16 March 2020

 Highlights of the WHO Report:

• There is prevalence of Uranium concentration above 30 micro-gram per litre (World Health Organization (WHO) provisional guidelines) in some of the localized pockets of few States/UTs in India.
• As per the  report brought out by Duke University, USA, in association with Central Ground Water Board and State Ground Water departments Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Jammu & Kashmir have localised occurrence of Uranium concentration.
• This was brought to notice   by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti and Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri Rattan Lal Kataria in Rajya Sabha.

What is the permissible limit ?
According to the Bureau of Indian Standards the maximum permissible limit of Uranium in drinking water is 0.03mg /litre.

Ill-effects of Uranium:
Intake of large amount of uranium causes kidney problem.

How does Uranium occur in Nature?

• Uranium ore deposits are economically recoverable concentrations of uranium within the Earth’s crust. 
• Uranium is one of the more common elements in the Earth’s crust, being 40 times more common than silver and 500 times more common than gold.
• It can be found almost everywhere in rock, soil, rivers, and ocean.
• Leaching from natural sources and runoff from mines can increase the level of uranium in ground water.