Nashik: Groundwater in a Nashik neighbourhood has tested positive for hexavalent chromium at levels nearly 1,000 times above the permissible limit, triggering an emergency crackdown on industries and raising fresh concerns over public health and water safety ahead of next year’s Simhastha Kumbh Mela.Samples collected from Datta Nagar near the Ambad industrial area, where residents complained of yellow-coloured borewell water, showed chromium concentrations of 50.3 mg per litre against the safe limit of 0.05 mg per litre, officials said.District collector Ayush Prasad presented the findings to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis during his visit to Nashik on Sunday.“Laboratory reports show chromium levels of 50.3 mg per litre against the permissible limit of 0.05 mg per litre. That is nearly 1,000 times higher. We are taking all necessary steps to identify the source and stop the contamination,” Prasad said.The administration has already launched a joint enforcement drive. So far, 15 industrial units have either been served closure notices or sealed by teams from the district administration, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC).The contamination scare has also triggered health concerns.Screening surveys have identified 19 residents with skin ailments, while nearly 25,000 people are estimated to be living in the affected area. Officials fear the problem extends beyond a single locality. Industrial drains from the area ultimately flow into Nandini river, which joins Godavari, a major concern with lakhs of pilgrims expected to visit Nashik during the Simhastha Kumbh Mela.“Various actions are under way, including closure notices to at least 15 units and joint surveys by MIDC, MPCB and revenue officials. The number of suspect units is growing every day,” a senior district official said.MPCB officials said their own sample reports are awaited, but action has already begun against units violating pollution norms, including industries operating without effective effluent treatment systems.Officials also found at least one unit operating outside the MIDC area without mandatory permissions from either MIDC or MPCB.The report submitted to chief minister recommends a series of urgent measures, including disconnecting illegal industrial links to sewage and storm-water networks, tracing contamination pathways and cleaning the affected aquifer with expert assistance.“Experts from the Groundwater Survey and Development Agency will be required for aquifer remediation. Units found responsible must also voluntarily shut operations until proper effluent treatment systems are installed,” the report said.EndsEnds