Accessibility of safe drinking water in greater Dimapur area of Nagaland and related health hazards: an analytical study

摘要

The present paper examines the water quality status of Dimapur city and the adverse effects of surface and groundwater contamination with a view to create a database that would pave the way for future management to facilitate the improvement of the water quality. A systematic field-based study was conducted to survey the quality and possible health hazards associated with drinking water sources. Over the post-monsoon season, 15 samples were collected from different areas of Dimapur. Twenty physico-chemical parameters such as Temperature, pH, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Conductivity, Total Dissolved Solids, Salinity, Turbidity, Hardness, Aluminum, Chromium, Iron, Manganese, Silver, Zinc, Fluoride, Nitrate, Nitrite, Phosphates and Sulphates and bacteriological experiments were performed in accordance with Bureau of Indian Standards (IS: 10500, 2012) and World Health Organization guidelines. With the exception of heavy metals such as iron and manganese and nutrient phosphate levels, other parameters under analysis were within the permissible limit. Microbiological analysis of water sources demonstrated that 40% of urban samples were polluted. This study reveals the extent of groundwater contamination in the region and that with continuous testing, more contaminated water sources are expected to be identified. It is, therefore, essential to regularly monitor the surface and groundwater to detect any occurrence of other significant contaminants and to recognize any changes or patterns in the water bodies over a period of time.