Subroto Dutta and Rashmi Pradhan
Abstract
Water is elixer of life. Water makes up more than two thirds of the weight of the human body. It is important to the mechanics of the human body. People can survive days, weeks or months without food, but only about four days without waterThere has been a serious concern over the quality of water resources.The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 80% of all sickness in the world is attributable to unsafe water. Water may get impurities of various kinds from ground or soil with which it comes into contact it may also get contaminated with sewage and industrial wastes. The quality of water can be determined by detecting its physico-chemical properties. The present study involves ground water analysis of selected regions of Ajmer city. Samples were taken from hand pumps situated in 18 different localities adjacent to Loco & Carriage Workshops of the city, mainly used for drinking purpose. Loco & Carriage Workshops are the oldest workshops of Indian Railways. At present complete maintenance work for diesel locomotives, coaches and wagons is carried out in these workshops. About 9500 workers are employed in these workshops. The area around the workshops is also densely populated. Several physico-chemical parameters including pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, total hardness, salinity, chloride, sulphate, nitrate, sodium and fluoride were studied. The study indicates slight alkaline nature of ground water samples.TDS and total hardness values were observed higher than permissible limit, While sulphate and nitrate values were observed within the permissible limits as prescribed by WHO. The correlation coefficient showed significant relationship of pH with TDS, calcium hardness and sodium, potassium and fluoride concentration in ground water. EC shows significant effect on TDS. Statistical analysis also reveals significant effect of chloride content on alkalinity of ground water and that of Mg on hardness of water whereas chlorides shows a positive significant relationship with sulphate and sodium with potassium content in ground water. Except some selected sites, ground water is grossly suitable for domestic purposes