Object Based Modelling for the Irrigation Suitability using Hydrogeochemical Parameters and Land use Dynamics in the Lower Ganga

The north Indian Ganga basin is one of the densely populated basins of the world. Most agricultural and industrial contaminants drained throughout the river length are likely to be accumulated in the lower part of the Ganga basin. We used ten derived irrigation suitability parameters, which are obtained from 495 sampling points locations, besides using long term climate data (GLDAS_NOAH025_M) using “Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution” (TOPSIS) model to get the irrigation suitability map. Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) using TOPSIS helps make the best choices from the available finite number of alternatives based on their ranking. The obtained entropy weight for irrigation suitability parameters such as Electrical Conductivity (Ec), Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR), Magnesium Hardness (MH), Sodium Percent (Na%), Total Hardness (TH), Kelly’s ratio (KR), Permeability Index (PI), Chloride concentration (Cl−), Groundwater Level Fluctuation (GWLF), and lang factor (Df) are found to be 0.08, 0.14, 0.02, 0.02, 0.04, 0.08, 0.01, 0.32, 0.29 and 0.01 respectively. We find that SAR, Cl−, and GWLF controls the water quality for irrigation in the Lower Ganga basin since these parameters have relatively higher entropy weights (more than 0.10). The results obtained from the computed performance index or the closeness coefficient show that the area percent having very good, good, and very poor groundwater quality in the Lower Ganga basin is 34.67%,42.36%, and 22.97%, respectively. The LULC change pattern indicates that the percentage change of water and agricultural land was -11.96 and -0.86%, whereas an increase in the settlement area of 131.42% for the period between 2000 and 2015.

Groundwater quality assessment for irrigation use in the Godavari delta region of east coast India using IRWQI and GIS

The present work was carried out in the deltaic region of the river Godavari in Coastal Andhra Pradesh of Southern India to evaluate the status of groundwater quality for irrigation. Groundwater is predominantly used in these productive agricultural fields. Saline water intrusion in fresh groundwater aquifers was recorded in the study area which is mainly due to the excess withdrawal of groundwater. A total of 80 groundwater samples were analyzed for various physical and chemical parameters using standard chemical procedures. The groundwater mainly represents sodium-chloride type which exhibits the mixing of fresh water with the saline water. The high correlation between Na+-Cl− and Mg2+-HCO3− explained that the intermixing of aquifer waters and the leaching of secondary salts. The mechanisms of groundwater have been shown mainly evaporation-fractional crystallization process. The irrigation water quality index was calculated by using different quality indices such as Na%, SAR, RSBC, PI, MH, KR, PS, Cl−:HCO3−, Mg2+:Ca2+, and Na+:Ca2+ to estimate the suitability of groundwater quality for irrigation. Spatial distribution maps were prepared using raster interpolation in GIS. The assessment revealed that the areas covering 67.6% of electrical conductivity, 100% of total dissolved solids, 57.5% of percent sodium, 21.3% of residual sodium bicarbonate, 66.3% of permeable index, 16.3% of magnesium hazard, 65% of Kelly's ratio, 100% of potential salinity were required severe to moderate restrictions. Overall, the groundwater in the study region showed potential salinity due to geogenic and anthropogenic activities thus it must be monitored for sustainable agriculture.

Sustainability of Groundwater for Irrigation Purposes in Semi-arid Parts of Namibia

The groundwater quality data from 1,137 boreholes in 10 regions of Namibia were assessed for sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), Kelly's ratio (KR), sodium percentage (Na%), magnesium adsorption ratio (MAR), total hardness (TH), soluble sodium percentage (SSP), potential salinity (PS), electrical conductivity (EC), and total dissolved solids (TDS) to determine the suitability for the irrigation. The groundwater was classified as follows: all the regions' groundwater shows the TH as very hard water of >4.6 meq/l, PS as not suitable for irrigation (>3 meq/l), and EC as very highly (0.75–2.25 dS/m). However, Na%: 10% of regions have doubtful water (>80%), MAR: 30% of regions are not recommended for irrigation (>50 meq/l), and TDS: 90% of the regions have slightly moderate (450–2,000 mg/l) and 10% have groundwater that is unsuitable for agricultural purposes (>2,000 mg/l). The unsuitability of groundwater for irrigation could be due to higher concentrations of K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, and Cl− that has exceeded the FAO guideline for irrigation. Some groundwater qualities had inverse classification such as SAR all regions have excellent groundwater (<10 meq/l), KR: 90% of regions have safe water (<1 meq/l), Na%: 50% of regions have good groundwater (20–40%), 40% of the regions have permissible water (40–80%), and MAR: +70% of region's water is recommended for irrigation (<50 meq/l).

