Status of drinking water quality of ludhiana district, punjab, india

The Ludhiana is one of the fastest growing and most centrally located district of Punjab. It is the largest city in Punjab, both in terms of area (3860 sq km) and population (approximately 34, 87,882 as per 2011 census). Ludhiana is the first metropolitan city, popularly known as “Manchester of India”. The rapid population growth in Ludhiana continues to be a matter of concern due to its manifold effects on environment and one of the most important being groundwater contamination and overexploitation. The major driving force affecting the study area is increase in population due to urbanization and industrialization seems to have a severe impact on the climate change as indicated by change in temperature, rainfall pattern and relative humidity in the study area.44 groundwater samples were analyzed during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon periods respectively from different depths to evaluate the groundwater quality for drinking purposes. For this purpose, the implementation of the sustainable management water will require an integrated approach to strike a fine balance between urbanization and environmental protection.