Abstract
The main objective of this paper is to examine pollution threat, especially to the groundwater resources, around Tarapur industrial area (also called the Tarapur MIDC area) located on the Arabian Sea Coast in Thane District of Maharashtra State, India and suggest remedial measures that may also be relevant to other industrial areas on the Indian Sea Coast. One hundred and thirty one samples were collected from various sources, such as dugwells, borewells, dug-cum-borewells, effluent sumps, drainage channels (effluent channels), creeks and ocean, for chemical analyses. These analyses show that the area in general is characterized by hard water and high salinity hazard, possibly due to its proximity and hydraulic connection with the sea. Although the potability of groundwater is questionable in certain pockets, it is good enough for irrigation purposes at present. Low pH value and high heavy metal contents in the adjoining Muramba creek water is a matter of great concern and may be attributed to the indiscriminate disposal of industrial effluents to the drainage channels connecting the creek. Muramba Creek is well connected with the Arabian Sea, and there are evidences of seawater intrusion around this creek. Because of the fact that Muramba Creek is highly polluted, and is hydraulically connected with the dugwells and borewells surrounding the creek, it cannot be ruled out that the groundwater around this creek is susceptible to contamination. Unless measures are not taken immediately to stop the indiscriminate disposal of the solid wastes and liquid effluents in open ground and drainage channels, and measures are not taken to maintain the appropriate pH values at the effluent treatment facilities before their disposal, the problem would indeed be formidable one day, and it will be too late then for the authorities to take care of the resulting maladies. Few suggestions have been given for controlling and managing the industrial pollution around the Tarapur MIDC area. These suggestions are relevant to other industrial areas situated on the 7,000 km long Indian Sea Coast.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Agarwal, A. (2004). Small-scale industries drive India’s economy, but pollute heavily. What can be done? Retrieved September 11, 2006 from Stockholm International Water Institute Web site: http://www.siwi.org/downloads/.
Ansari, A. A., Singh, I. B., & Tobschall, H. J. (1999). Status of anthropogenically induced metal pollution in the Kanpur-Unnao industrial region of the Ganga Plain, India. Environmental Geology, 38(1), 149–157.
APHA (American Public Health Association) (1998). Standards methods for the characteristics of water and wastewater. Washington, DC: American Public Health Association.
BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) (2003). Indian standard drinking water specifications IS 10500:1991, Edition 2.2 (2003-09). New Delhi: Bureau of Indian Standards.
CGWB (Central Ground Water Board) (1984). Ground water resources of the Upper Betwa River Basin, India. New Delhi: Indo-British Groundwater Project, Tech Series, Bulletin 1, Central Ground Water Board, Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India.
D’Souza, C. M. (2001). Integrating environmental management in small industries of India. Electronic Green Journal, 14. Retrieved September 11, 2006, from http://egj.lib.uidaho.edu/egj14/souza1.html.
Fetter, C. W. (1988). Applied hydrogeology. Columbus, OH: Charles E. Merril.
Garg, A. N., Chutke, N. L., Ambulkar, M. N., & Aggarwal, A. L. (1995). An environmental pollution study of Indian metropolitan cities and industrial surroundings by INAA. Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry, 192(2), 171–379.
Gargava, P., & Aggarwal, A. L. (1999). Emission inventory for an industrial area of India. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 55(2), 299–304.
Garrels, R. M., & Christ, C. L. (1967). Solutions, minerals and equibria. New York: Harper & Row.
Govil, P., Reddy, G., & Krishna, A. (2001). Contamination of soil due to heavy metals in the Patancheru industrial development area, Andhra Pradesh, India. Environmental Geology, 41(3–4), 461–469.
Gupta, A. K., Gupta, S. K., & Patil, R. S. (2005). Statistical analyses of coastal water quality for a port and harbor region in India. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 102(1–3), 179–200.
Gupta, M., & Sharma, K. (1996). Environmental operations management: An opportunity for improvement. Production and Inventory Management Journal, 37(3), 40–46 (third quarter).
Gurunadha Rao, V. V. S., Dhar, R. L., & Subrahmanyam, K. (2001). Assessment of contaminant migration in groundwater from an industrial development area, Medak District, Andhra Pradesh, India. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 128(3–4), 369–389.
