SANJAY MAURYA AND ARCHANA SEN
Abstract
Groundwater is a crucial natural resource that plays an important role in supporting human life. Groundwater pollution has emerged as a critical environmental challenge, particularly in urban and semi-urban areas where dependency is very high. This study aimed at evaluating the condition of ground water pollution in Bhopal City of Madhya Pradesh, India. Twenty-one samples were collected from different locations within the city and analysed for their physio-chemical properties by standard methods of American Public Health Association APHA (2005). The findings obtained here were compared against the guidelines set by World Health Organisation (WHO) and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The assessment indicated that some of the vital parameters, viz., TDS, TH, Total Alkalinity exceeded the acceptable limit and parameters like pH, Mg+2, and Ca+2 etc, exceeded the permissible limit according to WHO and BIS standards. Hence, it appears that direct consumption of water from these sources can have potential health hazards. Water quality index (WQI) values as calculated for the study area came in the range of Excellent to unfit, which again proves the quality of groundwater in Bhopal City to be very inappropriate for drinking purposes.