Rapid urbanisation without matching infrastructure and poor sewage management are contaminating water sources. The study says drinking water now carries both superbugs and hazardous chemicals.

Most sewage remains untreated, enters water sources

Only 28% of sewage generated in urban India is treated. The remaining 72% flows untreated into rivers or seeps into groundwater, the study notes. Leaking pipelines allow sewage to mix with drinking water, increasing risks of diseases such as typhoid, cholera and hepatitis.

The findings, published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research, draw on data from metro cities and tier-II towns, including slums. Researchers analysed water supply, sewage systems and public health data, along with past pollution incidents in the Ganga basin, industrial areas in Haryana and cities like Rourkela in Odisha.

Chemicals and heavy metals add to health risks

The study identifies high levels of nitrate, fluoride and arsenic in wastewater. These are linked to growth disorders in children and bone diseases such as fluorosis. Heavy metals like lead and chromium increase risks of cancer and heart disease.

It warns that by 2050, about 50% of India's population will live in cities, which could worsen the crisis if current systems remain unchanged.

Study calls for public health emergency response

The study urges authorities to treat water pollution as a public health emergency rather than only an engineering issue.

It recommends maintaining continuous pressure in pipelines to prevent contamination, ensuring 100% sewage treatment before discharge, and linking water quality data with disease surveillance through real-time monitoring systems.