Groundwater Contamination Modelling: A Case Study of Industrial Area

In India, groundwater is a primary source of freshwater and is used mainly for agriculture and irrigation purposes. Approximately 80% of the population is dependent on groundwater for household and agricultural purposes in India. The pace of urbanization and industrialization in Gandhinagar and Mehsana has been accelerated since the capital of Gujarat state was formed; hence, a study is carried out to identify the status of groundwater quality in Gandhinagar, Kadi, Kalol, and Mehsana talukas of Gujarat on the basis of 5-year data from 2017 to 2022. In this study, MODFLOW and MT3DMS software are used to identify contaminated groundwater status in particular study areas. MODFLOW software helped in simulating groundwater quality under various hydrogeological conditions. After the initial simulation, the area was assigned to MT3DMS, a three-dimensional multi-species solute transport model where arsenic and fluoride concentrated chemicals are figured out above the permissible limit authorized by WHO and BIS for drinking purposes. The analysis showed the concentrations of arsenic and fluoride in unconfined and confined aquifers, and it was anticipated that the study area's groundwater quality would be controlled as a consequence. Groundwater quality simulation will assist stakeholders, government agencies, and users in determining the current state of groundwater quality for future consideration.