A Spatial trend analysis of groundwater quality of Patna district, Bihar, India

Abstract

There is a growing concern regarding groundwater quality as well as quantity status in Patna District. The present study is aimed to assess the groundwater status of Patna District using groundwater quality data collected from state and central agencies (from year 2000 to year 2016). The spatial trend analysis using GIS helped to understand the type of contamination and the affected zones. It is found that the quantity is not a critical issue but some of the parameters such as TA, TH, and Arsenic are identified as critical parameters. The western region of Patna district is affected by various water quality parameters such as TH, TA, EC, sulphate, fluoride, etc. due to high population density as compared to other regions of Patna district indicating the direct relationship between water quality and population density. Small and scattered pockets of arsenic contamination are observed along the eastern periphery of Patna District, extending longitudinally from west to east.