Environmental Impact on Groundwater of Maheshwaram Watershed, Ranga Reddy District, Andhra Pradesh

Maheshwaram watershed is situated in Ranga Reddy district of at a distance of about 30 km south of Hyderabad. The watershed has an area of 53 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 in pre- and post-monsoon has been carried out. The analysed data is utilized to characterize the hydro chemical process dominant in the area. Various classification methods such as Piper, Back and Hanshaw, Wilcox, U.S. Salinity Laboratory are employed to critically study the geochemical characteristics of groundwater.