Varanasi (PTI): In an alarming development, a group of scientists has revealed that underground water in Varanasi and adjoining areas is contaminated with Uranium but the Centre and the state government are unaware of the fact.

The study conducted by G C Chowdhary, former Professor at the Geology Department of Banaras Hindu University and S K Agarwal, also a professor of Geology, has shown that the drinking water in the University premises some other places in the city contains radioactive Uranium more than the recommended limit.

Samples for the study were collected from 11 tubewells tapping deep aquifers (more than 100 meters deep).

The Uranium content varied from 2 to 11 ppb (parts per billion) while the permissible limit is only 1.5 ppb.

Chowdhary said the underground water also contains heavy metals such as Chromium, Manganese, Nickel, Ferrous, Copper, Zinc and Lead.

He said they had also published their first research paper in this regard in the Hydrology Journal of Indian Association of Hydrology in 1990s, clearly predicting health hazardous of water contaminated with these elements beyond the permissible limit.

Member Secretary of the UP Pollution Control Board, CS Bhatt, told PTI on phone that he had not come across any report, which suggests that the underground water in Varanasi is contaminated with any sort of radioactive element.

There is no facility with the board to investigate any such occurrences even if it comes to its knowledge, he said.