Bihar's Water Crisis: A Stark Failure of Governance and Urgent Action Needed

Bihar is grappling with an escalating water contamination crisis, one that is placing the health and well-being of millions of its residents at grave risk. The recent report from the Bihar Economic Survey (2024-25) has shed light on a stark reality: approximately 30,207 rural wards in Bihar are exposed to unsafe drinking water, with harmful substances like arsenic, fluoride, and iron present in quantities that exceed permissible limits. This should be an urgent wake-up call for the state government, but, unfortunately, what is glaringly absent is a response that matches the scale of the problem.

The scale of groundwater contamination in Bihar is nothing short of catastrophic. The report reveals that a significant portion of rural Bihar is affected by the contamination of drinking water sources. The contamination of groundwater with arsenic has impacted 4,709 wards, while fluoride and iron contamination affects 3,789 and 21,709 wards, respectively. This is not a minor issue—it is an ecological and public health disaster. These hazardous substances pose severe health risks, ranging from arsenic poisoning, which leads to skin lesions, cancer, and neurological damage, to fluoride and iron contamination, which causes skeletal and dental fluorosis, and organ damage. These substances have irreversible effects on human health, particularly for vulnerable populations like children, the elderly, and pregnant women.

The government's response, as outlined by the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) and Minister Niraj Kumar Singh, is a mixture of promises and half-measures. The state has announced plans to make rural Bihar "hand pump-free" by providing safe drinking water through the "Har Ghar Nal ka Jal" scheme. This initiative aims to supply potable water to 83.76 lakh rural families, including those in the most contaminated regions. Additionally, the Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, laid the foundation stone for a ₹1,347-crore project to source drinking water from the Sone River, a project that will benefit several districts, including Aurangabad, Dehri, and Sasaram. While these projects may seem like steps in the right direction, they are insufficient given the magnitude of the crisis.

What is most concerning is the lack of urgency in the government's approach. The "Har Ghar Nal ka Jal" scheme, while ambitious, is not a quick-fix solution, and its timeline for completion is still uncertain. The Chief Minister's announcement about the ₹1,347-crore Sone River water supply project, though commendable, is not a panacea. The project, set to be completed in two years, is unlikely to address the immediate crisis faced by Bihar’s rural population, where people are consuming contaminated water on a daily basis. Meanwhile, people continue to suffer the consequences of unsafe drinking water, which can lead to a range of chronic diseases and long-term health complications.

Bihar’s groundwater contamination crisis is not a new issue. In fact, it has been festering for years, and the state government’s response has been grossly inadequate. The problem is exacerbated by the state's limited infrastructure, underfunded water management systems, and lack of awareness about water quality standards. While Minister Singh has acknowledged the gravity of the situation, his comments, which focus primarily on future solutions, fail to recognize the urgent need for immediate action. It is no longer enough to promise plans and schemes that will take years to materialize. The health of millions of Biharis is at stake right now.

Dr. Manoj Kumar, a well-known gastroenterologist in the state, has rightly pointed out that the high levels of chemical contamination in groundwater are a serious concern, and that the authorities must take concrete action to identify the sources of contamination and remedy the situation. But this also brings us to a critical issue: the complete lack of clear and enforceable standards for drinking water quality in India. While Bihar is grappling with water contamination, the central government has failed to implement robust national standards for drinking water quality. This has left states like Bihar with inadequate regulations and guidelines to address contamination issues effectively. The absence of comprehensive water quality regulations at the national level only exacerbates regional water crises, leading to public health disasters like the one unfolding in Bihar.

Furthermore, Bihar's water crisis is emblematic of the larger structural issues that plague the state’s development efforts. Despite its vast agricultural resources and potential for economic growth, Bihar has remained one of India’s most underdeveloped states. The issue of unsafe drinking water is just one example of how the state’s infrastructure and governance systems are failing its people. The fact that millions of rural households have been left to rely on unsafe, contaminated water sources is a glaring indictment of both the state and central governments. They have failed to prioritize basic public health needs, and the consequences of this negligence are devastating.

What makes this crisis even more inexcusable is the central government's tendency to downplay the urgency of water contamination and environmental degradation. The state government of Bihar can only do so much without the support and resources from the central government, yet the latter has shown little interest in addressing water contamination on a national scale. Instead of prioritizing critical environmental and public health issues, the central government has consistently diverted its focus to short-term, politically motivated projects. By neglecting the basic needs of the people, particularly in rural areas, the government is complicit in perpetuating cycles of poverty, ill-health, and underdevelopment.

The central government's failure to take action on issues like water contamination is particularly concerning given its focus on "development" projects that often ignore the most basic needs of citizens. It is highly ironic that India continues to see grandiose infrastructure plans and initiatives for smart cities while millions in rural areas lack access to clean and safe drinking water. The government's focus on symbolic projects, such as the "Namami Gange" initiative to clean the Ganges River, pales in comparison to the immediate and life-threatening water contamination crises affecting millions across the country, particularly in states like Bihar.

To be clear, addressing Bihar’s water contamination crisis requires more than just a few projects and schemes. It requires a comprehensive, long-term plan to ensure that every citizen has access to clean, safe, and affordable drinking water. The state government must focus on improving water treatment facilities, enhancing water quality monitoring systems, and implementing more aggressive measures to remove hazardous substances like arsenic, fluoride, and iron from drinking water. The central government, for its part, must step up its involvement, allocate more funds, and implement national standards for water quality to ensure that states like Bihar are not left to fend for themselves.

In the end, this crisis should not be seen as a mere issue of water contamination but as a glaring failure of governance at both the state and central levels. The people of Bihar deserve more than empty promises and long-term plans. They deserve immediate action and accountability. The time for half-measures has passed. It is high time for the government to address this crisis head-on, with the urgency and seriousness it deserves. Until then, the suffering of millions in Bihar will continue, and the state’s development will remain an elusive dream.