Ground Water Quality Assessment using RS and GIS

– A Case Study of Patancheru Area, Hyderabad

G. Padmaja1, V. Shiva Chandra2, I.V. Ravi Kumar3 and Shilpa Mishra4
1,2&4
Asst. Prof., Dept. of Civil Engg., MVSR Engg. College, Hyderabad
3
Lead Consultant, Wipro Technologies
gantipadmaja6@gmail.com, shivachandra135@gmail.com, ravi.kumariv@gmail.com,
shilpatiwarimishra0605@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
Ground water is the only alternate source to cater to domestic, irrigation and industrial needs when
surface water gets exhausted or unavailable. Due to various natural and anthropogenic factors the
ground water is getting contaminated, therefore it is essential to assess the quality of ground water
before using for any specific purpose. Remote Sensing & GIS integrated with other collateral
data not only act as powerful tool for efficient management of existing water resources but also
provide solution to the problems related to water quality. Assessment of ground water quality is
also an integral part of environmental management. In the present study, an effort was made to
assess the quality of ground water by determining water quality index of Patancheru area of
Hyderabad city by analyzing ground water samples collected from existing bore-wells.
Thematic map showing the spatial distribution of ground water quality data was developed
using Arc GIS. Ground water quality was analyzed to identify the different zones that are
vulnerable to ground water pollution in and around the study area due to different land use land
cover patterns.

INTRODUCTION
Degradation of urban environmental quality is increasing beyond saturation levels and it has
detrimental effects and increased pressure on existing natural resources, people and other living
organisms and infrastructure facilities. Groundwater, the substitute to surface water is necessary
for survival of life on the planet and the assessment of water quality is always a significant
component of environmental quality management. Socio-Economic development, recharge of
surface & ground water and the survival of life on Earth will depend on the availability of
fresh water. Ground water is considered to be relatively pure than surface water due to
presence of natural purification mechanisms embedded in the soil. Effluents from industries
and urban areas leach into the soil there by contaminating the ground water. Most of these
effluents arenon-biodegradable, toxic, carcinogenic, also contain huge amounts of chemicals
posing a major threat and leading to serious health hazards to the living world.
The objective of the present study was to identify environmentally sensitive areas around
Patancheru area with respect to ground water quality using RS and GIS techniques. The
development of thematic map is mainly based on land use land cover prepared from
interpretation of satellite data and point source data of water quality. The study involves the
suitability assessment and mapping of groundwater quality for Patancheru area. Around 15
samples were collected from various stations with in the region and are overlaid on the
satellite image. Buffer zones are created for which the water quality index is computed for
each water sample. The area of influence is then drawn considering the sampling station as
780 
 Grround Water Qu
uality Assessmen
nt using RS and GIS – A Case Study of… 7811

centerr and water quuality index as the radius of buffer

b zone. Onn examining eaach buffer zonee
and itts area of influuence ground waterw quality index map wass prepared for the study area..
Fromm the detailed studys and anallysis it is founnd that most of o the ground water sampless
colleccted are of poorr quality for driinking use due to discharge off contaminants from industriess
and various
v other annthropogenic acctivities.
Studyy Area: Patanccheru is locatedd about 25 kms from Hyderaabad, the capitaal of Telanganaa
State,, is on Nationnal highway 9, with coordinnate’s17.53°N 78.27°E and has h an averagee
elevattion of 522 meetres(1712 feet). As per 2001 census, it had a population of o 40,332 withh
maless constituting 53% of the population
p and females 47%. This area was w consciouslyy
developed into an industrial belt during late 1970’s due to which many industries i havee
flouriished in the reecent past. Moost of these inndustries use various organic and inorganicc
chemicals as raw maaterials in their manufacturing and processing g units and disccharge effluentss
whichh are mostly unttreated into the streams. The coommon effluentt treatment plannt of Patancheruu
is situuated adjacent to Peddavagu and treats variious untreated effluents
e from industries withh
TDS concentrationss ranging from m 4000-5000 mg/L.m Patancherru IDA was planned
p by thee
goverrnment and it consists of various v industriies, dwellers from
f nearby villages
v and iss
surrouunded by manyy streams and taanks. The main criteria for seleecting Patancheeru is its diversee
land use characteriistics and envvironment due to presence of IDA, induustries such ass
pharmmaceutical, metaals, organic andd inorganic, dyee industries located in this areaa. Also most off
the water
w bodies pressent in this zonee are highly conntaminated and polluted due to urban drainagee
and discharge
d of efflluents from neigghboring industtries.
Creattion of buffer zones
z for studyy area: Buffer zones are createed for all stations based on thee
land use
u pattern. These zones depicct the extent off impact of polllution on grounnd water due too
land use
u patterns in the t surroundingg areas. All areaas that fall undeer the buffer zonnes are overlaidd
and ennvironmental degradation is esstimated.