Harkantra, S. N., & Rodrigues, N. R. (2004). Numerical analyses of soft bottom macroinvertebrates to diagnose the pollution in tropical coastal waters. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 93(1–3), 251–275.
Hem, J. D. (1970). Study and interpretation of the chemical characteristics of natural water. Water Supply Paper – 1473, US Geological Survey.
Hem, J. D. (1985). Study and interpretation of the chemical characteristics of natural water. Water Supply Paper – 2254, US Geological Survey.
Kaplay, R. D., & Patode, H. S. (2004). Groundwater pollution due to industrial effluent at Tuppa, New Nanded, Maharashtra, India. Environmental Geology, 46(6–7), 871–882.
Karar, K., Gupta, A. K., Kumar, A., & Biswas, A. K. (2006). Characterization and identification of the sources of Chromium, Zinc, Lead, Cadmium, Nickel, Manganese and Iron in Pm10 particulates at the two sites of Kolkata, India. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 120(1–3), 347–360.
Kaushik, C. P., Ravindra, K., Yadav, K., Mehta, S., & Haritash, A. K. (2006). Assessment of ambient air quality in urban centres of Haryana (India) in relation to different anthropogenic activities and health risks. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 122(1–3), 27–40.
Khan, R., Israili, S. H., Ahmad, H., & Mohan, A. (2005). Heavy metal pollution assessment in surface water bodies and its suitability for irrigation around the Neyevli Lignite Mines and associated industrial complex, Tamilnadu, India. Mine Water and the Environment, 24(3), 155–161.
Krishna, A. K., & Govil, P. K. (2005). Heavy metal distribution and contamination in soils of Thane-Belapur industrial development area, Mumbai, western India. Environmental Geology, 47(8), 1054–1061.
Lloyd, J. W., & Heathcote, J. A. (1985). Natural inorganic hydrochemistry in relation to groundwater: An introduction. Oxford: Clarendon.
Mandal, A., & Sengupta, D. (2006). An assessment of soil contamination due to heavy metals around a coal-fired thermal power plant in India. Environmental Geology (in press). DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00254-006-0336-8.
Manjunatha, B., Balakrishna, K., Shankar, R., & Mahalingam, T. (2001). Geochemistry and assessment of metal pollution in soils and river components of a monsoon-dominated environment near Karwar, southwest coast of India. Environmental Geology, 40(11–12), 1462–1470.
Mathess, G., & Havery, J. C., Jr. (1982). The properties of groundwater. New York: Wiley.
Mondal, N. C., Saxena, V. K., & Singh, V. S. (2005). Assessment of groundwater pollution due to tannery industries in and around Dindigul, Tamilnadu, India. Environmental Geology, 48(2), 149–157.
Naik, P. K., Awasthi, A. K., Anand, A. V. S. S., & Mohan, P. C. (2001). Hydrogeologic framework of the Deccan terrain of the Koyna River basin, India. Hydrogeology Journal, 9(3), 143–264.
Nyati, K. (1988). Problems of pollution and its control in small-scale industries. New Delhi: Friedrich Elbert Foundation.
Pargal, S., Mani, M., & Huq, M. (1997). Inspections and emissions in India: Puzzling survey evidence on industrial water pollution. In World Bank Policy research paper, 1810. Retrieved September 11, 2006, from http://www.worldbank.org/nipr/work_paper/index.htm.
Parikh, A., Shah, V., & Madamwar, D. (2006). Cyanobacterial flora from polluted industrial effluents. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 116(1–3), 91–102.
Paul, A. C., Parameswaran, M., & Pillai, K. C. (1994). Trace metals and lanthanides in a tropical river environment. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 74(1–2), 141–153.
Pawar, N. J., Pondhe, G. M., & Patil, S. F. (1998). Groundwater pollution due to sugar-mill effluent at Sonai, Maharashtra, India. Environmental Geology, 34(213), 151–158.
Piper, A. M. (1944). A graphical procedure in the geochemical interpretation of water analysis. Transactions – American Geophysical Union, 25, 914–923.
Raman, A. V. (1995). Pollution effects in Visakhapatnam harbor, India: An overview of 23 years of investigations and monitoring. Helgoland Marine Research, 49(1–4), 633–645.
