Groundwater depletion and quality deterioration due to environmental impacts in Maheshwaram watershed of R.R. district, AP (India)

Maheshwaram watershed is situated in Ranga Reddy district of Andhra Pradesh at a distance of about 30 km south of Hyderabad, capital of Andhra Pradesh. The watershed has an area of 60 km² and has hard rock aquifers with semi-arid climate. The study area has been expanding at a fast pace and now has the distinction of being one of the fastest growing urban centers facing the problem of groundwater depletion and quality deterioration due to the absence of perennial source of surface water and also due to over exploitation. Human activities involving industrial and agricultural development and the inadequate management of land and water resources have, directly or indirectly resulted in the degradation of environment viz. water and soil. In the present study chemical analysis of groundwater samples of the study area, collected during pre- and post-monsoon seasons of 2007–2008 has been carried out. The analyzed data are utilized to characterize the hydro chemical process dominant in the area. Various classification methods such as Piper, Back and Hanshaw, Wilcox, USA. Salinity Laboratory are employed to critically study the geochemical characteristics of groundwater of the study area. Finally, principal component analysis (PCA) is also employed to the chemical variables of groundwater to characterize the hydro chemical process that is dominant in the area. In the analysis four principal components emerged as significant contributors to the groundwater quality. The total contribution of these four components is about 85–87%. The contribution of the first component is about 49–50% and has significant positive loadings of Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, and Cl⁻ ions. The second, third, and fourth principal components have significant positive loadings of F⁻, NO₃ ⁻, SO₄ ²⁺, and HCO₃ ⁻ ions.