Toxic chromium in Nashik groundwater raises Kumbh Mela health fears: Report
SANDRP says tests found cancer-linked hexavalent chromium at over 1,000 times the permissible limit, with contaminated water allegedly entering the Godavari
As Nashik gets ready to host the Simhastha Kumbh Mela in 2027, a laboratory testing of groundwater in the Ambad industrial area in the district shows acute toxic contamination, with levels of cancer-linked hexavalent chromium 1,000 times higher than safety limits, according to the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers, and People (SANDRP).
The informal network SANDRP works on issues related to rivers, communities, and large-scale water infrastructure like dams.
The contaminated water has caused skin and other health-related issues among residents and is also entering the Godavari River through local drains, it said.
Potential health risk to pilgrims
The affected river stretch includes ghats where Kumbh Mela will soon be organised, posing a potential health risk to millions of pilgrims who will visit the city, a statement by the SANDRP released on October 8 said.
It added: "The analysis reveals hexavalent chromium levels of 50.3 mg/L in the total chromium of 50.5 mg/L: surpassing the Bureau of Indian Standards drinking water allowable limit of 0.05 mg/L by over 1,000 times."
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The water samples were reportedly collected from the Nandini river system, which flows into the Godavari. This has raised concern about the risk posed to the large number of devotees during the Kumbh Mela, who will be taking part in the ritual bathing in the Godavari.
The chemical's source could be electroplating, metal finishing, paint, and other industries located in the Ambad Maharashtra Industries Development Corporation (MIDC) zone, according to the network.
‘Residents consuming contaminated water’
The SANDRP claimed that many of Ambad's residents have been forced to consume and rely on contaminated water due to low and inconsistent supply from the Nashik Municipal Corporation. As a result, people, including children and women, suffered from chemical ulcers, rashes, and blisters, it said.
"Young women and children had painful, swollen lymph nodes and chronic illnesses. Two women in the affected settlement report suffering spontaneous miscarriages. The number can be higher. The link has to be assessed," the statement said.
‘Inadequate regulatory response’
It also highlighted that the regulatory response had been "inadequate" despite repeated complaints on multiple occasions.
"The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) issued a routine show-cause notice to only a single company on September 30, 2026, after media reports of yellow water emerged," the network added.
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The MPCB neither made its water testing data public nor communicated it to the affected residents, "leaving the community in the dark about a lethal chemical hazard", the SANDRP said.
Industrial discharge
A Nashik-based environmental activist who has been campaigning against pollution in the region alleged that both authorised industrial units and illegal operators were discharging untreated wastewater into the open, raising concerns about the possible spread of pollutants into the surrounding environment and groundwater.
He called for a detailed investigation to determine the extent of contamination and establish how far it had spread. Such an assessment would help identify the affected areas, determine whether residents' water sources are contaminated, and establish the potential risks to public health.
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Hexavalent chromium is a toxic form of chromium associated with cancer risk, particularly through certain types of exposure. A comprehensive study of groundwater quality, along with an assessment of industrial wastewater disposal practices, would be necessary to determine the scale of the problem. Until the findings are available, the reported illnesses and alleged industrial discharges remain serious concerns requiring investigation.
(With agency inputs)