Davane Hrushita and Khobragade Kshama
Abstract
Groundwater is one of the most important sources of freshwater on the earth. However, it is highly vulnerable to pollution, which is often irreversible, and the reclamation of contaminated groundwater is extremely difficult. Rapid industrialization, urbanization and population growth have significantly increased both the quantity and complexity of solid waste generated in urban areas. This has led to serious environmental concerns, including deterioration of groundwater quality. The municipal solid waste dumping site situated close to residential communities has emerged as a serious environmental concern. Uncontrolled disposal and inefficient waste management practices have contributed to increasing levels of pollution, particularly affecting groundwater quality and public health. Residents living near the site are more vulnerable to the harmful impacts of waste contamination, foul odour, and the spread of diseases. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly known as Aurangabad), a major city in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra. It generates approximately 450-500 metric tons of solid waste per day. Hence, the present study focused on assessing the impact of solid waste dumping on groundwater quality in and around the city. A total of 16 physicochemical parameters such as Colour, Temp, Odour, Turbidity, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Total Hardness (TH), Calcium (Ca²+), Magnesium (Mg²+), Chloride (Clâ), Sulphate (SO4²â), Nitrate (NO3â), Dissolved Oxygen, Chemical Oxygen Demand and Biochemical Oxygen Demand were analysed for pre-monsoon (June) and post-monsoon (November) period in 2024. The results indicated variations in the parameters, primarily due to anthropogenic activities such as open waste dumping and poorly managed or unscientific landfill practices.