Significance of Hydro-geological and Hydro-chemical Analysis in the Evaluation of Groundwater Resources: A Case Study from the East Coast of India

Abstract

The work described in this paper is aimed towards conducting a thorough and in-depth field based study on the groundwater development and water quality variation in the district of Purba Medinipur, West Bengal, India. 20 nos. locations were selected along the coastal belt of the study area to investigate the groundwater quality. Based on the field test results,contour line were plotted for Chloride concentration. The 3-Dimensional views of piezometric surface pre monsoon [ 2006 ], pre-monsoon and post-monsoon average piezometric surfaces [2004] had also been developed. The subsurface characterization and the groundwater quality analysis were thereafter utilized to obtain the probable path of saline water ingress into the aquifers of the study area. Owing to heterogeneity of the aquifer in the selected locations, the spatial irregularity in salinity was observed to be significant. The present study was carried out to understand the quality of ground water and delineate the subsurface formations in an area of Purba Midnapur district. The physico chemical studies involve pH value, hydraulic conductivity, total hardness, anions (HCO, Cl, CO) and Fe.