Half of wells in 10 Kerala districts discovered contaminated in nationwide water high quality survey

The water high quality in almost half of the wells in 10 districts in Kerala examined as a part of the National Water Quality Monitoring Programme initiated by the Central Pollution Control Board has revealed various ranges of contamination.

Water samples taken from 16 of the overall 31 wells analysed as a part of the monitoring programme confirmed various levels of contamination. The samples had been collected in October 2024 from the wells situated in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Malappuram, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Palakkad, and Kannur districts.

The contaminated wells have been flagged for quick investigation in an effort to guarantee groundwater high quality.

Concerns

Particularly regarding had been the few samples with excessive to very excessive most possible quantity (MPN) values starting from 400 to 4000, suggesting localised sources of faecal contamination probably as a consequence of poor sanitation, mentioned the report filed by the Kerala authorities earlier than the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on the State’s stable and liquid waste administration state of affairs on July 23, 2025.

Fifteen samples had been discovered inside the acceptable or low-risk ranges (under detectable restrict or lower than 100 MPN/100 ml).

The samples had been examined by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board. The Principal Bench of the tribunal in New Delhi had requested the authorities to supply the small print of groundwater high quality through which a cluster of communities had been using septic tanks for sewage therapy.

The report mentioned there could be probabilities of contamination in sure areas through which containment was not correct. The city and rural native our bodies have been instructed to take needed follow-up motion that embrace retrofitting the improper containment system to a lined containment system similar to septic tank/biodigester developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation/prefabricated septic tank with no leakages to the atmosphere.

The civic our bodies have to make sure correct containment techniques whereas issuing permits/clearance for brand new constructions and institutions. They ought to monitor groundwater high quality often by the State Groundwater division and mitigate groundwater contamination with help from the division and analysis organisations.

The native our bodies must organise behaviour change campaigns focusing on all stakeholders, together with households and institutions, together with coaching programmes for development contractors and masons on the correct development practices for containment techniques and to lift consciousness in opposition to groundwater contamination, the report mentioned.