Determination of water quality index and suitability of water bodies in Robertsganj, Sonbhadra district, Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

Water, the elixir of life, is a prime natural resource, a basic human need, and a precious national asset. The quality of drinking water is a powerful environmental determinant of health. The main causes of deterioration in water quality are lack of unprotected water sites, high anthropogenic activities, direct discharge of industrial effluents and its geological structure. The present study was focused on the Water Quality Index (WQI) of ground water in Robertsganj (district head quarter of Sonbhadra), Uttar Pradesh. WQI is a useful tool for quick estimation of quality of any water resource. Water samples from five sampling stations were randomly collected from hand pump, well, tap water and water tank and analysed for physico-chemical parameters. The pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity, total alkalinity, total hardness, Ca, Mg, Na, K, Cl, and SO4 were analysed for the different water samples. Except for electrical conductivity, TDS, total hardness and Ca value were high; none of the parameters exceeded the permissible values for water quality assessment as prescribed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). This study demonstrates that in general the groundwater quality status of Robertsganj ranged from good to unsuitable and only sample 1 is fit and sample 2, 3, 4 are poor and sample 5 is unfit for human consumption based on all the ten parameters of water quality index.