Still Waters Run Deep: Groundwater Contamination and Education Outcomes in India

56 Pages Posted: 18 Mar 2024

See all articles by Khushboo Aggarwal

Khushboo Aggarwal

Christ University

Rashmi Barua

Jawaharlal Nehru University

Marian Vidal-Fernandez

IZA - Institute for the Study of Labor; The University of Sydney - School of Economics

Abstract

We investigate the impact of groundwater contamination on educational outcomes in India. Our study leverages variations in the geographical coverage and timing of construction of safe government piped water schemes to identify the effects of exposure to contaminants. Using self-collected survey data from public schools in Assam, one of the most groundwater-contaminated regions in India, we find that prolonged exposure to unsafe groundwater is associated with increased school absenteeism, grade retention, and decreased test scores and Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). To complement our findings and to study the effect of one such contaminant, arsenic, we use a large nationally representative household survey. Using variations in soil textures across districts as an instrument for arsenic concentration levels we find that exposure to arsenic beyond safe threshold levels is negatively associated with school attendance.

Keywords: water contamination, education, India

JEL Classification: I15, I25, F63

Suggested Citation

Aggarwal, Khushboo and Barua, Rashmi and Vidal-Fernandez, Marian and Vidal-Fernandez, Marian, Still Waters Run Deep: Groundwater Contamination and Education Outcomes in India. IZA Discussion Paper No. 16863, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4761340 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4761340

Khushboo Aggarwal (Contact Author)

Christ University ( email )

Hosur Main Road
Central Campus
Bengaluru, 560029
India

Rashmi Barua

Jawaharlal Nehru University ( email )

Vasant Vihar
Jawaharlal Nehru University
New Delhi, DE 110067
India

Marian Vidal-Fernandez

IZA - Institute for the Study of Labor ( email )

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

The University of Sydney - School of Economics ( email )

Rm 370 Merewether (H04)
The University of Sydney
Sydney, NSW 2006 2008
Australia

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