Northwest part of India is an agriculturally active region experiencing rapid rise in food production and steep decline in groundwater levels. The freshwater requirement is mostly met by regional aquifers which are inherently heterogeneous and undergoing extensive human inducted perturbations. These factors pose great challenge in planning sustainable groundwater management.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Indo-Gangetic multi-aquifer system provides water supplies to the most populous regions of the Indian subcontinent, however precise knowledge on the sources and dynamics of groundwater is still missing. Environmental isotopes (H, O, C, H and C) and hydrochemical modeling tools were used in this study in the multi-tiered aquifers underlying the Middle Gangetic Plains (MGP) to investigate the source of recharge, aquifer dynamics and inter-connectivity among aquifers. Within a depth span of 300 m, three aquifers, with contrasting recharge sources and dynamics, were delineated in this Sone-Ganga-Punpun interfluve region, with limited cross-aquifer hydraulic interconnections.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExposure to fluoride concentrations above a threshold of 1.5 mg/L can cause joint pains, restricted mobility, skeletal and dental fluorosis. This study aims to determine the hydrochemical evolution of the fluoride-rich groundwater and estimate the risk of fluoride exposure to the residents of semi-arid northeastern part of Rajasthan, India.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFluoride contamination in groundwater is a major problem throughout the world as well as in India. High-fluoride content was reported in the hot springs of Atri and Tarbalo sites in Odisha, India, and residents of nearby villages showed the manifestations of fluorosis. Around 39% of the groundwater samples showed fluoride concentration > 1 mg/l, higher than the desirable limit specified by the WHO.
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