Suitability of Groundwater Quality for Drinking and Irrigation Purposes in the Dheku River Basin, Maharashtra

Abstract

Groundwater quality in the Dheku River sub basin was estimated for its suitability for drinking and agricultural purposes by collecting thirty five groundwater samples spread over the basin area and analyzed for physico-chemical parameters (pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, and total hardness,), major ions (Ca, Cl, HCO₃, K, Mg, Na, K and SO₄) Based on the physicochemical analyses, irrigation quality parameters like sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), residual sodium carbonate (RSC), and sodium soluble percentage (SSP) was calculated. The suitability of the water from the groundwater sources for drinking purposes was evaluated by comparing the values of different water quality parameters with Bureau of Indian Standards and World Health Organization guideline values for drinking water. The result of the analysis shows that the Water chemistry of Dheku river sub basin is deteriorated at some places. The correlation of the analytical data has been attempted by plotting different graphical representations such as US Salinity Laboratory for the classification of water, and results show that almost samples are fit for irrigation. Groundwater quality in Dheku basin is impeded by natural geology and anthropogenic activities, and proper groundwater management strategies are necessary to protect sustainably this valuable resource.