Effect of Urbanization on Ground water in Ranchi city, India.

Ranchi people needs 33858160 liters of water per day.

by

Dr. Nitish Priyadarshi

Ranchi the capital city of Jharkhand state of India is located at 23.350 N and 85.330 E. The total area covered by Ranchi-Municipal area is about 141 square kilometers and the average elevation of the city is 645 m above Mean Sea Level (MSL). As of 2001 India census Ranchi had a population of 846,454.

Water supply, in adequate quantity and at desirable quality, is essential for any sustainable urbanization. Water supply in Ranchi dates back to more than 50 years ago.

There are three main dams ( Hatia, Rukka, and Kanke dam) from where the water is supplied to the city. Surface water is always vulnerable to pollution. People of Ranchi are dependent more on purer source like groundwater. Of the total consumption more than 60% comes from groundwater storage. Due to increasing population more pressure has developed on groundwater from the aquifer beneath the city.

The process of urbanization and industrialization from last 20 years has caused changes in the water table as a result of decreased recharge and increased withdrawal. Many of the small ponds which were main source of water in the surrounding areas are now filled for different construction purpose affecting the water table. Lots of DEEP- BORING in the Ranchi city has also forced the water table to move down as well as Ranchi plateau

Large scale abstractions always bring changes in the natural system of the aquifer and also in the environment. Over exploitation of groundwater beneath some large cities of the world has resulted in serious environmental hazards like groundwater quality deterioration.

The International Conference on Water and Environment, Dublin, 1992 enunciated two crucially important guideline principles, namely, that all human beings have a basic right to access to clean water and sanitation at an affordable price, and that water has an economic value in all its competing uses and should be recognized as economic good.

Groundwater in Ranchi city:

Groundwater in Ranchi city is mainly stored here in secondary porosity features or void spaces developed as result of weathering, fracturing, jointing, shearing or faulting phenomena. The gneisses and granitic rocks with associated schists and quartzites constitute the main consolidated rock terrain of Ranchi district.

Major portion of Ranchi city which is part of the Chotanagpur Plateau occupied by hard rock which are devoid of primary porosity and occurrence and movement of groundwater is controlled by the joints, fractures and fissures present in them.

During the long span of geological history these rocks have been deformed and tectonised in many ways including deep erosion.

In Ranchi city water table in the consolidated formations is now at its lowest from April to June. Water table is at its highest peak during August, gradually stabilizing in the month of November.

Sources of groundwater recharge in Ranchi city and the other parts of Jharkhand State is the vertical percolation of rain water. Although city experiences about 1000 to 1200 mm rainfall annually, the rate of vertical percolation is hindered by the presence of highly weathered and metamorphosed rocks. The Ranchi plateau gradually slopes down towards south east into the hilly and undulating region of Singhbhum. Due to this uneven topography the rain water are lost through surface runoff resulting in less water percolation below the surface. The thin soil layer of Ranchi plateau which is becoming more thin due to weathering is gradually loosing its water retaining capacity, Moreover, present land development practices in the recharge area and natural canals or rivulets in and around the city is also reducing the natural recharge significantly. More than 40% of the rain water is lost in the form of surface runoff. The rate of decline ranges between 1m/year to 5m/year at different observation locations within the city.
The daily physiological consumption of drinking water for human varies from 1- 4 L per capita per day, depending upon the climate ( high in the summer), the kind of work a person does (a manual worker working in open sun would need to drink more water, than a person working in an air-conditioned office), and social habits. If we calculate total consumption of water it increases up to 40 L per capita per day especially in the country like India . Seeing the population of Ranchi, i.e. 846454 we can easily calculate average consumption of water in Ranchi city for domestic purpose per day. It is 33858160 L per day and it is increasing many fold every year. If we add the water being used in construction of houses, malls, buildings the figure will be more. As Ranchi is becoming one of the important business center in Eastern India there is a rampant increase in construction and expansion of city. Due to inadequate water supply from the dams, dependency on ground water is increasing. Over pressed zones are Upper Bazar, Main Road, Ratu Road, Chutia, Hindhpirhi, Circular Road, Burdwan Compound, Lalpur and Harmu Road.

Long term large-scale abstraction of ground water have deleterious effects on water quality, resources and ecology over a wide area.

