In India, more than 130 million people live in areas where groundwater supplies are contaminated with at least one dangerous pollutant such as arsenic or nitrate, according to the World Resources Institute.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has pledged billions of dollars to clean up the Ganga river, while efforts are also under way to stop raw sewage and industrial waste spewing into the waterways.
But researcher Sushmita Sengupta warned it could be too late in some areas where groundwater has long been mismanaged.
“Once the groundwater is contaminated it’s an almost irreversible process. Once it’s destroyed it’s lost forever,” said Sengupta, of the Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment.
Not enough drinking water
Parts of India are anxiously waiting for the annual monsoon currently sweeping across the country to provide relief to 330 million farmers and others.
But experts say the torrential rains will not solve country’s water problems unless much more is done to manage supplies.
Rajendra Singh, dubbed the Water Man of India, said rains will fail to replenish the water table in many areas because unchecked urbanisation has destroyed wetlands and other natural recharge spots.
“It will just be a flash flood,” said Singh, who has called for a ban on groundwater extraction for all purposes other than for drinking to allow aquifers a chance to recover.
“There is not enough drinkable water for the Indian people. Without water security there is nothing,” said Singh, who last year won the Stockholm Water Prize for his work to boost supplies in villages in Rajasthan.
