Along the GT road, large amount of effluent from electroplating units seeping into ground water is a major problem while industrial waste discharge into Buddha Nallah is a big hurdle for the authorities.

Of 490 tubewells in the city, as many as 100 are shallow tubewells at a depth of 180 feet or above and the rest are 400 feet or above and it has been found that the water which is 100-feet deep and in an area of 1000 metre on both sides of the nallah is not fit fir drinking at all. Nearly 40 villages along the Buddha Nullah are prone to water-borne diseases.

"Population density in the city is very high which puts pressure on the public authorities. The age-old sewerage system is the cause of the ground water pollution as contamination occurs because the sewerage and water pipes are very old which allow seepage to take place. Besides, some tubewells are functioning at shallow depth," said Dr SP Sharma, civil surgeon.