In the present study, groundwater suitability for domestic and irrigation purposes was analyzed in the alluvial aquifers of the Bist-Doab region of Punjab, India, using various indices such as WQI, WAWQI, MCDA, RSC, SAR, PI, %Na, KR, MH, PS, K, and Ka. Since it is difficult to assess the suitability of groundwater for irrigation based on various indices individually, a composite groundwater quality index for irrigation (CGQII) was used in the study which transforms nine indices to a single value for each sample. Results reveal that the groundwater of a few blocks was found unsuitable for domestic use due to chemical leaching from fertilizers, pesticides, and agricultural and industrial wastes. Whereas, the groundwater of mainly southwestern parts was found unsuitable for irrigation due to long-term water accumulation in aquifers and continuous use of sodium-ion-rich groundwater. The findings conclude that anthropogenic activities have played a significant role in making groundwater unfit for domestic and irrigation purposes in the study area. The present study also emphasizes continuous monitoring and evaluation of groundwater quality, which will help in strategic planning and management for the conservation of groundwater resources in the region.
The present study tries to delineate groundwater zones in the Upper-Doab region of Uttar Pradesh, India based on its suitability for the use of domestic and irrigation purposes considering the physico-chemical parameters of groundwater samples (n ∼ 70) using Weighted Arithmetic Water Quality Index (WAWQI) and Composite Groundwater Quality Index for Irrigation (CGQII) methods, respectively. The Upper-Doab region of Uttar Pradesh is bounded by the mighty rivers of Ganga and Yamuna in the east and west respectively. In the southwest, the region shares the boundary with the national capital of Delhi, which has led to an increase in the growth of urbanization and industrialization in the region. These factors have a visible negative impact on the groundwater scenario of the region. Hydrogeochemical investigation reveals that the ionic dominance in the groundwater samples is in the order of HCO3 > Cl > SO4 > NO3 > F and Na > Mg > Ca > K. Chemical history of groundwater samples using piper-trilinear diagram shows that Ca-Mg-HCO3 and Ca-Na-HCO3 type of groundwater is mostly found in this region. Gibb’s plot reveals that rock-water interaction was dominantly controlling the ionic composition of the groundwater in the unconfined aquifer environment. Further, the bivariate plot of (SO4 + HCO3) vs. (Ca + Mg) reveals that the weathering of calcite and dolomite minerals present in the aquifer environment has largely attributed chemical character to the groundwater of the region. The groundwater zoning concerning its domestic and agricultural use reveals that the groundwater of Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Buddha Nagar districts have poorer quality of groundwater due to high electrical conductivity and higher concentration of nitrate which has a higher anthropogenic link. The evaluation of groundwater quality for irrigation using a single index value i.e., CGQII makes this study different from the other hydrochemical investigations under similar hydrogeolocal aquifer conditions in the region. The study suggests that corrective measures like, strict implementation of untreated discharge of industrial effluents to the water or groundwater directly, creating awareness among farmers for lesser use of chemical fertilizers, and regular groundwater monitoring systems for quality analysis must be considered for a sustainable future of the region.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.