Abstract:
Present study deals with water quality (WQ) assessment season-wise ionic concentration in the
Mewat district of Haryana, India. A total of 36 groundwater samples were collected, 12 each for
the pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post-monsoon seasons of 2016, to know the status of WQ for
drinking and irrigation purposes. Piper, Durov, and Gibbs plots were used to find out the water
type and the factors controlling the chemistry of groundwater, respectively. Piper diagram reveals
that Ca-Cl and mixed Ca–Mg-C1 typed water during the pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post
monsoon season’s where- Na-Cl water type indicates salinity problem. Gibb’s plot depicted that
the weathering of rocks is the major reason behind the ionic chemistry of the groundwater. Water
Quality Index (WQI) has been calculated to know the overall WQ based on physico-chemical
parameters estimated for this study. It was found that Na+ concentration was dominant among
cations and Cl- among anions. Moreover, irrigation indices (KR, RSC, P.I, Cl–
/HCO3–
,SAR, and Na%)
represent that majority of the groundwater samples during pre-monsoon (PRM) season were
suitable for agricultural purposes but in monsoon (MON) and post monsoon (POM) season
majority of samples lie in an unsuitable zone. The groundwater in the study region presents a
high risk of salinization. Using the baseline data generated through this work, there is an
immediate need for carrying out a detailed study to address the groundwater issues, understand
salinity mechanisms, expansion of salinization in the fresh water aquifers and to suggest suitable
management and remedial measures. Extension of this work is being carried out in the form of a
purpose driven study under the National Hydrology Project aided by the World Bank.
