Received: January 25th, 2022 ; Accepted: March 1st, 2022 ; Published: March 17th, 2022 ; Correspondence: [email protected] environmentally fragile regions that rely solely on groundwater resources, the
hazards to the environment and human health are amplified by geogenic and anthropogenic
pollution through the supply and use of groundwater for drinking and irrigation use. Groundwater
from borewells in the study area was evaluated through hydrogeochemical analysis of 17
parameters in 2018 and 2019 across three seasons: pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon.
The study area, Kainakary, a fragile eco-friendly area in South India, was specifically chosen, as
agriculture is the predominant anthropogenic activity in the region and other anthropogenic
activities with known negative effects are negligible compared to other parts of India. Despite
diligent attention paid to sustainable practices in Kainakary, iron, fluoride, and ammonia
components in groundwater exceeded the permissible limits stipulated by the World Health
Organization and Indian drinking water standards. Significant need for water resources due to
below sea level farming practices of rice cultivation and potable water requirements result in
over-extraction of groundwater, an inevitable cause of geogenic pollution. Anthropogenic
pollution of groundwater sources was evidenced by the presence of coliform bacteria in samples.
Determining the origins of major geogenic and anthropogenic pollutants, as well as understanding
irrigation use patterns, play a key role in mitigating the overuse of groundwater sources. This
study contributes to evolving strategies for reducing geogenic and anthropogenic pollution and
for groundwater management in ecologically fragile areas toward achieving Sustainable
Development Goal 12, which focuses on responsible consumption and production
