Harsimran Romana
Groundwater research holds immense significance as it sustains ecosystems, agriculture, and drinking water supplies worldwide. Understanding its dynamics is crucial for managing water scarcity, mitigating contamination risks, and ensuring sustainable development. Research helps predict aquifer behaviour, aiding in disaster preparedness and resource allocation. Moreover, groundwater serves as a buffer against droughts, providing resilience to changing climatic patterns. Investigating its interactions with surface water bodies is vital for preserving aquatic ecosystems. My research focuses on anthropogenic induced groundwater quality and quantity deterioration in Punjab, India. I utilize spatial tools, drinking quality index and irrigation indices to understand the evolution of groundwater in the last 2 decades. My results show that according to WQI analysis, in the year 2000, 13.01% of sampling locations are categorized as very poor and 20% as unsuitable for drinking. Meanwhile, in 2020, 6.35% of locations are categorized as very poor and 12.38% as unsuitable for drinking in the study area. In addition to the effect on plant growth, consumption of contaminated water can adversely affect human health. The health hazards for F¯ (HQF) and NO3¯ (HQN) and their total health index (THI) are also evaluated that depicts 244 groundwater sampling sites in the year 2000, and 152 sampling sites in the year 2020 show high non-carcinogenic effects on adults; children and infants. Southwestern Punjab is worst affected while north-eastern regions drained by Himalayan rivers show better quality water. Shifting in agricultural practices during 2 decades result in deteriorating water levels and quality of the Southern region as indicated by geospatial analysis.
Comentários