Hyderabad: Thousands of people consuming uranium poisoned water are at grave health risk according to scientists, officials.
According to statistics, hundreds of thousands of farmers in several states, including Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Telangana, Karnataka and Andhra are using high uranium concentration groundwater that is beyond Atomic Energy Regulatory Board’s permissible limits, TOI reports.
The Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) is under attack after statistics show the organization are not making efforts for the people’s safety.
The scientists, activists slammed the UCIL claiming the research has shown several geographical regions in the country like Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh, Chitrial in Telangana has high concentrations of uranium occurring naturally under the earth.
Whereas, the research organization said people are digging borewells deep in these high uranium concentration areas which are bringing up water high uranium levels.
The heavy metal has a long-standing health impact by first affecting the kidneys adversely if inhaled or consumed in water.
“Uranium occurs naturally in several valence states. State of uranium changes when the water gets in contact with oxygen after the groundwater is brought up.
Tests done in borewells found that uranium levels are high in several areas in Andhra and Telangana,” UCIL chairman and managing director C K Asnani said.
The uranium levels in the Kadapa district are 3 to 9120 ppb (parts per billion) whereas the AERB permissible limits are 60 ppb.