Groundwater Pollution

The earth’s 97.5% water is saline and only 2.5% is fresh water and 68.9% of the freshwater is locked in ice caps and glaciers and 29.9% of fresh water is found on the sub-surface. In developed countries, 95% population having access to safe drinking water and 90% population has sufficient sanitation facilities.  Almost 50% of the groundwater used in cities is obtaining from wells, boreholes, and springs. One fifty million population of Latin Americans and greater than 1000 million Asian are depending on groundwater. Groundwater contamination is a very noteworthy environmental concern of the time. Regardless of its importance, groundwater resource is not properly managing. There are various probable sources of groundwater pollution in cities including point, non-point, and linear sources. Point sources include industrial effluents, domestic sewage, and storm overflow, non-point sources include construction work, agriculture activities, and atmospheric deposition and linear sources are roads and sewer system. The groundwater contamination can be resulting from leakage of sewage. Anthropogenic activities such as agriculture, industrial, and municipality are responsible for discharging and recharging contaminants into groundwater. The groundwater quality deterioration resulting from leachate percolation mainly occurs during the monsoon season and escalating the diseases related to groundwater contamination. Groundwater contamination occurs mostly in the vicinity of landfill and municipal waste disposal sites and increasing the chances of percolation in aquifers. The presence of emerging organic pollutants can be well examined and analyzed in wastewater and surface water as compared to groundwater. Emerging organic pollutant's major source is wastewater whereas surface water carries its maximum load. Approximately 2.3 billion population across the world is suffering from diseases related to polluted water. Worldwide, approximately polluted drinking water and insufficient sanitation kill 1.6 million children below the age of five years, and 84% of them are residing in villages. Water contamination is the foremost health and environmental issue in Pakistan. The main sources of groundwater pollution in Pakistan are the discharging of waste effluents into water bodies by many industrial units including textile, fertilizers, pesticides, steel, dying chemicals, cement, leather, etc. In Pakistan 20-40 % of hospital beds are occupied by patients with waterborne diseases like diarrhea, hepatitis, typhoid, dysentery, cholera, etc.  One-third of all deaths occur across the country owing to waterborne diseases. Heavy metals present in drinking water can damage vital organs i.e. kidney, liver, and central nervous system. They also cause abnormality in blood composition. There is a dire need to cope with the issue by responsible authorities to protect the health of citizens.