Assessment of Urbanization Impacts on Groundwater Quality Using Wqi, Npi, Remote Sensing and Gis in Shaikpet, Hyderabad, India
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Rapid urbanization exerts considerable pressure on ground water resources through increasing groundwater abstraction, reduction in natural recharge, expansion of impervious surfaces, wastewater infiltration, construction activities, and urban runoff. The present investigation evaluates the impact of urbanization on groundwater quality in and around the Shaikpet region of Hyderabad, Telangana, India, using an integrated physicochemical, Water Quality Index (WQI), Nemerow Pollution Index (NPI), Remote Sensing (RS), and Geographic Information System (GIS) approach. Twenty-three representative groundwater sampling locations were considered during 2022 and 2023, and major physicochemical parameters including pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total dis solved solids (TDS), total hardness (TH), calcium, magnesium, alkalinity, chloride, sulphate, nitrate, sodium, potassium, and fluoride were evaluated. The WQI results indicate that the groundwater quality is predominantly poor, with 21 stations classified as poor and two stations classified as very poor. The WQI values reported for representative locations range from 133.89 to 256.79 during the comparative assessment. The highest 2023 WQI was observed at Valli High School (S19), indicating a highly stressed urban environment. NPI analysis further identified Saibaba Temple (S7), Sri Peddamma Talli Temple (S17), Valli High School (S19), Aziz Bagh Colony (S22), and The Life Church (S23) as important pollution hotspots. Remote sensing and GIS analysis showed that built-up land occupies approximately 70% of the study area, while vegetation, wasteland, water bodies, and agricultural land account for approximately 13.97%, 10%, 5%, and 1.03%, respectively. The integrated analysis demonstrates that urban expansion, wastewater leakage, construction activities, reduced recharge, and runoff are important factors controlling groundwater quality. Protection of recharge zones, improved wastewater management, artificial recharge, and continuous groundwater monitoring are therefore recommended for sustainable groundwater management.
Subfield: Water Science and Technology
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7221313291
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