Application of Multivariate Approaches to the Hydro-chemical Assessment of the Ghodaghodi Lake, Sudurpaschim Province, Nepal

Wetlands are considered the most diverse and productive ecosystems in the world, providing life-sustaining ecological services. Hydrochemical variables of the Ghodaghodi Lake situated in Far west Nepal were studied using multivariate statistical approaches to investigate the characteristics of water quality of the lake. A total of 10water samples were collected and analyzed for water temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, total hardness, salinity, dissolved oxygen, major ions, and dissolved Si in the pre-monsoon season during 2017.The water quality assessment was carried out by applying sodium percentage, sodium adsorption ratio, permeability index, Kelly’s ratio, magnesium adsorption ratio, action ratio of soil structural stability, and water quality index. Multivariate statistical techniques were used to evaluate the geochemical and anthropogenic processes and to identify factors influencing the ionic concentrations. The results revealed that the water was slightly alkaline with low ionic strength and remarkable spatial variations. The hydrochemistry of the lake was mainly controlled by rock weathering as the dominant Ca2+-HCO3- facies. The principal component analysis provided three major components exhibiting the diverse sources of natural and anthropogenic chemicals, including agricultural fertilizers, leakage of sewages near the human settlements, etc. The measured hydrochemical parameters indicate that lake water lies within the safe drinking water and irrigational standards. However, special consideration should be taken to control the concentrations of NO3- due to increasing anthropic activities.

Geochemical Analysis of Groundwater for Drinking, Irrigation, and Human Health Impacts in Uddanam Area of Srikakulam District of Andhra Pradesh, India

The current study's goal is to discover the geochemical analysis of groundwater in the uddanam area of the Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, India. In the current study area, 50 groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for physicochemical properties such as cations, anions, total hardness, conductivity, and alkalinity. This was assessed for its suitability for drinking and irrigation purposes by calculating pH, EC, TDS, hardness, and alkalinity in addition to major cations (Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+) and anions (HCO3-, Cl-, SO42-, NO32-, F-). Chemical indices such as SAR, percent Na, permeability index, RSC, Kelly's Ratio, Magnesium Ratio, and Non-carbonate hardness (NCH) have been calculated based on the analytical results. Water with high alkalinity may be aesthetically unfit for drinking, whereas water with high TDS and TH may not be recommended for consumption by people suffering from kidney and related diseases. Geogenic, anthropogenic influence, agricultural activity, and mineral dissolution, Presence of high TDS and TH levels were the primary causes for chronic kidney disease (CKD), not suitable for drinking and irrigation purposes.

Groundwater Quality Assessment for Irrigation: Case Study in the Blinaja River Basin, Kosovo

Groundwater is an important source for a drink and irrigation in the Blinaja river basin. Understanding knowledge of irrigation water quality is critical to the management of water for long-term productivity. Historically for this study area there is no data and information regarding the quality and use of water for irrigation needs. Therefore, there was a need to assess water quality based on data analysed from eight sampling points. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate, relying on analytical results, the quality of groundwater in the Blinaja river basin for the purpose of its use for irrigation of agricultural crops. For this purpose, in the Blinaja River Basin in different months during 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019, 28 water samples were taken to assess the quality of groundwater for irrigation. Water samples were analysed in a laboratory for some of the key quality indicators; pH, EC, hardness (TH), Ca, Mg, Na, K, HCO3, SO4, Cl, etc. and then irrigation water quality indices were calculated such as: percentage of Na (% Na), SAR (Sodium Adsorption Ratio), PI (Permeability index), KR (Kelly's ratio), etc. The overall objective of this study was to assess the quality of water to be used by the inhabitants of the area for irrigation of agricultural crops. Analytical procedures for the laboratory determinations of water quality have been given in several publications (USDA Handbook 60 by Richards, 1954; FAO Soils Bulletin 10 by Dewis and Freitas1970; APHA 2005). Doi: 10.28991/cej-2021-03091740 Full Text: PDF

Effects of pollution on hydrogeochemistry and water quality of the Damietta branch (Nile River, Egypt)

Currently, different sources of contamination threaten water quality in Damietta, Egypt. The aim of this study was to assess the pollution, hydrogeochemistry and suitability for use in agriculture of water collected atseven stations along the Damietta branch of the Nile River. In addition to pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), and electrical conductivity (EC), levels of Mg2+, Ca2+, K+, Na+, Cl−, HCO3−, SO42− and CO32− were measured. From the highest to the lowest, the concentrations of cations were Na+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ > K+, whereas those of anions were HCO3− > SO42− > Cl− in water samples collected at seven stations along the Damietta branch. Moreover, water quality indexes, such as sodium percentage (Na%) ranged between 21.6 and 71.4, Kelly's ratio from 0.37 to 3.85, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) varied from 1.73 to 61.8, residual sodium carbonate (RSC) found to be in range of 0.2 to 3.8. Also, the potential salinity (PS) and permeability index (PI), magnesium hazard (MH), were calculated. Most samples (71%) belonged to the Mg–Ca–Na–HCO3 watertype. Fertilization wastes were identified as the main contributors of alkaline earth metals, whereas ion exchange was the main source of alkali metals. This work also provides information on distinguishing geochemical behaviors and the pollution of water samples.

