The Indian Institute of Toxicology Research (IITR) has informed the Supreme Court that groundwater around the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal is contaminated.

In an interim report submitted before the Bench of Justices Altamas Kabir and J. Chelameswar, the IITR said 30 samples were collected from the disaster site. Nitrate level in nine samples exceeded the permissible limit prescribed by the Bureau of Indian Standards for drinking water and lead beyond the limit was found in 24.