ASSESSMENT OF GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION AND DRINKING WATER QUALITY IN MULTAN AND BAHAWALPUR, PUNJAB, PAKISTAN

Abstract

Water is the basic necessity for mankind and never been alternate by other liquid. Ground water is important as it is the only natural reservoir accessible to human beings for their domestic, agricultural and industrial uses. Quality of ground water is rapidly degraded for years due to anthropogenic activities combined with less annual precipitation especially in arid areas. Pakistan, being a developing country faces high concentration of pollutants in ground water which badly affect human health. Current work is designed to access the ground water quality for drinking purpose of Multan and Bahawalpur, two major cities in Southern Punjab, Pakistan having annual precipitation less enough not to fulfill basic necessities of inhabitant. In total 25 ground water samples were collected from various selected areas of each city through pumping wells. These water samples were analyzed for electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, pH, hardness, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na²⁺, K⁺, CO₃^2-, HCO₃^-, Cl^-, F^-, NO₃^-, total coliform, E. coli, arsenic, cadmium and chromium. Water quality index and heavy metal pollution index indicates that ground water quality of various selected areas in both cities were not even meet basic quality standards set by WHO. Water quality index, heavy metal index, physiochemical properties and microbial activity indicates that few ground water samples from Multan and Bahawalpur are contaminated. Furthermore spatial analysis of ground water also paved way towards sustainable management which enhances public satisfaction to the importance of water quality