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Groundwater quality in Patna District

nearby sampled data, assuming that closer points have laws and sustainable farming practices (e.g.,
a greater influence on the predicted values. It helps controlled fertilizer use, organic alternatives, drip
visualize spatial variations in groundwater quality, irrigation) to reduce groundwater contamination
identifies contamination zones, and supports decision- • Sewage and wastewater management:
making in water resource management. The method is Improving sewage treatment infrastructure to
simple and easy to use, making it effective for WQI prevent leaching nitrates, chlorides, and other
mapping. However, IDW is highly dependent on data contaminants into groundwater.
distribution, and its accuracy can be affected by the
choice of power value and the number of neighbors (ii) Water treatment technologies
considered. Despite its limitations, IDW is valuable • Reverse osmosis (RO) and ion exchange:
for assessing groundwater quality, identifying Effective for removing excess TDS, hardness,
pollution hotspots, and monitoring spatial variations chloride, and nitrates from drinking water,
over time, aiding in effective groundwater resource especially in high-contamination areas
management. • Lime-soda treatment: Helps in reducing water
The calculated WQIs were further used in QGIS to hardness and alkalinity by precipitating calcium
obtain the spatial distribution of groundwater quality and magnesium
in terms of WQI. The water quality mapping using • Biological denitrification: Using microbes to
the IDW interpolation technique helps to visualize the convert nitrates into harmless nitrogen gas,
zones of critically polluted groundwater resources in a reducing groundwater pollution.
better way. Furthermore, these maps can be helpful to (iii) Artificial recharge and dilution techniques
find and protect groundwater zones having good quality • Rainwater harvesting and managed aquifer recharge:
water. The spatial distribution of groundwater qualities Large-scale implementation of recharge wells and
in terms of WQI calculated by the CCME method is percolation tanks to dilute high TDS, hardness, and
shown in Figure 6. chloride concentrations in groundwater.
Data interpretation enabled by the mapping approach
is more convenient than that through the tabular (iv) Public awareness and policy interventions
presentation method, allowing the public to analyze • Regular water quality monitoring: Establishing
water quality in their respective regions with ease. systematic groundwater quality assessments and
The QGIS software makes it quite easy to analyze and early warning systems
edit spatial information and relate WQI data through • Public awareness campaigns: Educating
different timelines. communities about water contamination risks and
Groundwater modeling serves as a valuable tool in promoting household-level filtration methods
obtaining analytical solutions for assessing the quality (e.g., RO purifiers, activated carbon filters)
of groundwater. 50-53 Integrating analytical models • Government regulations and sustainable
for both point and non-point sources of pollutants practices: Strengthening groundwater protection
alongside WQI models facilitates the visualization and policies, encouraging sustainable industrial and
identification of potential solute transport behavior. 54-58 agricultural practices, and promoting better
These methodologies hold promise in safeguarding the urban water management strategies.
integrity of aquifers.
Groundwater in Patna district faces quality issues 4. Conclusion
due to high EC, TDS, hardness, alkalinity, chloride,
and nitrate, which can impact both human health and The present study focuses on investigating groundwater
water usability. These contaminants mainly originate quality issues in Patna district, Bihar, India, using the
from natural geological formations, agricultural runoff, WQI method, particularly the CCME method. Secondary
industrial discharges, and sewage infiltration. To ensure data were collected from various state and central
long-term groundwater sustainability and maintain agencies to assess groundwater quality trends from
high water quality, the following measures have been 2004 to 2020. Initially, in 2004, the number of sampling
suggested: locations was limited, restricting comprehensive water
(i) Source control and pollution prevention quality analysis. However, in later years, the increased
• Regulation of industrial and agricultural activities: number of sampling locations allowed for a more
Strict enforcement of wastewater treatment detailed assessment. Variations in sampling stations over

Volume 22 Issue 1 (2025) 145 doi: 10.36922/ajwep.8142