Affiliations: Research Assistant, Geoenvironmental Research Centre,
Cardiff University, Queen's Buildings, PO Box. No. 925, Cardiff
CF24 0YF, Wales UK. [email protected] | Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of
Technology, Guwahati, India. [email protected] | Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering,
Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, India. [email protected]
Note: [] Corresponding author
Abstract: Evidence of extensive fluoride contamination in ground water and
instances of fluorosis reported from several localities of Guwahati, a city in
northeast India, has become a matter of grave concern. As the endemic area is
spreading day by day, a scientific intervention towards a suitable and
practicable solution to the problem has become imperative. This study focused
on delineating the possible source of the contamination hazard in the affected
areas by studying the correlation of fluoride concentrations with selected
hydrogeochemical parameters. Groundwater quality in a part of Guwahati city was
studied with reference to the fluoride contamination and, based on a GIS
developed, potentially vulnerable localities were demarcated for appropriate
water supply planning. The most affected aquifer zones were identified and,
through GIS applications, potential zones where high fluoride concentration is
likely to be encountered were predicted. Through the GIS based evaluation of
the data, the narrow valley fill areas adjoining granitic and gneissic bedrocks
were found to be the most threatened. Steps for addressing the problem are
recommended.
