Groundwater Contamination in District Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, In the Wake of Super-flood 2010

Abstract

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) was the most severely affected province in the monsoon flood of 2010. A total of twenty-seven water samples were collected, nearly two months after the flood, from Nowshera district and were analyzed for physical, chemical and biological parameters. Nearly all samples showed abnormally higher values for Electrical Conductivity (EC), hardness, alkalinity, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Total Solids (TS), Total Coliform Bacteria (TCB), Fecal Coliform Bacteria (FCB), chloride, sulfate, sodium, iron, lead, cadmium and nickel, therefore, water was not safe for human consumption. Some quality parameters, such as pH calcium, magnesium, nitrate, phosphate, chromium, copper and zinc, were found within permissible limits. This study was conducted to evaluate changes in the groundwater quality of district Nowshera in the wake of 2010 super-flood and to establish its relationship with wide occurrence of water-borne diseases.