Water quality deterioration due to overexploitation can take place in a number of ways. Depression in ground water level may result in reversal in flow directions and restrict ground water circulation. Restricted ground water circulation favours mineralization and thus increases the total dissolved solids (TDS) in the ground water. The results of ground water analysis indicate that fluoride is distributed heterogeneously in ground water of the city. Fluoride in high concentration is found in ground water of southern, western and southwestern zones of the Ranchi city. The water is found to be slightly acidic in nature and high in iron concentration in most of the zones.

Potential sources of contamination:
From experiences of other major cities of the world and observation made in Ranchi city, the possible sources of contaminants can be categorized as follows.

Municipal wastes:
Ranchi city is growing faster and without any proper municipal waste dumping policy, municipal waste can be seen dumped here and there in the city. Most of the by lanes in the city are chocked with municipal solid wastes. This municipal waste poses a serious threat to ground water quality. Leachate from a landfill can pollute ground water if water moves through the fill material. Possible sources of water include precipitation, surface water infiltration, percolating water from adjacent land, and ground water in contact with the fill. The problem of pollution from landfills is greatest where high rainfall and shallow water tables occur. Municipal waste, also called urban solid waste, is a waste type that includes predominantly household waste (domestic waste) with sometimes the addition of commercial wastes collected by a municipality within a given area. They are in either solid or semisolid form and generally exclude industrial hazardous wastes.

Municipal waste of Ranchi city is composed mainly of:

1.Biodegradable waste: food and kitchen waste, green waste, paper (can also be recycled).
2.Recyclable material: paper, glass, bottles, cans, metals, certain plastics, etc.
3.Inert waste: construction and demolition waste, dirt, rocks, debris.
4.Composite wastes: waste clothing, waste plastics.
5.Domestic hazardous waste (also called "household hazardous waste") & toxic waste: medication, paints, chemicals, light bulbs, fluorescent tubes, spray cans, batteries.

Municipal wastes produce toxic and carcinogenic chlorinated hydrocarbon solvents (CHSs) which have been found to contaminate ground water in many urban areas of the world. The CHSs are the components of the leachate produced at the disposal sites. Alongside with CHSs, leachate also contains higher amount of other dissolved solids which can also be potential source of ground water pollution. The concentration of CHSs in potable water is very hazardous, even at very low concentrations. Important pollutants frequently found in leachate include BOD, COD, iron, manganese, chloride, nitrate, hardness, and trace elements. Hardness, alkalinity, and total dissolved solids are often increased, while generation of gases, such as methane, carbon dioxide, ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide, are further by-products of landfills.

Polluted surface water:

Ranchi city is bounded by several small rivulets like Harmu river, Jumar river, Potpoto river, etc. These rivers are becoming sites for indiscriminate disposal of municipal, household and industrial wastes which may contaminate the city groundwater. This is particularly true for the Harmu river as the flow of the river is chocked with different household and municipal wastes. This river may pose major threat to the ground water quality.

Liquid waste:
Due to lack of proper drainage system most of the house hold liquid waste are sent in the disposal wells underground. Such disposal wells or soak pit tanks have been criticized from a health standpoint because of the potential for pollutants to be released directly into an aquifer. The problem is most critical where disposal wells are near pumping wells. Leakage from these wells can introduce high concentration of BOD, COD, nitrate, organic chemicals, and possibly bacteria into ground water.

Protection of ground water:

It is evident from the foregoing discussion that the aquifer beneath the city is getting overexploited and as consequence ground water resources are being depleted. Quality deterioration, an associated phenomena, of overexploitation, may be encountered. This quality deterioration will be relatively high in the overexploited and thickly populated areas. Once pollution has occurred, the water has to be treated at the point of abstraction. The cleanup of an aquifer is a very difficult task. It follows that every effort should be made to prevent the contamination of the ground water in the first instance. Rain water harvesting, harvesting of surface runoff and ground water recharge should be done in community level.

Fluoride toxicity in Jharkhand State of India- People eating Chakwad plants are less affected.

Fluoride toxicity in Jharkhand State of India- People eating Chakwad plants are less affected.
By
Dr. Nitish Priyadarshi

Tragedy has struck many a family in the Bakhari and Chukru, village of Jharkhand's Daltanganj district, where excess fluoride in water has left several with severe physical deformities and even paralyzed some.
Bakhari village, situated about 20 km from the district headquarters, has a population of nearly 700, comprising mostly tribals and members of socially underprivileged groups. Two-thirds of the villagers have reportedly developed physical deformities as all the sources of drinking water in Bakhari have excess fluoride content.
Residents of the remote village of Chukru, are experiencing various physical disabilities due to the presence of excessive fluoride in the ground water of the area. Every second person - children as well as adults - is suffering from deformed limbs, cataract, or premature ageing. Fluorosis hit the village in 1980 when the Government constructed borewells here to solve the drinking water problem of the village. A boon soon became a curse.

