Vijayawada: Beware, consumption of untreated water directly from the borewells in Vijayawada can seriously damage your health. Researchers, who studied groundwater samples from various locations in the city, found the presence of trace metals more than the permissible limits prescribed by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Groundwater continues to be the main source of drinking water in and around Vijayawada city. Discharge of industrial effluents, without proper treatment, is polluting the groundwater. The urban population is also relying on wells, borewells and hand pumps for their water needs.

According to the study ‘Trace analysis of heavy metals in groundwater of Vijayawada industrial area’ by researchers, Ravisankar Tadiboyinaa, and Prasada Rao P.T.S.R.K.B. of Acharya Nagarjuna University and P.B. Siddhartha College respectively, water samples collected had cadmium, chromium, iron and lead concentration than the permissible limits. Vijayawada is famous for agro-industries, automobile building units, hardware, textile, chemical and power plants.





The city has two well equipped industrial estates -- Auto Nagar and Ibrahimpatnam. The waste materials from these industries contaminate the groundwater in the city, said the researchers. Water samples were collected from Ibrahimpatnam Morampudi, Kondapally and two places in Auto Nagar. The recharging of groundwater in the study area is due to Krishna river and Eluru canal.

The Krishna river, passes from the south side, and Eluru canal, passes from the northeast of the study area. The study area locates at northeast side - Auto Nagar, south-west - Morampudi, Pedavadla-pudi and Atmakuru and north-west side -Ibrahimpatnam in Vijayawada city. Chromium trioxide dust in the workplace may cause cancer and damages the respirational system while hexavalent chromium is highly toxic. It causes an allergic and asthmatic reaction. Excess iron content in the body is stored in liver, pancreas, and heart that can damage the organs.