Hydro-chemistry of groundwater in a North Indian city and its suitability assessment for drinking and irrigation purposes

Aim : The current study aimed to identify the hydro-geological processes that control the groundwater chemistry. Further, groundwater quality was also evaluated for drinking and irrigation purposes. Methodology : Groundwater samples were collected from a semi-arid region of North India i.e, Ellenabad, Sirsa, Haryana. The samples were analyzed following the American Public Health Association standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater. Results : Most of the groundwater samples of study area fall under hard category. The saline nature of groundwater can be attributed to high concentration of total dissolved salts (340±104 mg l-1). Majority of the groundwater samples showed fluoride concentration below the permissible limit of WHO and BIS (1.0 mg l-1). Multivariate analysis including sodium absorption ratio was calculated to assess the water quality for irrigation purpose and it was found appropriate for majority of crops, except for sensitive plant species. Interpretation : Potability assessment of groundwater showed that more than 40% samples were unacceptable for drinking purpose without any prior treatment, hence, it is essential to conduct a routine monitoring of groundwater to determine its aptness for drinking, domestic and agriculture purposes.