Groundwater that glows yellow-green in U.P.
Decades of industrial waste dumping have contaminated groundwater with chromium (VI) across parts of three Uttar Pradesh districts, exposing villagers to unsafe water and serious health risks
In a village along National Highway 19 in Uttar Pradesh, patches of yellow-green water have been spotted on the ground and in a nearby culvert. The cause of this contamination is chromium (VI), a chemical that has been found in the groundwater in several areas of three districts - Fatehpur, Kanpur Dehat, and Kanpur Nagar. Blood samples from residents have revealed that 73-96% of them have above-permissible levels of chromium (VI) in their blood.
Studies have linked chromium (VI) to severe health issues, including stomach ulcers, cancer, and damage to kidneys and livers. The chemical is used in various industries, including electroplating and leather tanning, and factories in the area produce chromium sulphate. In 2005, the U.P. Pollution Control Board identified six factories in Kanpur Dehat that were dumping untreated waste, but the NGT ordered their removal in 2017 and again in 2026 for fresh chemical dumps.
Villagers blame nearby factories for the contamination and express frustration over the slow government response. There are no testing facilities for heavy metals in the affected districts, despite the high levels detected in blood samples. Villagers have used contaminated soil from factories to fill their land and fields in the past, unaware of its poisonous nature.
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