A Noida Authority hydrology survey has reportedly found arsenic, lead and chromium in groundwater along the Hindon river, forcing the authority to halt plans for rainwells in the area. The report says the groundwater was found unsuitable for use, but contains conflicting references to the depth of contamination that require clarification from the authority.
According to Navbharat Times – Noida, the survey was conducted to assess whether rainwells could be constructed along the Hindon on the model of those operating near the Yamuna. The report says groundwater near the river contained potentially hazardous levels of arsenic, lead and chromium. It attributes the findings to Noida Authority officials and says the water could pose a health risk if used without adequate treatment.
The report places the Hindon’s Noida stretch between Bahlolpur near Sector 63 and the area opposite Sector 168, covering approximately 23 kilometres. Residential sectors and settlements mentioned in the report include Sector 63, Bahlolpur, Parthala, Sorakha, and Sectors 121, 123, 146, 150 and 168.
The proposed rainwells were intended to address water-quality and supply concerns in these areas. The report says water from the Yamuna-side rainwells does not reach the sectors around the Hindon. When Ganga water supplied from Ghaziabad is interrupted, groundwater from tube wells is supplied directly to residents, according to the report.
The report cites total dissolved solids levels of between 1,500 and 2,200 in water supplied through these tube wells. It compares this with TDS levels of between 400 and 500 in water from rainwells along the Yamuna. The difference in reported water quality was one reason the authority considered creating a similar groundwater-based supply system near the Hindon.
However, the report contains two different descriptions of the depth at which contamination was found. Its summary and one passage refer to groundwater around 150 feet below the surface, while a statement attributed to Noida Authority water department general manager R.P. Singh says water up to 150 metres deep was found unsuitable for use. The distinction is significant because it affects the scale and technical interpretation of the contamination.
Singh is quoted as saying that the groundwater survey was conducted specifically to examine the feasibility of rainwells along the Hindon. The report says the survey found arsenic, lead and chromium at dangerous levels and led to the rainwell proposal being stopped.
The report does not provide the laboratory test results, sampling locations, dates of collection, permissible concentration limits, or details of the treatment and alternative-supply measures being considered. It also does not establish whether the reported contamination is uniform across the entire 23-kilometre stretch or concentrated at specific locations.
Before the findings can support wider public-health or water-supply decisions, the Noida Authority would need to clarify the survey depth, release the test results and specify the affected locations. The authority’s stated immediate decision, according to the report, is to stop the proposed Hindon-side rainwell project because the groundwater was not considered suitable for use.
