Reckoning Groundwater Quality and Hydrogeochemical Processes for Drinking and Irrigation Purposes under the Influence of Anthropogenic Activities, North India

Abstract

The present study was carried out near an industrial area with a high-density urban population and large-scale agricultural activities. These anthropogenic activities lead to groundwater pollution and depletion of the water table. This study attempted to classify pollution sources and hydrochemical facies that help to ensure the suitability of water for agriculture and drinking. Irrigation suitability indexes, water quality index (WQI), principal component analysis (PCA), and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) were applied to twenty-six groundwater samples that were analysed during May 2018 for major cations and anion concentrations. The results revealed that the mechanism of groundwater chemistry has been controlled by the evaporation process with the dominance of hydrochemical facies viz., Ca-Mg-HCO3, Na-K-Cl-SO4, Ca-Mg-Cl, and Na-K-HCO3. The mean dominant concentration for cations is in the order of Ca2+ > Na+ > Mg2+ > K+ while anions are HCO3− > SO4− > Cl− > NO3− > CO32− > F−. Irrigation suitability indexes indicated that groundwater in the study area is high in saline and low to medium alkali hazards due to industrial activities. The PCA and HCA also recognized that most of the variations are elucidated by anthropogenic processes, predominantly due to excessive population, industrial emissions, and agricultural activities. Further, the WQI of the study area suggested that 15% of the samples were unsuitable, 69% poor, and the remaining 16% only suitable for drinking purposes. The present article helps to understand the suitability and hydrochemical processes of groundwater for irrigation and drinking, which will help policymakers in water supply planning and management.

Soybean (Glycine max) Cropland Suitability Analysis in Subtropical Desert Climate through GIS-Based Multicriteria Analysis and Sentinel-2 Multispectral Imaging

“…High RSC in Chak 52 RB and 282 GB might be due to human and agricultural activities, such as overuse of Ca 2+ -and Mg 2+ -containing fertilizers and IW. Ahmed [38] stated that Na + in groundwater can be from natural sources (mineral weathering) and human activities (irrigation, industrial processes). The SAR index indicates that the available IW in the study area is safe for agriculture.…”

Application of the Water Quality Index to Assess Groundwater Quality in the Bou Dhar Mining District in Beni Tajjit (High Atlas, Morocco)

“…The degradation of aquatic ecosystems in the vicinity of mines as a result of mining activities has been demonstrated in several works (Yan et al, 2023;Beck et al, 2020;Little et al, 2020). As a result, natural processes and anthropogenic activity in the area tend to influence groundwater quality (Ahmed et al, 2022;Maria et al, 2022;Balamurugana et al, 2020Zereg et al, 2018.…”

“…Application of the Water Quality Index to Assess Groundwater Quality in the Bou Dhar Mining District in Beni Tajjit (High Atlas, Morocco) Mohamed Abdellaoui 1* , Omar Abdellaoui 2 , Abdellali Abdaoui 1 , Ali Ait Boughrous 1 This phenomenon has gained widespread recognition in countries holding tailings from sulfide deposits: Qian'an and Qianxi Mine in China (Song et al, 2023), Anhui Mine in China (Zheng et al, 2019) and Paracatu Mine in Brazil (Veloso et al, 2019). In Morocco, DMA chemical processes of sulfide oxidation have been proven in several regions: Zaida Mine, High Moulouya in Morocco (El Alaoui et al, 2021), Kettara Mine in Morocco (El Amari et al, 2014).…”