Assessment of River Yamuna and Groundwater Interaction Using Isotopes in Agra and Mathura Area of Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

Yamuna river water quality has been deteriorated from Delhi onwards mainly in Agra and Mathura areas of Uttar Pradesh due to discharge of large quantities of untreated or partially treated wastewater into the river. Groundwater is also saline in these areas. Thus, the resultant poor water quality could worsen the problems of potable water supply to rapidly growing population of these areas. Groundwater and river water respectively is the main drinking water source in Mathura and Agra. Therefore, there is need to investigate the quality of bankside groundwater and surface water in Mathura and Agra as potential source of drinking water and also to assess the interaction between Yamuna river and groundwater. Keeping in view the above points, present study was carried out to assess river Yamuna and -groundwater interaction using isotope in the Agra and Mathura area of Uttar Pradesh, India. Samples of river and groundwater were collected from hand pumps/bore wells along the periphery of the Yamuna River. Analyses of the electrical conductivity (EC), temperature and isotopic composition (δD) demonstrated that the groundwater is highly influenced by the river Yamuna. Groundwater containing seepage component is indicated by low temperature, low EC and depleted isotopic (δD) composition. The influence of river on groundwater is found to decrease with the increasing distance from the river. The contribution of river water to the groundwater is more in Mathura as compared to Agra.