Geospatial Approach for Assessment of Groundwater Quality

Increasing population, erratic distribution of rainfall, and their rising demand for water in domestic and irrigation is fulfilled by groundwater resources. Due to overexploitation, there is the deterioration of groundwater quality and hence to evaluate the groundwater quality, a study was undertaken to understand the water suitability for drinking as well as for irrigation purposes. For this study, five villages namely Kumulur, Tachankurunchi, Pudurutamanur, Pandaravadai, and Poovalur were selected from Trichy District, Tamil Nadu, India with an areal extent of 45.1 km2. For the water quality assessment, samples were drawn from 53 locations from the sources like open well, bore well and hand pumps, etc., Parameters of pH, EC, TDS, Anions - CO3 2−, HCO3−, Cl−, SO4 2−, Cations - Ca2+, Mg2+, B3+, Na+ and potassium (K+) were estimated using the standard analytical procedure in three different seasons Viz., S-I (September 2019), S-II (December 2019) and S-III (March 2020). The WQI was computed for drinking water quality and it was found that 25% samples in S-I, 80% samples in S-II, and 83% samples in S-III were above the permissible limit for drinking purposes. Indices like Sodium Percentage, Sodium Adsorption Ratio, Permeability Index, Kelly’s Ratio, Magnesium Hazard Ratio, Potential Salinity, USSL Diagram, Wilcox Plot, Piper Diagram, and Gibbs plot were evaluated for examining irrigation water quality. The results revealed that 90% of the area, the water is suitable for irrigation purposes and a few locations (10%) wherein the salt content of water are relatively higher than the entire study area.

Hydro chemical Assessment of Ground Water in North-Eastern Region of India: A Case Study of Western Suburb of Jorhat Town of Assam, India

In the current study, the quality of ground water (GW) from an area of western part of Jorhat district of Assam (India) was assessed in order to ensure the safety of its use in irrigation and drinking purposes. The physico-chemical parameters of the collected GW samples were evaluated and compared the data with the Indian Standards (IS) for drinking purposes. The investigation was mainly emphasised on the evaluation of Water Quality Index (WQI) and different parameters for the quality measurement of water for drinking and irrigation purposes, respectively. Correlations among the physico-chemical parameters were evaluated through statistical analysis. The physico-chemical parameters revealed that almost all the parameters except iron were within the permissible limit. Arsenic was found to be present in few water samples in both seasons (pre and post monsoon). In both the seasons, the WQI of the majority of collected water samples were observed to be falling under the poor category for drinking. Almost all the collected water samples were found to be fit for irrigation purposes. However, based on sodium percentage (Na %), Kelly’s ratio (KR), and Magnesium ratio (MR), few of the water samples are classified to be doubtful and inappropriate for irrigation.

Hydrogeochemical delineation of groundwater fitness for drinking and agricultural utilities in Thiruvallur district, South India

Appraisal of groundwater fitness to drinking, agricultural, and domestic purposes was attempted within the Thiruvallur district of South India since groundwater is the significant sources for the above utilities. Groundwater samples collected from a sum of 110 locations have to be analyzed for major concentrations of which higher values of total dissolved solids (TDS), chloride (Cl−), and sodium (Na+) ions were noted during pre-monsoon (PRM) specifically besides the east along with the southeastern part of the study region and higher calcium (Ca2+) and nitrate (NO3−) values disseminated besides the central and eastern parts of the study region during the post-monsoon (POM) season. Suitability of water quality depends upon total dissolved solids; Water Quality Index (WQI) suggests 70% and 62% of the study area representing hard and sedimentary formations are appropriate for consumption utilities. Irrigation aptness of water for utility suggests the majority of study area is suitable in view of electrical conductance, sodium adsorption ratio, USSL plot, Na%, Wilcox’s plot, Kelly’s ratio, and Doneen’s plot. Dominant hydrochemical facies were observed to be Na-Cl, mixed Ca-Mg-Cl, and Ca-HCO3, and parameters like Na+, Ca2+, HCO3−, Cl−, and NO3− ions have been observed to be higher in the central region next to the east and may be appropriate to influence geogenic, anthropogenic, and seawater encroachment.