Patiala, Dec. 8 -- Punjab's groundwater has the highest uranium concentration in the country, according to the Central Ground Water Board's Annual Groundwater Quality Report 2025, raising serious concerns about water safety. The findings are based on 3,754 groundwater samples collected nationwide during the pre- and post-monsoon seasons of 2024. Punjab remains the worst-affected state, with uranium levels above permissible limits in 53.04% of samples before the monsoon, rising further to 62.5% after it, well beyond the World Health Organization and Bureau of Indian Standards limit of 30 parts per billion (ppb). The sharp year-on-year escalation makes the situation more alarming. The proportion of samples breaching the safe limit has jumped from 32.6% in the 2024 report to 62.5% this year - a staggering 91.7% spike. In 2023, the figure was even lower at 24.17%, indicating a steady and troubling rise. Out of the 296 samples analysed in Punjab, 157 during the pre-monsoon period and 185 post-monsoon have shown uranium levels above the safe limit. Haryana is the second worst-hit in the country, also recording a sharp rise from 10% contamination before the monsoon to 23.75% after monsoon. With most eastern and southern states remaining within acceptable thresholds, uranium contamination has also been found in Delhi (13-15.66%), which ranks third after Punjab and Haryana; Karnataka (6-8%) and Uttar Pradesh (5-6%). Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh have reported moderate levels. The CGWB has called for urgent mitigation measures, including stricter groundwater mapping, enhanced water treatment infrastructure, reduction in deep-bore extraction, monitoring of agro-chemical composition and widespread community awareness initiatives. "India's groundwater is generally safe, but localised contamination with nitrates, fluoride, arsenic, uranium and manganese poses environmental risks. The 2024 dual-season assessment under the Annual Ground Water Quality Report 2025 provides a clearer understanding of these threats, enabling targeted mitigation strategies and policy interventions. Continued surveillance, source protection and public awareness are critical to ensuring long-term groundwater sustainability and public health safety," the report concludes. Punjab also features among major arsenic-affected regions, recording 9.1% pre-monsoon and 9.5% post-monsoon overruns. Arsenic traces have been detected in Patiala, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur and Gurdaspur. Also a naturally occurring chemical element, arsenic is known for its toxicity, and enters the environment from natural sources and activities like mining, fossil fuel burning and agriculture, often contaminating water and soil. Medical studies confirm that long-term exposure leads to arsenicosis, characterised by skin thickening, discolouration and lesions on the palms and soles, which can eventually progress to cancers of the skin, lungs and other organs. Arsenic is also associated with cardiovascular disease and increased diabetes risk. Nationwide, elevated arsenic concentrations are most prevalent in the Indo-Gangetic alluvial belt, with West Bengal registering the highest levels, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Punjab....