Groundwater Nitrate Contamination: Spatial Assessment and Land Use and Land Cover Analysis in Ajmer District, Rajasthan

Author(s)	Ms. Ruby Siddiqui, Prof. Meenal Mishra, Dr. Jakir Hussain
Country	India
Abstract	This study assesses groundwater nitrate contamination across eight administrative blocks of Ajmer District, Rajasthan, using 418 samples, statistical analysis, GIS-based spatial mapping, and LULC analysis. Nitrate concentrations ranged from 2–5 mg/L at the minimum to 884 mg/L in Srinagar and 840 mg/L in Kekri, far exceeding the BIS limit of 45 mg/L and WHO guideline of 50 mg/L (BIS, 2012; WHO, 2017). Kekri recorded the highest mean concentration (108.3 mg/L), followed by Masuda (81.4 mg/L), while high standard deviations in Kekri (150.6) and Srinagar (147.2) indicate strong local variability. Arain and Bhinay were comparatively less affected, although contamination remained locally significant. The spatial pattern indicates strong links with intensive agriculture, sanitation conditions, and hydrogeological vulnerability, highlighting the need for targeted fertilizer management, improved sanitation, monitoring, and safe drinking-water alternatives.
Keywords	Nitrate contamination, groundwater quality, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), land use/land cover, Ajmer District
Published In	Volume 17, Issue 9, September 2026
Published On	2026-09-03

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International Journal of Technology and Applied Science