Theme-I-4-Groundwater quality assessment and its suitability for drinking purpose - A case study of Barnala block, District Sangrur, Punjab (India)

Abstract

In the groundwater protection and its conservation, Groundwater quality plays an important role. Due to growing populations and increasing pollution of surface water bodies we are depending more and more on finite groundwater reserves. Although addressing water shortages in the short term, groundwater exploitation brings with it its own host of problems. Due to excessive pumping and weak recharge of the groundwater, depletion of water tables is taking place in the state of Punjab. In the present study Bamala block of Sangrur district is selected for the research work. 'Green Revolution' boosted up the agriculture production due to introduction of high yielding crops and large scale mining of groundwater. Injudicious irrigation, excessive pumping, poor recharge and excessive use of fertilizers have led to a situation of shrinking groundwater resource and salinization at an alarming rate. Barnala block falls in the over exploited (dark) category. Random sampling was done in the study area for the analysis. The result of the chemical analysis reveals that the groundwater of the study area is of brackish water type and values of major ions, in comparison with the permissible limits for drinking water (as by BIS) are not suitable for drinking purposes either due to.salinity or fluoride. Various water quality problems like high sodicity and high salinity were also reveled. The concentration of Fluoride varies from 0.65 to 3.1 mg/1, which could be dangerous from health point of view. The situation needs a constant vigil in monitoring of groundwater quality in this area to avoid serious degradation.