Groundwater Quality Assessment from a Hard Rock Terrain Kundalika River Basin, Beed District, Maharashtra, India

Abstract

In the study area, the primary source of water is groundwater for the drinking and irrigation purpose. For the assessment of groundwater quality results of 48 groundwater samples in post& pre monsoon season for the year 2021 & 2022 were carried out from Kundalika River basin Beed District, Maharashtra. The pH values of groundwater reveal that slightly alkaline in nature. The electric conductivity varies from 290 to 2640 µS/cm; the total dissolved solids (TDS), alkalinity, total hardness, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride measured. Most of TDS values of groundwater samples less 1000 mg/l indicate suitable for drinking and irrigation purpose. In the piper trilinear diagram, it is observed that 80% groundwater samples in post monsoon season 2021 and pre monsoon season 2022 fall in the Ca-HCO3 region and remaining 20 % groundwater samples of both season falls in mixed type such as Ca-Na-HCO3 region. According to Wilcox’s diagram all groundwater samples are good for irrigation purpose except 2 % samples of post monsoon season 2021 and pre monsoon season 2022 are doubtful to unsuitable area for irrigation use. Various water quality indices like: EC, SAR, SSP, RSC, MAR and KR shows that most water samples are suitable for irrigation uses. U. S. Salinity Laboratory Diagram shows that all the groundwater samples belongs to C2-S1,C3-S1,C3-S1 and C3-S2 category suggesting a medium to high salinity and alkalinity; this can be good for irrigation purpose, with few exceptions under specific conditions.