Environmental Impact Assessment of Water Resources and Urbanization in Varanasi District, U.P., India

According to the 2011 census, Varanasi district has a population of 3,676,841 and the population density of 2,399 inhabitants per square kilometer (6,210/sq mi). The sex ratio of Varanasi was 909 females for every 1000 males, and literacy rate was 77.05%. The exponential growth of the population has been recorded 17.15% in the population of 2011 as compared to census 2001. There was 25.14% increase in population recorded in 2001 as compared to census 1991, where the large-scale emigration from rural areas to urban areas, degrading the water quality and depleting the Water Resources in the district. The surface drainage and underground aquifer system have been disturbed by the large-scale urban infrastructural development activities. Due to heavy population and over-exploitation of water resources, the data of 2015-16 is analyzed to know the change in water quality due to a rapid increase in population. The various parameters like pH, Conductivity, Chloride, Alkalinity, Calcium (Ca ++ ) Magnesium( Mg + ), Sulphate (So4), phosphate (P), and Nitrate (No3) shows that water quality is deteriorated due to overexploitation and unscientific management. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Date of Submission: 16-01-2018 Date of acceptance: 01-02-2018 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------