Geochemistry of Groundwater in a River Basin of Andhra Pradesh, India

Rainfall is the direct recharge source. Water released from domestic, agricultural and industrial activities is the indirect recharge source of groundwater. It is a known fact that the groundwater is safer than surface water due to natural protective qualities of soil cover. However, during infiltration, the water interacts with soils affected by anthropogenic activities, weathered materials and/or fractured rocks, before reaching the water table, and carries dissolved pollutants by various chemical reactions. Besides, transgression and incursion of saline water from sea onto surface and into sub-surface, respectively, is a challenging problem everywhere in coastal regions.