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GOVERNMENTOFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
RAJYASABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 3644
TO BE ANSWERED ON24.03.2026
INCREASINGCASES OFLEAD POISONING
3644.SMT.SAGARIKAGHOSE:
Will the MINISTER OFHEALTHAND FAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate:-
(a) whether over 275 million children in the country have blood Lead levels exceeding the
WHO safe limit of 5 μg/dL, with Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and
Chhattisgarh accountingfor 40percent of affectedpopulation;
(b) the number of blood Lead testing and treatment centres established under the National
HealthMission;
(c)the numberof food andspice samples found toexceedthe 10PPMLeadthreshold underthe
FoodSafetyandStandards Regulations, 2011since 2021;and
(d) whether the Ministry has moved to establish at least one Lead testing laboratory at every
district hospital, asrecommended bythe NITI Aayog–CSIRstudy?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH & FAMILY
WELFARE
(SHRIPRATAPRAOJADHAV)
(a): The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog and the Council of
Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), India have jointly prepared a report “Assessment of
Lead Impact on Human and India’s Response” (in July, 2022) based on 89 data sets from 36
researches that were carried out between 1970 and 2014 and found that 275 million children
under 19 years of age in India have blood Lead levels that are abnormally high i.e., greater
than5microgramsperdeciliter(µg/dl).
(b) & (c): Health is a State subject, the responsibility of strengthening public healthcare
system lies with the respective State/ UT Governments. Under National Health Mission
(NHM), the Government provides technical and financial support to States/UTs for
strengthening their healthcare systems based on the proposals submitted by them. No blood
Lead testing and treatment centres have been established under the NHM. However, few
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) laboratories have blood lead testing capacity
[National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH),
National Institute for ImplementationResearch onNon-Communicable Diseases (NIIRNCD),
etc].
As per the Pan India surveillance drives conducted by the Food Safety and Standards
Authority of India (FSSAI) during 2021-25, for various food products including spices, in
1.1% of samples, the levels of lead were found higher than the prescribed limit specified in
FoodSafetyandStandards Regulations(FSSR).
(d) No, such proposal isunderconsiderationinthe Ministry of Health& FamilyWelfare.
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