Evaluation of groundwater quality and its suitability for drinking and agricultural use in district Kangra of Himachal Pradesh, India

• Main Authors: Rahul Dev, Manoj Bali
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2019-10-01
• Series: Journal of the Saudi Society of Agricultural Sciences
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1658077X17303508

In the administration of water assets, quality of water is as important as its amount. Disintegration of groundwater quality due to the anthropogenic exercises is expanding at a disturbing rate in many parts of the Himachal Pradesh. Yet the information related to the groundwater quality and other physiochemical parameters is still limited. This report features the analysis of groundwater quality and its suitability for drinking and irrigation purposes in the Kangra region, a southwestern part of Himachal Pradesh located in the foothills of Himalayas. The Kangra district makes up the most developed zone of Himachal with high utilization of pesticides and composts. With a specific end goal to know the quality and appropriateness of groundwater for local and water system in Kangra district, water samples from 17 different locations were collected and tested for various parameters. These samples were analyzed for significant pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, bicarbonate, carbonate, sulfate, chloride, nitrate, fluoride and various other physicochemical parameters. The results of this study will be helpful in designing an effective strategy to utilize the ground water for various purposes such as drinking and agricultural practices in the Himalayan region and other hilly regions including Kangra. Keywords: Groundwater, Water quality, Irrigation, Kangra