Studies on Deteriorating Air and Groundwater Quality in Northern India

Abstract

In this study, the air and groundwater quality of populated cities of Punjab namely Ludhiana and Jalandhar and Jhilmil Industrial area of Delhi has been assessed. Air quality Index (AQI) parameters- PM 2.5, PM 10, O₃, NO₂, SO₂, CO of recent 3 years (2019 to 2021) and 3 groundwater quality parameters CO₃, SO₄, and NO₃ of years (2018 to 2020) have been studied. The highest annual average concentration of PM 2.5 is found to be 163.5 ppm in December 2021 at Ludhiana, while the lowest value found to be 55.2 ppm in Jalandhar in September, 2021. While the highest concentration among the groundwater parameters is found to be 902 ppm of SO₄ in Jhilmil industrial areas of Delhi. Air pollution significantly impacts soil and water resources. Through river or lake contamination, acid precipitation may affect ground water bodies and roughly 80 % of Indians rely directly on groundwater for drinking purpose, so the problem may be hazardous to human health. In other way, leaching of elements, nutrients and heavy metals from soils also remain suspended within water column affecting water bodies indirectly. The findings of this paper indicate that over last couple of years the rate of air pollution in India has increased alarmingly especially in urban areas and so is the case in Punjab and Delhi, where observations have been reported in this article.