Integrated assessment for groundwater quality and flood vulnerability in coal mining regions.

Abstract

Coal mining activities greatly damage water resources, explicitly concerning water quality. The adverse effects of coal mining and potential routes for contaminants to migrate, either through surface water or infiltration, into the groundwater table. Dealing with pollution from coal mining operations is a significant surface water contamination concern. Consequently, surface water resources get contaminated, harming nearby agricultural areas, drinking water sources, and aquatic habitats. Moreover, the percolation process connected with coal mining could alter groundwater quality. Subsurface water sources can get contaminated by toxins generated during mining activities that infiltrate the soil and reach the groundwater table. The aims of this study are the creation of models and the provision of proposals for corrective measures. Twenty-five scenarios were simulated using MODFLOW; according to the percolation percentage and contamination, 35% of the study area, i.e., the middle of the research area, was the most affected. About 38.08% of the area around the mining zones surrounding Margherita is prone to floods. Agricultural areas, known for applying chemical fertilizers, are particularly vulnerable, generating a risk of pollution to surrounding water bodies during flooding. The outputs of this research contribute to identifying and assessing flood-vulnerable regions, enabling focused measures for flood risk reduction, and strengthening water resource management.