Table 1 Land Use andC

Consequent Impaact

S.No Land Use Impact Arrea (m2)

1 Residdential zone 300-4
400
2 Indusstrial zone 400-500
3 Stagnnant water bodies 300-4
400
4 Majoor roads 50- 10
00
5 Railw
ways 150-2
200

Wateer Quality Ind dex: Water quality index (WQ QI) helps in undderstanding thee general waterr
qualitty status of a water
w source annd hence it has been appliedd for both surfaace and groundd
waterr quality assesssment all arounnd the world siince last few decades.
d Weigghted arithmeticc
waterr quality index method classiffied the water quality
q accordin
ng to the degreee of purity byy
using the most comm monly measuredd water quality variables. The method has beeen widely usedd
by maany scientists annd calculation of
o WQI was made by using thee following equaation:
782 3rd Internation
nal Conference on
o Environmentaal Management (ICEM 2017)

Thhe quality ratingg scale (Qi) for each parameterr is calculated by

y using this exppression:

Wherre,
is estimated conceentration of ith parameter
p in thee analysed wateer
is the ideal value of this parameter in pure waterr
= 0 (except pH =77.0 and DO = 144.6 mg/l)
is recommended
r s
standard o ith parameter
value of
Thhe unit weight (Wi)
( for each water
w quality paarameter is calcculated by usingg the followingg
formuula:

Wherre,
= proportionality
p c
constant and cann also be calcullated by using th
he following eqquation:

W is categorizzed into five typpes from excelllent water to un

WQI nsuitable for drrinking. A WQII
Valuee of more than 300 indicates that water is unnsuitable for drrinking. For the present studyy
param
meter and unit weightages
w are given
g in Table 2.
2
ble 2 Parameterss, Drinking Wateer Standards, Ressults obtained
Tab

Sl.No Paraameter Stand

dards(ICMR/BIS) Range of resu
ults obtained for study
s area
1 pH 6.5-8.5 4 – 7.8
2 Total Hardness
H 300 275-725 mg/L
3 Nitratess 45 6 – 30 mg/L
4 TDS 500 325
3 – 1550mg/L
Note:: ICMR - Indiann Council of Medical Researchh
BIS - Bureau of Indiian Standards
Waterr quality classiffication based on
o WQI is presented in Table 3
Table 3 Water Quality Index (WQI)
( and Wateer Quality

WQI Watter Quality

<50 E
Excellent
50-1000 Goood water
100-2000 Pooor water
200-3000 Veryy poor water
>300 Water unsuitable for drinkin
ng
(S
Source: Devendra Singh et al, April 2014)
2
 Ground Water Quality Assessment using RS and GIS – A Case Study of… 783

METHODOLOGY

Results
 pH: pH value of samples varied from 4 to 7.8. The sample collected at Chitkul is having
the highest pH value of 7.8 while the sample collected at Bacchigudem had the lowest pH
of 4. The residential area Bacchigudem is very near to the confluence point of
Pamalavagu and Nakkavagu both of which carry effluents.
Sources of pH: Huge concentrations of effluents from Common Effluent Treatment Plant
and other industries are the major sources.
 TDS: TDS values for the study area were in the range of 325 – 1550 mg/L. The ground
water sample collected in Ramachandrapuram was having the highest TDS. This area is
adjacent to stagnant water body Rayasamudram.
Sources of TDS: Industrial, domestic effluents and sewage are the main sources.
Presence of TDS leads to depletion of DO, distress to livestock, displeasing color, odor
and taste.
 Nitrates: The concentrations of nitrates for the study area varied from 6 – 30 mg/L. High
nitrate concentrations in the ground water can pose health risks, especially if the levels
exceed 10 mg/L. High nitrate concentrations were detected in the areas of
Kacchireddypalli, Mutangi and Bacchigudem. The stagnant water bodies which receive
high amounts of untreated effluents and sewage from leaking sewage pipes may
contribute to high concentration of nitrates in ground water. Nitrates are particularly
dangerous to pregnant women and infants less than 6 months old causing blue baby
syndrome – Methamoglobinemia.
784 3rd International Conference on Environmental Management (ICEM 2017)

