Aquifer characterization on the basis of hydrochemistry and groundwater physics and water profile of a part of pithoragarh district, Kumaon himalaya, india

摘要

A part of Pithoragarh district, located in the eastern Kumaon Himalaya, was chosen for the present study utilizing the major element and heavy metal hydrochemistry and groundwater geophysics. Field data was integrated with an in-depth analysis of urban and rural water profiles of the study area covering about 160 km~2 in parts of Bin block, within which Pithoragarh town, the district headquarter is located. Groundwater samples were collected from representative springs and hand pumps located in diverse geological formations. Analysis of major element and heavy metals of groundwater samples has brought out important issues on groundwater contamination, which needs judicious management of groundwater resources. Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) with half electrode separation varying from 75 to 300 m were taken up to delineate both localized and discontinuous, local aquifers having moderate groundwater potential. The VES curves were interpretedby standard analytical techniques. A conjunctive approach was adopted to study the urban and rural water profiles and the status of water supply versus demand relationship was calculated. Available data on gravity and lift schemes are utilized to calculate the present scenario of water supply and total requirement, which is integrated with demographic data of Pithoragarh town to forecast the trend of water utilization. Urban water profile of Pithoragarh town has highlighted the problem of water scarcity, which is bound to aggravate if the existing supply schemes are not augmented or additionalschemes are not implemented in near future. To address the problem of water scarcity, a comprehensive management plan, based on conjunctive use, needs to be implemented with active participation of the stakeholders.