IJEP 45(3): 240-248 : Vol. 45 Issue. 3 (March 2025)
1. National Institute of Technology, Department of Information Technology, Raipur – 492 010, Chhattisgarh, India
2. National Institute of Technology, Department of Applied Geology, Raipur – 492 010, Chhattisgarh, India
3. National Institute of Technology, Department of Civil Engineering, Raipur – 492 010, Chhattisgarh, India
Abstract
Water scarcity is a critical issue in Ladakh’s Leh district, India, exacerbated by climate change and rapid infrastructure development. This study investigates hydrological dynamics in the developing region of Leh district, Ladakh. Urbanization, infrastructure expansion and seasonal peaks in tourism intensify pressure on the water resources and living standards. Untreated wastewater discharge into soak pits or septic tanks poses risks to groundwater integrity, especially in densely populated areas. Given inadequate groundwater and surface water monitoring infrastructure and unregulated water deployment, assessing water quality is crucial. The study encompasses three villages (Nang, Mood, Stakmo) and Leh city, employing physico-chemical assessments covering parameters, such as pH, sodium, potassium, temperature, total dissolved solids, alkalinity and chlorides. Among the 19 samples analyzed, only a marginal proportion met desirable thresholds for pH, chloride and total dissolved solids, while sodium content was within acceptable limits across 15% of samples and all samples exhibited suitable potassium levels. Notably, 60% of samples displayed deviations from normative ranges. Subsequent computations of the water quality index (WQI) revealed that 84% of water samples achieved an excellent quality rating, with 10% classified as good and the remaining 6% categorized as poor. Overall, the findings indicate that groundwater in study area is predominantly suitable for potable consumption, notwithstanding localized quality concerns.
Keywords
Hydrological dynamics, Urbanization impact, Tourist activity, Wastewater discharge, Groundwater integrity, Physico-chemical assessments, Water quality index, Normative ranges
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