Electrical Conductivity Analyses for Qualitative Assessment of Groundwater in Bhiwani District, Haryana | Original Article

ABSTRACT:

Groundwater is the world’s largest fresh water resource available for human use on earth. It plays a significant role in providing food security through use for irrigation and domestic purposes. This precious resource is rapidly shrinking throughout the world both in the form of quantity and quality. Groundwater quality is continuously deteriorating in different regions of India due to various causes as intrusion of sea water in fresh groundwater, indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers in agriculture, seepage of domestic or industrial waste into the aquifers or some other causes. Quality of groundwater in Bhiwani district has also been affected adversely which ultimately led to scarcity of water in form of suitability for domestic as well as irrigation purposes. Due to the continuously deteriorating groundwater quality in the district, the present study has been conducted for block wise qualitative analysis of groundwater reservoirs during the study period from June, 2006 to June, 2016. Groundwater quality zones have been analysed and compared using electrical conductivity as one of major quality indicator of water. The reservoirs of groundwater have been found polluted in the district as area of saline zone has been doubled in eleven years. Area under saline zone has shown increasing trends in seven blocks out of total nine blocks of district indicating deterioration in groundwater quality. Results of the present study recommend immediate implementation of efficient management strategies to prevent the pollution of groundwater in the area by controlled use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, efficient treatment of domestic and industrial effluents and periodic assessment of quality of groundwater.