Hyderabad: There has been no change in the poor quality of groundwater at Bahadurpura, Falaknuma, Saidabad, Koti and Kukatpally, according to two surveys that were conducted six years apart. Analysis shows that Hyderabad’s groundwater has low pH value, is hard due to the presence of magnesium, and has chlorides and bi-carbonates. The total dissolved salts in the water, too, is high for many areas. The analysis was done before and after the onset of the monsoon.
Heavy metals percolate from the soil and, over a period of time, into the groundwater. Not surprisingly, heavy metals were detected in the groundwater samples. Dr P. N. Rao, a senior scientist at the Central Ground Water Board, said that groundwater pollution was of two types — geogenic, which is a mix of metals from rocks, and anthropogenic, which is man-made.
In Hyderabad, the pollution is primarily anthropogenic, due to a poor sewage system and illegal disposal of untreated industrial effluents. This accounts for the presence of heavy metals such as chromium, lead, mercury, and arsenic in the groundwater, especially aro-und Bonthapally, Patanch-eruvu, Kattedan, Uppal, and the localities in close proximity to the industrial belt. The survey found high chloride contamination in some isolated pockets in Hyder-abad. It may be noted that the number of people affected by pollution of groundwater has never been the subject of any study and nor are there any figures available.
Industries operating in Moulali, Kukatpally, Quthbu-llapur, Patancheru and Bala-nagar, others, fall under the highly-polluting red and ora-nge categories of industry. They include metal casting, engineering, bulk drugs, dyeing, chemical, pol-ymer, solvent extraction industries.
