Status of Groundwater Water Quality in Bhilwara District of Rajasthan: A Geospatial Approach

Abstract

AbstractWater on the earth is in abundance but its distribution is very much uneven on the land surface. Only 2% of the total water is available for use. Due to its distribution and quality, scarcity of portable water will be the major challenge at global level as most of the water available in surface reservoirs and groundwater are affected by various kind of contaminations of various sources. The situation is more aggravated in arid and semi-arid areas. Rajasthan state of India is located in arid & semi-climatic region with poor water quality. Same is the situation in the Bhilwara district located in the central part of the Rajasthan state where availability of water resource is very poor because of quality, quantity, and distribution issues. At the same time demand for potable water is increasing day by day for irrigation, industrial & domestic purposes. The present study is focused on spatial variability of groundwater quality for the Bhilwara district of Rajasthan, India using geospatial techniques. Four important water quality parameters that is Total dissolved solids, Chloride, Nitrate, and Fluoride (TDS, Cl, NO3, and F) has been taken into consideration for assessment of water quality. Data on these parameters have been collected and classified with the standard parameter values as suggested by the BIS standards (ISI 10,500:2012). After data normalization appropriate weights have been given according to the contribution of individual parameter in water quality and a ground Water Quality Index (WQI) is generated. The scale of WQI is categorized into (1) Very Good, (2) Good, (3) Average, and (4) Poor. The analysis indicates that good water quality is associated with high water level, more thickness of alluvium, deep bedrock, more water-saturated strata, good groundwater recharge areas, nearness from the river, etc. The results are verified in the field at appropriate locations supported by interviews of local farmers. Status of water quality shows that the 24.65 and 20.18% area of district cover by the “Very Good” and “Good” quality of water and 33.72% area show the “Average” quality of water while the 21.45% of area is covered by the “Poor” quality of water.KeywordsGroundwater qualityGISISI standardsOrdinary krigingWater Quality Index (WQI)