Ramesh, R., Purvaja, R., Ramesh, S., & James, R. A. (2002). Historical pollution trends in coastal environments of India. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 79(2), 151–176.
Roberts, M. (1995). Indian public demands industry responsibility. Chemical Week, 157(1), 89.
Sarma, V. V. J., & Swamy, A. N. (1981). Groundwater quality in Visakhapatnam Basin, India. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 16(3), 317–329.
Sarma, V. V. J., & Swamy, A. N. (1986). Delineation of chemically polluted groundwater regions in Visakhapatnam Basin, India. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution, 29(1), 15–26.
Schoeller, H. (1959). Arid zone hydrology, recent developments. UNESCO.
Schoeller, H. (1967). Methods and techniques of groundwater investigation and development. Water Resources Series – 33, UNESCO.
Sengupta, S., & Venkatachalam, P. (1994). Health hazard assessment in an industrial town with the help of GRAM-GIS. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 32(2), 155–160.
Shanmugam, P., Neelamani, S., Ahn, Y., Philip, L., & Hong, G. (2006). Assessment of the levels of coastal marine pollution of Chennai city, Southern India. Water Resources Management (in press). DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11269-006-9075-6.
Sharma, B. K., & Kaur, H. (1997). Environmental chemistry. Meerat, India: GOEL Publishing House.
Sharma, M., Tobschall, H., & Singh, I. (2003). Environmental impact assessment in the Moradabad industrial area (rivers Ramganga-Ganga interfluve), Ganga Plain, India. Environmental Geology, 43(8), 957–967.
Shivkumar, K., & Biksham, G. (1995). Statistical approach for the assessment of water pollution around industrial areas: A case study from Patancheru, Medak district, India. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 36(3), 229–249.
Shivkumar, K., Pande, A. K., & Biksham, G. (1997). Toxic trace element pollution in ground waters around Patancheru and Bolaram industrial areas, Andhra Pradesh, India: A graphical approach. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 45(1), 57–80.
Singh, R. P. (2001). Effect of wastewater disposal and extent of industrial pollution in and around Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment, 60(1), 31–35.
Singh, K. P., Singh, V. K., Malik, A., & Basant, N. (2006). Distribution of nitrogen species in groundwater aquifers of an industrial area in alluvial Indo-Gangetic Plains – A case study. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 28(5), 473-485. DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10653-006-9053-1.
Sinha, R. K., & Bhargava, V. N. (1995). Towards environmentally sustainable industrialization: A case study of some mini iron and steel industries in India. Environmentalist, 15(3), 25–33.
Sobha, V., & Anish, M. (2003). Imprints of environmental pollution on laterite/clay and groundwater of Eloor-Kalamassery industrial belt, Kerala State, India. Environmental Geology, 44(8), 914–918.
Somasundaram, M. V., Ravindran, G., & Tellam, J. H. (1993). Groundwater pollution of the Madras urban aquifer, India. Ground Water, 31(1), 4–11.
Subba Rao, N., Gurunadha Rao, V. V. S., & Gupta, C. P. (1998). Groundwater pollution due to discharge of industrial effluents in Venkatapuram area, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. Environmental Geology, 33(4), 289–294.
Subramanyam, K., & Yadaiah, P. (2001). Assessment of the impact of industrial effluents on water quality in Patancheru and environs, Medak District, Andhra Pradesh, India. Hydrogeology Journal, 9(3), 297–312.
Todd, D. K. (1980). Groundwater hydrology. New York: Wiley.
US Salinity Laboratory Staff (1954). Diagnosis and improvement of saline and alkali soils. Washington, DC: US Department of Agriculture.
USGS (United States Geological Survey) (1990). The encyclopedia of water. US Geological Survey, 2nd edn.
White, D. E., Hem, J. D., & Waring, G. A. (1963). Data of geochemistry – Chemical composition of subsurface waters. Professional paper – 440-F, US Geological Survey, 6th edn.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Naik, P.K., Dehury, B.N. & Tiwari, A.N. Groundwater Pollution Around an Industrial Area in the Coastal Stretch of Maharashtra State, India. Environ Monit Assess 132, 207–233 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-006-9529-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-006-9529-6