Executive Summary : | India faces a significant health risk due to drinking contaminated water containing carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic elements like arsenic, fluoride, nitrate, and boron in 19 states, including over 6 million children under 14. Common water diseases include diarrhea, cholera, dysentery, tooth fluorosis, typhoid, lead poisoning, infantile paralysis, skin infection, and guinea worm disease. Trace and heavy metals are dangerous as they are non-degradable and can damage organs even at low concentrations over time. India tops the world in groundwater usage. The proposed study area, Kangpokpi district, Manipur, is a hill region with a beautiful natural forest landscape. The region's primary source of water supply is river, pond, and spring. However, due to climate change, shifting cultivation, and clearing forests, rivers have become narrow and hardly flow during summer. Farmers use different fertilizers to increase yield, which can lead to chemical waste reaching surface/sub-surface water and contaminating downstream areas and aquifers. Arsenic and iron are reported in some districts of Manipur. To achieve surface/groundwater sustainability, understanding groundwater hydrochemistry of major ions, trace, and heavy metals for water types, quality, and contamination sources using ICP-OEs, IC, and Isotopes study, ArcGIs, remote sensing, and Numeric models will help find groundwater potential zones and build contaminant flow direction. Geophysical surveys will help understand sub-surface properties and construct artificial management structures. Groundwater contamination not only contaminates water but also causes social life, health issues, and economic growth. It's time to save our environment for future generations. |