High level of uranium in Bihar groundwater triggers concern

PATNA: Recent findings of radioactive uranium in groundwater in some pockets of Bihar has set alarm bells ringing for the state administration as well as environmentalists.
In the analysis of water samples collected from different parts of the state, the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has found uranium in concentrations above the permissible limit. While the permissible limit of uranium in potable water is 30 parts per billion (PPB), the CGWB found uranium traces in the groundwater samples in the range of 40-50 PPB.
Thakur Brahmanand Singh, regional director of CGWB (mid-eastern region), told TOI that water samples from 10 districts, namely, Nalanda, Nawada, Katihar, Madhepura, Vaishali, Supaul, Aurangabad, Gaya, Saran, and Jehanabad, have been sent to the Lucknow centre of the CGWB for detailed isotopic uranium analysis.