44-Groundwater Pollution - Potential and Impact in Identified cities, India

Abstract

With only twenty five percent population living in urban areas, India has cities amongst the biggest in the world. In most of Indian cities, the urban growth is concomitant with rise in water demand for community as well as for industrial purposes. The urban growth as its offshoot, generates huge amount of industrial and municipal waste often disposed indiscriminately. The complex situation resulting from indiscriminate disposal of waste, unmindful withdrawal of groundwater and its impact on groundwater quality has been closely scrutinized in the present paper. It discusses about the groundwater regime, the sources of pollution, groundwater quality and suitable site-specific control measures. The findings of the paper are based on the integrated study carried out in three cities of U.P., viz., Lucknow, Kanpur, Ghaziabad and twin cities of Faridabad-Ballabhgarh in Haryana.