Bakhari residents draw water from 30 wells and six hand pumps in the village, all of which have excess fluoride. Without alternative sources of water, they are forced to continue using water from the contaminated wells and pumps.
According to sources in the Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan, district of Jharkhand fluoride and iron have been detected above the permissible limit in underground water in some areas.

According to the recent report people especially tribal consuming Chakwad (ring worm plant) plant are less affected of fluoride toxicity. Chakwad plants are consumed by the local tribal people in believe that it keeps them healthy. Without knowing that it is also helping them to minimize fluoride contamination they regularly eat Chakwad plant with other daily foods. According to the report those people who are not eating this plant are more affected with fluorosis. In Madhya Pradesh, the promotion of Chakwad (Cassia tora), which is rich in calcium, has helped mitigate the disease.
Main cause behind this effect is the presence of high calcium in this plant. Calcium , binds fluorine --assisting in safe excretion of fluorine, and also helping replenish body calcium stores depleted by fluorine.
It is similar to Stellaria spp. (common chickweed) which is generally used as a tea. This plant, a common garden weed which is edible in apparently unlimited quantities without toxic effect. It can be used as a vegetable and in green drinks. It is rich in Vitamin. C and in minerals, especially calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
Other Calcium-rich herbs include nettle, sage, chickweed, red clover, comfrey leaf, and raspberry leaf. A tasty infusion of any one or a combination of these herbs every day should be taken.
According to the different research reports, to minimize fluoride in the body one should eat plenty of foods that are high in calcium and vitamin D. Good sources of easily assimilable calcium include broccoli, chestnuts, clams, dandelion greens, most dark green leafy vegetable (see above), flounder, hazelnuts, kelp, molasses, oats, oysters, salmon, sardines (with the bones), sea vegetables, sesame seeds, shrimp, soybeans, tahini (sesame butter), tofu, and wheat germ. Include garlic and onions in the diet.
The Chakwad plants are very common in Jharkhand. People are not aware of the quality of these plants of minimising fluoride from the body.
Chakwad plant is found in warm moist climatic conditions and is generally found in tropical region where sun rays fall directly, it is also seen in areas where rains are in excess. It is found everywhere in India especially middle and south India.
It is an annual small plant that attains a maximum height of 1 to 5 feet. Seed contains rhein, aloe-emodin and chrysophanol. It also contains nearly 7% resins. There is also certain minerals like calcium, iron and phosphorus.
It also acts in skin ailment. It also acts as nerve tonic, liver stimulant and heart tonic. It acts on cholesterol thus maintaining the normal level of cholesterol. It also act as curing the infection occurring in the body and is given in worm infestation.
Jharkhand Government should promote such types plants in Fluoride affected areas.

MINE WATER CAN BE TRAPPED TO QUENCH THIRST- SPECIAL REFERENCE TO JHARKHAND STATE OF INDIA.

MINE WATER CAN BE TRAPPED TO QUENCH THIRST- SPECIAL REFERENCE TO JHARKHAND STATE OF INDIA.

"Catch Water Where it Falls"

By

Dr. Nitish Priyadarshi

Fig.1 Sufficient amount of water present in coal mines of NK Area of Jharkhand.

Fig.2 Other mine flooded with water

Fig.3 Satellite photo showing mine water in North Karanpura Coalfield of Jharkhand State.

Fig.4 Water in stone mine near Ranchi city.

