Ground water is the principal source of drinking water in the rural areas of India. With the aim of determining, the  contribution  of ²²⁶Ra to natural background radiation through drinking water exposure pathway near an operating uranium mining industry at Jaduguda, Jharkhand state of eastern India, the ²²⁶Ra activity concentrations were measured in potable ground water. The water analysed, both tube well and well water, was collected in areas near the uranium industry and away. The ²²⁶Ra concentration was measured by emanometric technique. The ²²⁶Ra level in ground water was ranging between minimum detection limit of 3.5 mBq l^-1 and a maximum of 208 mBq l^-1. The analysis of variance reveals that there is insignificant statistical variation in the median ²²⁶Ra concentration up to a distance of >10 km from the mining complex. Variation in concentration of 226Ra in sources is attributed to the local geochemistry and environmental factors. The ²²⁶Ra concentration was significantly elevated in natural artesian wells in the vicinity of uranium mineralised hill and it varies from 53.4 to 754 mBq l^-1. The WHO [Guidelines for Drinking Water Quality. Third Edition, Vol. 1, Recommendation (2004) guideline  value of 1000 mBq l^-1 has not been exceeded in any of the sources investigated