Nashik Groundwater Contains Cancer-Causing Chromium 1,000 Times Above Safe Limit

A groundwater sample collected from a residential area near Nashik’s Ambad industrial area contained hexavalent chromium at more than 1,000 times the permissible drinking water limit, according to a laboratory report, prompting the Maharashtra government to take action against polluting industries ahead of the 2027 Kumbh Mela.

The analysis found total chromium at 50.5 milligrams per litre, including 50.3 milligrams per litre of hexavalent chromium. The Bureau of Indian Standards’ permissible limit for chromium in drinking water is 0.05 milligrams per litre, making the measured concentration of hexavalent chromium more than 1,000 times the limit. The sample was tested on October 3 by Ashwamedh Engineers and Consultants, an accredited private laboratory, according to The Indian Express, which accessed the report.

SANDRP, which arranged the groundwater testing, said the contaminated water was also entering the Godavari through a local drain. The organisation called for tests of the Nandini tributary and the Godavari downstream of the contamination point to establish how far the pollution had spread. The extent of contamination in the river system therefore remains to be established.

The findings come as Nashik prepares to host the Simhastha Kumbh Mela, which begins on October 31, 2026, and continues into 2028, with major bathing events scheduled in 2027. The festival draws devotees to ritual bathing in the Godavari, placing renewed attention on water quality along its ghats.

Government orders action against polluting industries

On Thursday, state minister Girish Mahajan, who is overseeing preparations for the Kumbh Mela, visited the area and spoke to Environment and Climate Change Minister Pankaja Munde about the findings. An official from Munde’s office said she had directed Maharashtra Pollution Control Board officials to take immediate and appropriate action against industries found to be polluting the area.

A report published by Loksatta on October 12 said the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board had shut 13 factories over inadequate treatment of industrial wastewater and was taking similar action against five more. The report also said five public borewells had been closed.

Nashik-based environmental activist Rajesh Pandit said he and Parineeta Dandekar of the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP) collected the samples after residents complained about water quality. Dandekar shared the laboratory findings with government authorities after receiving the report, following which Mahajan raised the matter with Munde.

“We have been fighting for river rejuvenation and against water pollution for over a decade. We received complaints that several residential borewells in Ambad were supplying yellow water,” Pandit said.

Pandit alleged that both authorised industrial units and illegal operators were discharging untreated wastewater into the open. The specific source of the chromium detected in the sample has not been established. SANDRP has called for further testing of the Nandini and Godavari rivers to determine the extent of contamination.

Residents raise concerns over water and health

Hexavalent chromium is a known human carcinogen. The laboratory findings establish the chromium concentration in the tested sample, but they do not establish the extent of residents’ exposure or prove that the reported illnesses were caused by the contamination. Further investigation is needed to determine the spread of pollution and assess its impact on residents.

Pandit said residents had reported skin problems and other illnesses, which he attributed to exposure to polluted water. He also cited reports of chemical ulcers, rashes and blisters, as well as cases of swollen lymph nodes and chronic illnesses. Two women in the affected settlement had reported miscarriages, he said. These accounts have not been independently established as consequences of chromium exposure.

Pandit said the inconsistent municipal water supply had left families relying on the water for everyday household use.

“Because of the low and inconsistent water supply from the Nashik Municipal Corporation, families are forced to depend on this water for bathing, washing clothes and cleaning utensils,” Pandit said.

The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board has begun action against polluting industries, while further testing is needed to establish how far the contamination has spread through the groundwater and river system.