Nature has been issuing warning signals like steep decline in water table, stoppage of base flow in streams and drying up of a large number of open wells and drilled bore wells.
In Jharkhand water underground few years ago had remained a precious resource to be tapped in times of need when all other sources of water had failed. This is no longer the case. The reckless way in which the people of Jharkhand are drilling more and more number of wells, drill deeper and deeper into the ground and withdraw water without exercising any restraint for domestic and commercial buildings and flats, shows gross abuse. Great damage has already been caused and any further abuse of this resource will result in water crisis.
Formerly the drinking water requirement of Jharkhand State was met by the construction of tanks, ponds and wells by the people themselves who also take care to keep these structures in good repair.
Tanks, ponds have been allowed to fill with silt and remain almost dry during the summer season and with no source of recharge, well become dry just after the winter season. You can easily imagine the situation in the peak summer season. Drying trend starts from February itself. Land in many parts are become bare due to depletion of ground water.
In the type of meteorological conditions prevailing in Jharkhand where rainfall is restricted to about three to four months in a year. Major dams are not capable of storing more than 10 to 20 % of the rain water that falls in their catchment area because of the filling up of silt and clay from last several years which has gradually shallowed the dams. The annual rainfall of Jharkhand is 1200 mm.
Taking note of the pattern of rainfall and geology of the state, water conservation through numerous large and small ponds is a much better alternative for storing rain water.
Idea is that catch rain water where it falls, store it and make use of it for your needs.
The State of Jharkhand, although claims to be a store house of minerals of India, is not so reach in water resources. Most of the area is occupied by the hard rock, which is in general protracted drought prone areas.
During my research in the coal fields regarding trace elements in coals, I saw many abandoned open coal mines filled with mine/rain water. All the mine waters are discharged into the near by Damodar river and its tributaries or left useless. All the communities especially tribal people are dependent on the most contaminated Damodar river water for drinking and other uses during peak summer season. Even the Damodar river get dry up during the summer season. Ground water levels are fairly deep, therefore scant availability. According to the reports millions of gallons of water have apparently flooded abandoned underground as well as open coal mines in the area while the coal filed is generally short of water.
Same situation I have seen around Ranchi city where there are sufficient numbers of abandoned stone mining filled with rain water and the local people use it for washing clothes and bathing. If proper management can be implemented like water quality monitoring and installing small filter plant around such mines at least local communities can be supplied with safe drinking water.
Regarding coal mines water, water can be used for both drinking and for irrigation. Especially during summer season, where every summer is a nightmare. Heat, coal dust and shortage of water create an unbearable cocktail in summer, when people in the coal field have to often walk several kilometers for a bucket of water, stand in long queues and occasionally fight with others for a just share of the water.
Only problem is the presence of suspended solids and heavy metals in the water. Water of the mines are not acidic as found in my research work. Heavy metals which were found in mine water in the north Karanpura coal field are arsenic, iron, zinc, manganese and fluoride. Among these arsenic was present in very trace amount. Problem is with manganese and fluoride which are in bit higher range.
It can also be used as the potential to serve as cooling water sources for electric power plants. Mine pool water will have to be treated to some degree, prior to use in a power plant’s cooling.
To me these metals can be minimized by primary and secondary treatment. When compared to Damodar river, these mine waters are more safe to consume after treatment.

Treatment technologies for pH adjustment, removal of TDS, dissolved metal ions, and variables found in mine water are well established.
An example of a treatment system that might be used for the treatment of mine water includes the following process units.
• Clarification to remove settleable solids
• Horizontal precipitator, coagulation, and flocculation for metals removal
• Multimedia filtration, ion exchange, and carbon adsorption if necessary to remove low
TDS

In a 1998 report, the Central Pollution Control Board of India classified the river as ‘D’, or heavily polluted. It means the water can only support some hardy variety of fishes, it cannot be used drinking or bathing. Damodar and its tributaries resemble large drain carrying black, highly turbid water. The total suspended solid (TSS) count at most places along the upper and middle stretches of the river is 40-50 times higher than the permissible limit.
In areas like Dhanbad, Giridih, Bokaro, Hazaribagh and Chatra, there is a tremendous requirement of water on the ground but perennial sources like river are very few and groundwater levels are fairly deep, therefore, scant availability. But water in the abandoned mines are within easy reach and can be turned to our advantage.
Regarding granite stone mines, there are many abandoned mines in Ranchi, Pankur, Palamau, Singhbhum districts etc. Rain water can harvested in such open mines. As compared to coal mine water, stone mine water are less polluted. It can fulfill the demand of local community. Joints and fractures present in granite mines can also help in recharging groundwater of the area.

There is no other way. ‘Catch Water Where it Falls’ should be the slogan. There is no need to go in search of water. It is there when you want it. Develop the ingenuity and skill to catch it, store it and make use of it wisely without wasting a single drop.
Dr. Nitish Priyadarshi
Geologist