi: Groundwater samples collected from 58 tubewells in Delhi exceed permissible fluoride limits, according to a report submitted by the Delhi government to the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

The report said that the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) collected groundwater samples from 1,256 tubewells across the national capital following directions from the NGT.

Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Bishweswar Tudu, informed the Rajya Sabha on December 4 last year that arsenic had been detected in groundwater in parts of 230 districts in 25 states, and fluoride in 469 districts in 27 states.

Observing that the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) acknowledged the presence of high concentrations of arsenic and fluoride in groundwater, but no effective measures have been taken, the NGT issued notices to 28 states, Union territories, CGWA, and the environment ministry in December.

According to the response filed by the Delhi government, groundwater samples were collected from 56 tubewells in Narela and Bawana in northwest Delhi, of which 33 exceeded permissible fluoride limits.

Groundwater samples from 11 out of the 70 tubewells tested in Najafgarh Zone and Nangloi contained higher-than-permitted fluoride levels.