An Appraisal of Hydrogeological Conditions and Fluoride Problem in Makrana Block of Nagaur District in Rajasthan, India

Abstract

Abstrct: Groundwater is one of the important sources of potable water supply in rural India. The study area of Makrana block is located in the south-eastern part of Nagaur district of Rajasthan covering about 1140 sq. km. area. The marble from the Makrana town gets the GHSR (Global Heritage Stone Resources) status recently from the IUGS. The study area experiences arid to semi-arid type of climate. Older alluvium, Quaternary Alluvium and Schist are important aquifers occur in Makrana block. Groundwater occurs under unconfined to semi-confined conditions. Groundwater quality and depth of water varies widely in Makrana block. High concentration of fluoride and nitrate are major quality problem associated with groundwater and having adverse effects on human health. High concentration of fluoride in a particular belt is so remarkable that the term BANKA PATTI (a strip of land where deformed people reside) has been in used covering parts of Parbatsar, Makrana and Degana blocks of Nagaur district wherein some villages the fluoride concentration in groundwater is over 4 ppm. The concentration of Fluoride mainly comes from Schists, Gneiss and Limestone of Proterozoic age. Higher concentration of fluoride affects metabolic activities of an individual which may cause skeletal and dental fluorosis. The disease fluorosis is non curable but preventable