Chandigarh, July 6
A specialised laboratory equipped to check contamination of groundwater by uranium and other heavy metals will be set up and run in conjunction with the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and Panjab University at Mohali within six months.

Union Rural Development and Drinking Water and Sanitation Minister Jairam Ramesh said the laboratory, whose foundation stone was laid by him today, would cost Rs 4 crore. He said the problem of uranium contamination seemed peculiar to Punjab.

The Centre had given a financial assistance for creation of reverse osmosis facilities at 1,800 habitations in the state and would earmark more funds to provide alternative water sources for affected areas.

The Union minister said there was still confusion over how uranium traces had found their way into the groundwater in the Malwa region particularly in Mansa, Bathinda, Faridkot, Muktsar and Ferozepur districts. He said there was one theory that excessive use of phosphatic fertilizer could have triggered the crisis.

Punjab Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Secretary Sanjay Kumar said initially five samples were taken from each block in the state. Around 9,000 more samples would be tested when the lab was ready.