How to mitigate the induced (specific to artificial recharge) ground water pollution in India?

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How to mitigate the induced (specific to artificial recharge)  ground water pollution in India?

Background thoughts regarding my above question:

Predominantly, Indians use ground water for agriculture, drinking and other commercial/Industrial. Millions of hand pumps/bore wells exist to draw waters from underground reservoirs. Over the decades, many aquifers exhausted and close to exhaust.  >>> resulted to extremely insecure water availability

Industrial/commercial and agri/fertilizers >>> lead to both surface and ground water contamination.

Climate change/human interventions (major contributor)  >>>lead to shrinking natural landscape and natural water structure. They supposed to be natural potential ways of recharging ground water.

The recent trend or fashion to make recharge pits everywhere, particularly in cities>>> I think, there is a potential hazardous water may directly contaminate the aquifers. We may left without clean water on both surface and subsurface. Our recharge filters are not fit enough to clean mixture of waters in cities.  During my school days, we used  drink water directly from hand pump or tap, and from the fields but now trend is changing even in our small village --""pure water is scarce". In future, we need water filter for every glass we drink.

"" I think solution could be give more importance to treat and protect the natural water depressions (water bodies), naturally both our surface water bodies and aquifers safe.""  That is how it designed (geomorphology and geology) by nature.

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3 Answers

  1. Recharging ground water with polluted rain water can be more dangerous than facing depleted aquifers. Over the last two decades, the emphasis on ground water recharging has perhaps done more harm than good.  Much care has to be taken before tampering with the protected underground resources if there is a possibility of leachates in the ground. The pre treatment of rain water befire its harvesting is importatnt and we found one company FRANKISCHE to offer a complete solution to prevent rain water from getting mixed with sewage.

  2. Artificial recharge wells

    Hello Mr. Prasad, you have raised a very crucial issue . Yes, ground water resources in several areas of the country are getting polluted due to over application of fertilizers and pesticides, indiscriminate disposal of effluents from industries and urban sewerage. As here we are focused on artificial recharge wells, i must add that generally soil strata works as a primary filter for the water. But if the water is highly contaminated then soil strata can not do any wonder. We should avoid direct inject of industrial used water, road runoff, sewage water etc . But if this is the only source for ground water recharge then the water should be treated first according to the local water standards. How about first constructing settling tanks, buffering waterways etc? You have mentioned about the pits in cities, I am sure they are constructed without considering soil conditions and soil texture type. These types of poorly constructed pits are not solving any problems but contaminating the ground water. Indian govt. Now a days putting lots of affords in research and studies about ground water. Hope, we will stop this contamination of ground water by constructing all the recharge well scientifically not just by digging them to increase the number. Thanks.

  3. removing recharging dams

    You are right. On one hand we are anxious to create new ground water recharging facilities like rain water harvesting, on the other hand the existing recharging facilities in the shape of village ponds, are being removed in a large number for using the pond land for residential and commercial activities. The Government and other agencies active in creating new facilities for ground water recharging will do a great job, if they can prevent the removal of existing ground water recharge facilities.