After reports from a German lab highlighted the danger of high uranium content in water, linking it with high frequency of abnormalities among residents of the Southern-West Malwa region of Punjab, another beginning report by Baba Atomic Research Center (BARC), Mumbai, and researchers at Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), Amritsar, has found unsafe concentrations of uranium and heavy metals in water samples collected from Bathinda, Faridkot, Muktsar and adjoining areas.
This comes at a time when the state health department is facing flak for its supposed attempts to play down this serious threat to people's health. Dr HS Kushwaha, director health, safety and environment group of BARC, said, "235 water samples were composed from the area about a year back, and many of these were establish to have high uranium content. So, we assigned the task of exploring the possibility of uranium view and health risk assessments in area to physics department of GNDU, about six months back."
"We are conducting the study and a beginning report of 250 samples showed concentrations of uranium in water samples collected from Bathinda. Apart from this radioactive element, many other heavy metals were found," said Dr Surinder Singh, the incharge of GNDU inquiry team.Though there is a require to check more samples from all over the state, on the basis of the beginning report, we have urged the state government to install RO water treatment system in South-West Malwa region, to control the flow of uranium and heavy metals in human body to some amount, he added.
This comes at a time when the state health department is facing flak for its supposed attempts to play down this serious threat to people's health. Dr HS Kushwaha, director health, safety and environment group of BARC, said, "235 water samples were composed from the area about a year back, and many of these were establish to have high uranium content. So, we assigned the task of exploring the possibility of uranium view and health risk assessments in area to physics department of GNDU, about six months back."
"We are conducting the study and a beginning report of 250 samples showed concentrations of uranium in water samples collected from Bathinda. Apart from this radioactive element, many other heavy metals were found," said Dr Surinder Singh, the incharge of GNDU inquiry team.Though there is a require to check more samples from all over the state, on the basis of the beginning report, we have urged the state government to install RO water treatment system in South-West Malwa region, to control the flow of uranium and heavy metals in human body to some amount, he added.
