Quality characterization of groundwater in the south-eastern part of the Ranga Reddy district, Andhra Pradesh, India

Hydrogeochemical investigations were carried out in the south-eastern part of the Ranga Reddy district, Hyderabad, India, to assess the quality of groundwater for its suitability for domestic and irrigation purposes. The area falls under a semi-arid type of climate and consists of granites and pegmatites of igneous origin of Archaean age. Forty-five representative groundwater samples were collected from bore wells to monitor the water chemistry of various ions, comprising Ca+2, Mg+2, Na+, K+, CO3-2, HCO3-, SO4-2, NO3-, Cl- and F-. The results showed that the concentrations of these ions are above the permissible limits for drinking and irrigation purposes. The pollution with respect to NO3-, Cl-, and F- is mainly attributed to the extensive use of fertilizers and large-scale discharge of municipal wastes into the open drainage system of the area.