The JICA funded project for monitoring ground water contamination is underway at the Cuncolim and Bethora industrial estates. Officials of Asahi Geo Survey and Goa State Pollution Control Board completed the 4th survey of studying ground water contamination at Bethora and Cuncolim Industrial Estate. Spread over a period of three weeks, a total of 14 bore wells were dug, seven at each estate and at a depth of 16 meters during the survey. Chairman of Goa State pollution Control Board, Jose Manuel Noronha said that samples of ground water were collected from each test well and are presently being analysed for the presence of chromium, cobalt, nickel, lead, zinc, mercury, etc. Noronha said the exercise is being carried out to confirm the presence of chromium hexavalent in ground water at these estates and remediate the same through a bioremediation process using electron donor compounds (EDC). He pointed that scientists and consultants of GSPCB may recommend the use of EDC in ground water only after laboratory tests find it to be safe. This JICA project which is scheduled to end in January 2016 is estimated to cost USD one million, he added. The ongoing GSPCB survey assumes significance and comes against the backdrop of a long drawn agitation by the people of Cuncolim to check the underground water contamination due to the presence of chemical polluting units in the Cuncolim industrial estate.