Groundwater Contamination by the Use of Chemical Fertilizer & Pesticides – A Sample Study in Vadodara District

Agriculture, directly in terms of input use or indirectly in terms of groundwater drawl is one of the contributing factors for the groundwater pollution, has indicated that a toxic brew of pesticides, nitrogen fertilizers, industrial chemicals, and heavy metals is found in groundwater everywhere. Therefore, assessing the impact of chemical fertilizers on groundwater pollution is very important in order to make provisions to protect existing groundwater resources of the region/area. With the advent of irrigation facilities through canal and groundwater system, the agriculture system in India has become more input intensive. The use of chemical fertilizers like Urea, DAP, Potash etc, has increased rapidly. In order to support the views mentioned above, a research study was undertaken sponsored by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Sri Lanka to carry out a survey in the four talukas of Vadodara District & study the quality of groundwater/possible contamination of groundwater by the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The research was carried out in a sample drawn from the four Taluka viz, Padara, Savli, Dabhoi, and Shiner, of Vadodara district. The study talukas are selected to reflect maximum variation in cropping patterns and geographical spread within a district.

The objectives with which this study has been taken up were: To establish a relationship between cropping pattern and groundwater quality in the study area.

    To suggest the appropriate rainwater harvesting techniques to address the problem of contamination thus arisen
    To ascertain the nature of contamination or chemical composition of the groundwater due to use of chemical fertilizers/pesticides