Impact of river water on the ground water quality in Varanasi district

As the Nation's concerns over water resources and the environment increase, the importance of considering ground water and surface water as a single resource has become increasingly evident. Humans have strongly impacted the global water cycle. Discharge of contaminated aquifers to streams can result in long-term contamination of surface water, which may ultimately contaminate aquifers. Water quality plays an important role in promoting agricultural production and standard of human health. The overexploitation of ground water has detrimentally affected ground water in terms of the quality and quantity in Varanasi region. The qualitative analysis of riverVaruna water shows the complete deterioration to the extent that for most of its stretches in the Varanasi city, it cannot even be used for irrigation purposes. Higher levels of nitrate and other chemical pollution in the ground water and surface water in Varanasi environs have been reported by different workers and found nitrate concentration ranging from 66–199 mg/l. The lowering water table, increased hardness and presence of even toxic trace metals indicate degradation of ground water quality of the region. Acomprehensive effort including policy makers, administrator, social activists, academicians and common masses should immediately be taken to save this precious commodity both in surface and underground reservoirs.