IMPACT OF INDUSTRIALIZATION ON GROUNDWATER QUALITY - 153 IMPACT OF INDUSTRIALIZATION ON GROUNDWATER QUALITY - A CASE STUDY OF BADDI-BAROTIWALA INDUSTRIAL BELT, DISTT. SOLAN, HIMACHAL PRADESH, INDIA KAMALDEEP, MADHURI S. RISHI, NARESH KOCHHAR AND NIBEDITA GHOSH Department of Environment Science, Panjab University, Chandigarh, India Key words: Industrialization, Industrial pollution, Fluoride contamination, Quality assessment (Received 10 June 2011; accepted 15 July 2011) ABSTRACT The present study endeavors to identify the groundwater contamination problems in Baddi-Barotiwala Industrial belt of District Solan, Himachal Pradesh, India. The dense unplanned industrial establish- ments have negatively affected the groundwater quality in the study area. Groundwater samples from 44 different locations and sources were collected and subjected to standard analytical techniques for physico-chemical analysis. The results obtained were compared with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS: IS: 10500, 2003) guidelines for drinking water suitability in relation to possible health hazards. From the heavy metal analysis it can be inferred that high concentrations of Fe, Cu, Pb and Mn has rendered the groundwater unsuitable for drinking purposes. The disposal of untreated effluents from various industrial units may be the source of groundwater contamination in the area of concern. It is indicative that the quality of groundwater is deteriorating with the ever increasing menace of industri- alization in this solace of heavenly abode. INTRODUCTION Water constitutes 50-97% of the weight of all plants and animals and about 70% of the weight of human body and hence is essential for the survival of all forms of life on earth (Buchholz, 1998). Due to increasing contamination and scarcity of surface water resources, a major stress has been shifted to groundwater re- sources. Despite its importance, water is the most poorly managed resource in the world (Fakayode, 2005). In many countries, the wastewater is released into rivers, lakes and other water bodies. This further leads to many environmental issues including *Address for correspondence : Email : kamaldeep07@gmail.com Jr. of Industrial Pollution Control 27(2)(2011) pp 153-159 © EM International Printed in India. All rights reserved eutrophication, depletion of dissolved oxygen fish mortality (Rosenberg, 1985). Therefore, the unchecked and uncontrolled disposal of wastewater into water bodies is degrading the water resources and ulti- mately affects the public health. Water pollution be- comes a serious concern when it involves poisoning of drinking water. With increasing population and growing industrial practices, no natural resource has given rise to deeper concern than good clean water. With the advent of industrialization not only surface water but ground water has also been degraded up to a level at which it has become unsuitable for human consumption. Due to recent industrialization and ever