Telangana groundwater contains contaminants exceeding safe limits, report says
The Central Ground Water Board found high levels of nitrate, fluoride, and uranium in several parts of the state.
The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) Annual Ground Water Quality Report 2026 has found that groundwater in several parts of Telangana contains levels of fluoride, nitrate, uranium, iron, and manganese that exceed permissible limits, according to The Times of India.
Rangareddy district has been identified as a major nitrate hotspot, where samples from various locations showed concentrations four to five times higher than the 45 mg per litre limit. High levels of uranium and fluoride were also recorded in Nalgonda, Nirmal, Mahabubnagar, Wanaparthy, and Vikarabad.
M V S S Giridhar, a professor at the Centre for Water Resources, JNTU Hyderabad, said fluoride contamination is a long-standing issue due to geological formations where rainwater dissolves fluoride-bearing minerals in rocks. In rural areas, nitrate pollution is linked to human waste, garbage dumping, and festive waste disposal.
General physician Chaitanya Challa stated that nitrates, fluoride, and uranium above safe limits pose health risks, noting that nitrates can increase risks of birth defects and certain cancers. Challa added that fluoride can lead to dental fluorosis in children and skeletal fluorosis in adults, while infants and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable.
Disaster management expert B V Venkateshwar Rao cautioned that deeper borewells, reaching 1,500 to 3,000 feet, may not provide safer water. Rao said that extracting water from deeper aquifers can increase the concentration of total dissolved solids (TDS) and metals, potentially affecting potability.