The water is acidic or alkaline, highly turbid and hard.
Acharya Nagarjuna University, located between Vijayawada and Guntur, falls in the high growth corridor after the state capital was shifted from Hyderabad to Vijayawada-Guntur region.
“The physico-chemical analysis of groundwater quality in industrial areas of Guntur city reveals that groundwater is largely affected by various types of contaminants from industries.
Total dissolved solids, total hardness, total alkalinity and chlorides are very high in groundwater in peripheral regions around industrial locations in Guntur,” warns a research study by the department of environmental sciences, Acharya Nagarjuna University.
Samples were taken from three places for analysis – Autonagar, the Masjid Omar site near Autonagar and Acharya Nagarjuna University campus – to check if groundwater in industrial areas was fit for human use.
“The results revealed that the water quality failed to meet drinking water standards.
Expressing concern over high alkalinity or acidity of groundwater, the researchers said though this does not directly affect human health, it indicates “an alarming increase in ions in the groundwater through industrial leachate contamination.” The researchers called for an evaluation of the environmental impact of human activities and formulation of strategies for groundwater conservation on a high priority basis.
The water samples had a low pH value indicating acidity during the summer season.
“This indicates a future threat that might lead to the dissolution of more heavy metals, thus rendering the water unsuitable for potability,” the study said, while suggesting continuous monitoring.
The results indicated that chlorides ranged between 72 mg per litre at Acharya Nagarjuna University during summer and 6,000 mg per litre at Autonagar during monsoon.