Groundwater Quality Assessment Using GIS for Agricultural Propose in Molakalmur Taluk, Karnataka

Abstract

In the hard rock terrain of Molakalmur Taluk in Karnataka, India, groundwater is an important source of drinking water supply. The goal of the current study was to appraise the groundwater's quality using WQI and the spatial distribution of its physicochemical properties. In order to build a spatial distribution map based on a GIS, ArcGIS 10.1 was used to analyse 92 groundwater samples that were collected in the study area during the pre-monsoon period. According to BIS 3025, the concentrations of several ions, including Ca+2, HCO3 -1, Na+1, CO3 -2, K+1, Cl-1, SO4 -2, and Mg+2, were assessed. In this work, an effort has been made to comprehend whether groundwater is suitable for consumption by humans. The WQI has been used to categorise the water quality into the following levels: excellent, good, poor, etc. This is pretty effective for inferring the water quality to the consumers and policy makers in the area of concern. In the research area, the WQI varies from 8.29 to 81.85 with a few exceptions at greater depths, the groundwater is safe and potable, according to the study area's overall WQI. According to the interpretation of Piper's trilinear diagram, the majority of the water samples fell into the categories of mixed CaMgHCO3, MgHCO3, and CaCl types, in that order of dominance. The plot shows that alkaline earths correspond to 75% of the samples. The correlation matrix has been created and its strength in influencing the assessment of groundwater quality has been investigated. The groundwater in the area with diminishing water quality needs to be treated before consumption and must also be safeguarded from the dangers of anthropogenic contamination, according to the current study.