Sources of Nitrates: Modern agricultural practices especially fertilizers (lawns, gardens)

and leaches of septic tanks account for the major source of nitrates apart from industrial
effluents.
 Total Hardness: The hardness in the study area varied from 275-725 mg/L. The sample
collected at Mutangi area had the highest 725 mg/L value while the sample collected at
Bacchigudem recorded the second highest with 690 mg/L.
Sources of Hardness: Huge concentration of effluents from Common Effluent Treatment
Plant and other industries are the major sources. Excess hardness leads to deterioration of
fabrics, curdling of soaps, unsuitable for soft drinks, increases cardiovascular disorders
and also makes food tasteless.
Discussions
Moderately Polluted - Kacchireddypally is the only area in the present study which falls
under moderately polluted area with water quality index of 160. Incidentally,this area is far
from the industrial area. The major contribution of pollution in this area is due to residential
colonies.
Excessively Polluted - In this the water quality index varied from 210-248. Although some
areas are far from streams and industries they were excessively polluted due to collection of
water samples near to stagnant water bodies. These areas are in the sensitive zone and the
ground water quality is deteriorated. Residential colonies coming under this category include
Rameshwaram Bhandar, Tigal Nagar, Krishnareddypet, Patelgudem, Ganapathygudem,
Birmalguda, Chitkul, Mutangi.
Severely Polluted - The water quality index in this region varied from 260-290. Five stations
fall under this category which are nearer to streams, industries and stagnant water bodies.
These areas are very sensitive and needs immediate attention. The residential colonies coming
under this category are Pocharam, Patelgudem, Ramachandrapuram, Acchannagudem,
Narregudem.
Extremely Polluted Areas - Bachhegudem is the most polluted area under the current study.
This area is very near to the confluence point of Peddavagu and Nakkavagu which carry huge
quantities of untreated effluents from industries and Patancheru effluent treatment plant. The
banks of the stream are loose with alluvial soil which may allow the pollutants to enter ground
water table.

Table 4 Water Quality Indices of Sampling Locations

Sl.No Sampling Location WQI Category

1 Kacchireddypalli 160 Moderately Polluted
2 RameshwaramBhandar 239 Excessively Polluted
3 Tigal Nagar 248 Excessively Polluted
4 Krishnareddipet 220 Excessively Polluted
5 Patelgudem 229 Excessively Polluted
6 Ganapathygudem 240 Excessively Polluted
7 Birmalguda 238 Excessively Polluted
8 Chitkul 218 Excessively Polluted
 Ground Water Quality Assessment using RS and GIS – A Case Study of… 785

Sl.No Sampling Location WQI Category

9 Mutangi 210 Excessively Polluted
10 Pocharam 268 Severely Polluted
11 Patancheru 260 Severely Polluted
12 Ramachandrapuram 270 Severely Polluted
13 Acchannagudem 280 Severely Polluted
14 Narregudem 275 Severely Polluted
15 Bacchegudem 325 Extremely Polluted

Fig. 1 Boundaries of Study Area – Patancheru, Hyderabad.

Fig. 2 Satellite Image for Patancheru Area - IRS – 1D – LISS III - With Locations of Ground Water
Sampling Stations.
786 3rd International Conference on Environmental Management (ICEM 2017)

Fig. 3 LULC for Patancheru Area.

Fig. 4 Ground Water Pollution Index for Patancheru Area.

Recommendations for Sustainable Development

The detailed study conducted in this study area indicated that the deterioration of ground
water quality is due to spillage at industrial site, disposal and storage of wastes, agricultural
activities, contamination of surface water bodies due to urban drainage, leaking sewers and
septic tanks and changes due to land use land cover.
Before undertaking any planning strategy to serve urban ecosystem, the urban planner
should keep on mind certain environmental parameters like green belt cover, drinking water
availability and water demand and proper drainage system. Based on these environmental
parameters the optimum carrying capacity of an urban settlement should be determined and to
that limit the urban expansion should be restricted. Industries are one of the main causes for
pollution of the environment and there are two ways in which the pollution can be attenuated
by altering the process and by setting up of pollution control equipment and treatment of the
effluents from the industries.
Other recommendations which need to be addressed in the study area for better ground
water quality include
 Associated land use land cover
 Ground Water Quality Assessment using RS and GIS – A Case Study of… 787

 Hydro geological characteristics

 Use of techniques to decrease the soil erosion like adopting rapidly growing plant
varieties
 Siting of industries based on environmental considerations
 Proper rain water harvesting structures to improve the quality of ground water

CONCLUSIONS
One of the greatest lacunae in urban planning of Hyderabad is the absence of efficient and
reliable field data and detailed land use survey. This has an adverse effect on the environment
and the conditions cannot be improved unless the source and causes which are responsible for
the environmental quality are investigated. GIS techniques coupled with environmental
quality data would greatly facilitate design of water quality monitoring program and would
allow early detection of contamination of ground water.
The study provides an insight of the impact of urbanization and industrialization on ground
water quality. Application of GIS techniques can be useful for identification of residential
areas vulnerable to environmental degradation.
The available data enabled only a limited survey of urban and industrial impacts on ground
water quality. Further investigations, should be carried out at micro level to ascertain the
variation of ground water quality with depth, the aerial extent of impact and identification of
exact source contributing to water pollution. Only then it is possible to suggest effective
measures to safe guard the environment especially water resources. Urban planners and
authorities should realize that a multi disciplinary approach is needed and cooperation of local
bodies and participation of stakeholders is essential for sustainable development in
maintaining ground water quality.

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