Traces of Uranium in Punjab

The Presence of Uranium in Excess in Bathinda Waters can be one of the Reasons of High Cancer Deaths in the District (Prof. Surinder Singh)*

Bathinda district, an important cotton growing belt of the state is in light since the last few years due to the higher mortality rate in the area. Giana, Malkana and Jajjal villages of Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda district are the worst effected areas. Various Government and Non Government agencies such as the Public Analyst, Punjab; Public Health and Welfare, Punjab; Punjab Pollution Control Board; Kheti Virasat; Greenpeace, India have focused their attention in the area as far as the health aspects of the general public are concerned. The Civil Surgeon, Bathinda has reported an increased occurrence of cancer cases over the last five years. About 70 cancer deaths have been reported to occur during the last five years only in Jajjal village and 25-28 patients are still under treatment at a Charitable Hospital, Bikaner (Rajasthan). The villagers attribute this high occurrence of cancer risks to unhygienic living conditions that prevail there and underground water, which is unfit and dangerous for human consumption. As per the report of Chief Agricultural Officer, Bathinda (Civil Surgeon Bathinda report, 2002) the commonly used insecticides in the villages of Giana and Jajjal are synthetic carbonate, organophosphatic and organochlorinated groups and pesticide in use is sulphas. There is no history of use of the drugs that could lead to cancer amongst these cases as reported by the Civil Surgeon Bathinda report (2002) and has attributed the higher number of various cancer cases to the better awareness about the disease and availing of better diagnostic facilities.
Senior Most Professor, Department of Physics, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar
Mobile: [phone]; Res: 0183 2257007; Email: [e-mail] Though the awareness among the people and better