Amid reports of people in over nine villages of Greater Noida suffering from cancer due to contaminated groundwater, the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) on Friday said samples of water have not revealed presence of any carcinogenic substance and that it is now checking contamination due to pesticides.
The UPPCB said this in a reply filed before a National Green Tribunal Bench.
In November, the Centre for Development and Human Rights had filed a petition saying there has been a rise in the number of cancer cases in villages around Chhapraula Industrial Area in Greater Noida allegedly due to groundwater contamination and sought closure of illegal industrial activity in the area.
The petitioner relied on a newspaper report stating that due to contaminated groundwater, many villagers in Sadopur, Achheja, Sadullapur, Bishnuli, Kheradharampur, Dujana, Vaidpur, Milak Lachchhi and Khedi Bhanota are suffering from cancer.
After a notice was issued by the NGT, the UPPCB said samples were collected from seven hand pumps at nine locations and from two bore wells in the industries located near the villages and sent for testing. “The tests revealed no metal having carcinogenic characteristics.”
It said samples from 13 locations in October revealed hardness above prescribed norms, and also the value of calcium, magnesium and total dissolved solids. “The characteristic of calcium and magnesium is not carcinogenic. Their higher concentration is due to geochemical properties of the area.”
The board said in August, samples from hand pumps at six locations from a village on G.T. Road in Greater Noida revealed high hardness, dissolved solids, alkalinity, but metals like Hexavalent chromium and lead, which have carcinogenic characteristics, were not found.
“The presence of higher values of total hardness, TDS and alkalinity may be attributed to natural presence and excessive withdrawal of groundwater in these villages,” it said.
It also said samples from bore wells at two locations at Bheel, Akbarpur, G.T. Karnal Road and Greater Noida were collected in November and they revealed higher total hardness, calcium and magnesium. “The samples so collected have been sent to the Indian Institute of Toxicology Research to detect the presence of pesticides in groundwater, That report is awaited.”
The Central Ground Water Board will also conduct an investigation and submit a report by December 31.
