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Groundwater vulnerability assessment using DRASTIC and Pesticide DRASTIC models in intense agriculture area of the Gangetic plains, India

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Abstract

Delineating areas susceptible to contamination from anthropogenic sources form an important component of sustainable management of groundwater resources. The present research aims at estimating vulnerability of groundwater by application of DRASTIC and Pesticide DRASTIC models in the southern part of the Gangetic plains in the state of Bihar. The DRASTIC and Pesticide DRASTIC models have considered seven parameters viz. depth to water level, net recharge, aquifer material, soil material, topography, impact of vadose zone and hydraulic conductivity. A third model, Pesticide DRASTIC LU has been adopted by adding land use as an additional parameter, to assess its impact on vulnerability zonation. The DRASTIC model indicated two vulnerable categories, moderate and high, while the Pesticide DRASTIC model revealed moderate, high and very high vulnerable categories. Out of the parameters used, depth to water level affected the vulnerability most. The parameter caused least impact was topography in DRASTIC, while in case of Pesticide DRASTIC and Pesticide DRASTIC LU models, the parameter was hydraulic conductivity. A linear regression between groundwater NO3 concentrations and the vulnerability zonation revealed better correlation for Pesticide DRASTIC model, emphasising the effectiveness of the model in assessing groundwater vulnerability in the study region. Considering all three models, the most vulnerable areas were found to be concentrated mainly in two zones, (i) in the south-western part along Ekangarsarai-Islampur patch and (ii) around Biharsharif-Nagarnausa area in the central part. Both zones were characterised by intensive vegetable cultivation with urban areas in between.

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Acknowledgements

The research forms a part the PhD thesis of the first author. The authors extend thanks to R.C Jain, K M Najeeb and K C Naik of CGWB for their support. The views expressed by the authors are their own and not of the Department. The discussion made with Rashid Umar, G.K. Roy, R.R. Shukla and S.N. Dwivedi helped in improving the manuscript.

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  1. Central Ground Water Board, Mid-Eastern Region, Patna, 800001, India

    Dipankar Saha & Fakhre Alam

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  1. Dipankar Saha
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  2. Fakhre Alam
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Correspondence to Dipankar Saha.

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Saha, D., Alam, F. Groundwater vulnerability assessment using DRASTIC and Pesticide DRASTIC models in intense agriculture area of the Gangetic plains, India. Environ Monit Assess 186, 8741–8763 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-014-4041-x

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