Groundwater of Kanpur (U.P.), India: Status, Contamination Problems, Recharge Processes and Management Issues — A Review

Groundwater is the major source of water supply in Ganga alluvial plains where it supports agriculture, urban populations, and industrial growth. In Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, this resource has attained serious stress as a result of over-extraction, contamination, and inadequate recharge management. The city, situated at the banks of the Ganga River, is among the major industrial centers in northern India, dominated by leather tanneries, textile mills, and chemical factories. Industrial effluents, untreated sewage, and agricultural return flows have drastically contaminated groundwater to a high degree, with chromium (Cr VI), nitrate, fluoride, lead, and cadmium being of utmost concernThis evaluation combines hydrogeological data, water-level trends, water-quality studies, and epidemiologic research to provide an integrated picture of groundwater in Kanpur. The chromium content exceeds tolerable limits by over 60-fold in some wells, while nitrate content is above potable standards in peri-urban areas. Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) under Namami Gange programme is a new intervention to increase storage but monitoring and pollution control are still insufficient. This paper identifies research gaps such as source apportionment, health impact assessment, and MAR assessment. Recommendations include tightened effluent control, increased monitoring network, safe water provision at the community level, and integrated groundwater management.