Assessment and Determination of Ground Water Quality Index in Coastal Area of Mumbai

Water is a necessary and important component for our life support system. With fluctuating and
increasing contamination of surface water, ground water is considered as one of the primary
resources for development activities. Ground water quality can be adversely affected or degraded as
a result of human activities that introduce contamination into the environment. In industrial and
coastal locations, the saline water intrusion resulted in contamination of the potable groundwater
aquifers. The influence of environmental parameter on the water quality of ground in coastal region
which is crucial issues as water availability and its use for various purposes. Assessment of Ground
water quality status was done by using water quality Index method, which is an effective tool to
assess spatial and temporal changes in ground water quality. Various parameters were selected as
indicators of the groundwater quality which include pH, Hardness, Chlorides, Sulphate Dissolved
Solids, Calcium, Alkalinity, Magnesium and Metals etc. to determine water quality index. The
monitoring of ground water quality was done on the basis of experimentation by standard sampling
methods, for different locations for consecutive three years from 2016 to 2018. The present study
intends to calculate the water quality index (WQI) of the coastal groundwater. The study portrays the
urgent need for regular underground water quality monitoring to assess pollution activity. Effective
management of water resources by installing a rainwater harvesting system at other locations of
study area and in the coastal region which improves the quality of water. Public awareness
programs should be initiated to create a sense of awareness to save water around their habitats.