Rahul Somvanshi
Residents in Ambad, Nashik, have reported that water from a residential borewell turned bright yellow. A test commissioned by the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP) reported hexavalent chromium at 50.3 mg/L in the sample, against a Bureau of Indian Standards drinking-water limit of 0.05 mg/L cited by the organisation.
The result is preliminary evidence from one reported sample, not a finding that identifies the source of contamination or the extent of any plume. Still, it raises an urgent question for families who have used borewell water for bathing, washing clothes and cleaning utensils: is the water safe to use?
SANDRP said the sample was collected in Ambad and tested at an accredited laboratory in Nashik. Its October 8 press note says total chromium measured 50.5 mg/L, including 50.3 mg/L of hexavalent chromium, often written as Cr(VI). The organisation called for independent government testing, a public release of results and an investigation of industrial activity in the area.
What Residents and Authorities Need to Establish
Hexavalent chromium is classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as carcinogenic to humans in occupational exposure settings. A single local water result does not establish exposure levels, health outcomes or responsibility for pollution. Those questions require wider sampling, inspection and a formal public-health assessment.
SANDRP said residents had reported skin problems after using the water and that two women reported miscarriages. The organisation itself said any link between those reports and the water contamination must be assessed. Karmactive has not independently verified those individual medical accounts, and they should not be treated as proof of causation.
The organisation also said a local drain carries water towards the Godavari through tributaries. That route and the river’s water quality now need testing by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and other authorities, particularly with Nashik preparing for Kumbh-related events later this month.
The immediate public-health priority is practical: authorities should identify affected borewells, provide a safe alternative water supply and publish results in a form residents can understand. The investigation should also establish whether industrial effluent is involved before responsibility is assigned. Concerns about enforcement of pollution controls have also surfaced elsewhere in Maharashtra, including Karmactive’s report on air-pollution violations in Thane.
The reported laboratory findings, and the unanswered questions around them, make independent sampling and transparent official action more important than speculation. Until results are available, people using affected borewells need clear, local guidance from health and pollution-control authorities.
