Impact of industrial effluents on groundwater around Pali city, Rajasthan using field and satellite data

Abstract

Groundwater pollution due to industrial effluents from textile units around Pali city area is the major concern to the local villagers and the district administration. Indiscriminate discharge of these effluents in the past two decades caused severe damage to the agricultural land and groundwater resources within 3 km buffer zone of the Bandi river. Remote Sensing and GIS techniques are found to be better tools in assessing the damage in agricultural crops during 1997 and 2006 with the help of high resolution satellite images. Groundwater fluctuation trend with annual rainfall pattern during 1985 and 2005 indicate good recharge in the study area. Detailed analysis of groundwater quality parameters (TDS, Cl and SO4) and heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Fe, Cd and Cr) for 1997–98 indicates maximum concentration around Chatelao village and Dholera Jagir in the downstream direction of Bandi river. However, temporal analysis of groundwater samples collected in January, 2009 shows marginal decrease in concentration of TDS, Cl, SO4, Pb and Cu in both groundwater as well as river effluents. Slight improvement in water quality especially heavy metals in the last 12 years (1998–2009) may be attributed to the appropriate measures (treatment of wastewater and solid waste disposal) taken by the establishment of three Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETP) in Pali city area. However, a few stringent actions may be taken to avoid direct discharge of the effluents into Bandi river.