Surface and sub surface water quality in the NCT of Delhi and its implications on the urban environments

Abstract

Rapid growth in global urban population is leading to increasing pressure on water resources. The situation is even more concerning in developing countries like India which include cities with population figures in several millions. The National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi is one of the three most rapidly growing urban agglomerations in India with a population of over 16.7 million in 2011. The rapid pace of urban growth in Delhi is exerting an increasing pressure on water resources. This is also leading to a consequent growth in population of neighbouring urban centers, thus increasing regional water demand. The thesis is a comprehensive interdisciplinary attempt at addressing urban sustainability of NCT Delhi with respect to water resource scenario. Through extensive overlay analysis in terms of regional resource demand, the thesis notes that Delhi today has evolved from a megacity to a ‘conurbation’. The thesis embodies a spatio-seasonal water quality assessment of surface and sub-surface water resources in the NCT. Ground water quality in 200 sites (in 9 administrative districts and across 10 urban environments) were analyzed using standard methods for 23 physico-chemical parameters (pH, Temp., Conductivity, Alkalinity, Na, K, Mg, Ca, NH4, F, Cl, NO3, SO4, PO4, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb) during wet (JulySept, 2009) and dry (Jan-Mar, 2010) seasons. 22 surface water sites in River Yamuna, drains and canals in the NCT were also sampled in these two seasons. In addition to the above-mentioned parameters, Dissolved Oxygen and total mercury were analyzed in surface water samples.