Quality of Groundwater in the Shallow Aquifers of a Paddy Dominated Agricultural River Basin, Kerala, India
Groundwater is an essential and vital component of our life support system. The groundwater resources are being utilized for drinking, irrigation and industrial purposes. There is growing concern on deterioration of groundwater quality due to geogenic and anthropogenic activities. Groundwater, being a fragile must be carefully managed to maintain its purity within standard limits. So, quality assessment and management are to be carried out hand-in-hand to have a pollution free environment and for a sustainable use. In order to assess the quality for consumption by human beings and for use in agriculture, the groundwater from the shallow aquifers (dug well) in the Palakkad and Chittur taluks of Bharathapuzha river basin - a paddy dominated agricultural basin (order=8th; L= 209 Km; Area = 6186 Km2), Kerala, India, has been selected. The water samples (n= 120) collected for various seasons, viz., monsoon-MON (August, 2005), postmonsoon-POM (December, 2005) and premonsoon-PRM (April, 2006), were analyzed for important physico-chemical attributes. Spatial and temporal variation of attributes do exist in the study area, and based on major cations and anions, different hydrochemical facies have been identified. Using Gibbs'diagram, rock dominance has been identified as the mechanism controlling groundwater chemistry. Further, the suitability of water for irrigation was determined by analyzing salinity hazard indicated by sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), residual sodium carbonate (RSC) and sodium percent (%Na). Finally, stress zones in the study area were delineated using Arc GIS spatial analysis and various management options were recommended to restore the ecosystem.
[1] Abbasi, S.A., 1998. Water Quality Sampling and Analysis. Discovery
Publishing House, New Delhi. 51p.
[2] APHA, 1995. Standard methods for the examination of water and waste
water. 19thedition, APHA, Washington D.C, USASS.
[3] Appelo, C.A.J. and Postma, D., 2005. Geochemistry, Groundwater and
Pollution, 2nd edition. Balkema publishers, Leiden, the Netherlands,
404p.
[4] Babu, K.N., Padmalal, D., Maya, K., Sreeja, R. and Arun, P.R., 2007.
Quality of Surface and Ground Water Around Tile and Brick Clay Mines
in the Chalakudy River Basin, Southwestern India. Jour. Geol. Soc. India,
Vol.69, pp. 279-284.
[5] Bajpayee, S.K. and Verma, A., 2001. Water Quality of Rivers of Kerala,
South Western, India. In: Subramanian, V. and Ramanathan, A.L., (Eds.),
Proceedings of the International Workshop on Ecohydrology. Capital
Publishing Company, New Delhi, India,. pp. 307-308.
[6] Bohlke, J.K., 2002. Groundwater recharge and agricultural
contamination. Hydrogeol J., Vol.10, pp. 153-179. doi:10.1007/s10040-
001-0183-3.
[7] Carpenter, S.R., Caraco, N.F., Correll, D.L., Howarth, R.W., Sharpley,
A.N. and Smith, V.H., 1998. Non point of surface waters with
phosphorous and nitrogen. Ecological Application, Vol.8 (3), pp. 559-
568.
[8] CGWB, 2005. District Groundwater Management Studies of Palghat
District, Kerala, Technical Report Series, Report
No.25/KR/CGWB/2004-05.
[9] Chapman, D. and Kimstach, V., 1992. Selection of water quality
variables. In: Chapman, D. (Ed.), Water Quality Assessment UNESCO,
WHO and UNEP, pp. 59-126.
[10] Chattopadhyay, S., Asa Rani, L. and. Sangeetha, P.V., 2005. Water
quality variations as linked to landuse pattern: A case study in Chalakudy
river basin, Kerala. Curr. Sci., Vol.89 (12), 2167p.
[11] Collins, R. and Jenkins, A., 1996. The impact of agricultural land use on
stream chemistry in the middle Hills of the Himalayas. Jour. Hydrol.,
Vol. 185, pp. 71-86.
[12] Dass,S., Agarwal, M., Chaudhary, Y.S. and Shrivastav, R. 2001. A Study
on Fluoride and other Water Quality Parameters of Ground Water of
District Agra (U.P.). In: Subramanian, V. and Ramanathan, A.L. (Eds.),
Proceedings of the International Workshop on Ecohydrology. Capital
Publishing Company, New Delhi, India, 213p.
[13] Flood, D., 1996. Irrigation Water Quality for BC Greenhouses,
Floriculture Fact sheet, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food,
British Columbia.
[14] Fuhriman, D.K. and Barton, J.R., 1971. Groundwater pollution in
Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah, Water Poll. Cont. Research Ser.
16060 ERU, U.S. Environment Protection Agency, Washington D.C.,
249p.
[15] Garg, S.S., 2003. Water quality of Well and Bore Well of Ten Selected
Locations of Chitrakoot Region. In: Aravind Kumar (Ed.), Aquatic
Environment and Toxicology, Daya Publishing House, Delhi, India,
114p.
[16] Griffioen, J., 2001. Potassium adsorption ratios as an indicator for the fate
of agricultural potassium in groundwater. J. Hydrol. 254, pp. 244-254.
[17] Jalali, M., 2005. Nitrates leaching from agricultural land in Hamadan,
western Iran, Agric. Ecosyst Environ.,Vol.110, pp. 210- 218.
[18] Jarvie, H. P., Whitton, B. A. and Neal, C., 1998. Nitrogen and
phosphorous in east coast British rivers: Speciation, sources and
biological significant. Science of the Total environment, pp. 210-211 and
79-109.
[19] Jeong, C.H., 2003. Effect of landuse and urbanization on hydrochemistry
and contamination of ground water from Taejon area, Korea. Journal of
Hydrology, Vol.235, pp. 194-210.
[20] Kolahchi, Z. and Jalali, M. 2006. Effect of water quality on the leaching
of potassium from sandy soil. J. Arid Environ. Vol.68, pp. 624-639.
[21] Kotaiah, B. and Reddy, S.S., 2004. Ground Water Quality of Block-V
Srisailam Right Branch Canal Command Area, Kurnool District, Andhra
Pradesh. In: Arvind Kumar (Ed.), Water Pollution. APH Publishing
Corporation, New Delhi. 105p.
[22] Lehr, J.H., Gass, T.E., Pettyjohn, W.A. and De Marre, J., 1980. Domestic
Water Treatment. Mc Graw-hill Book Co., New Delhi, 655p.
[23] Lloyd, J.W. and Heathcote, J.A., 1985. Natural Inorganic Hydrochemistry
in Relation to Groundwater. Claredon Press, Oxford, 294p.
[24] Mishra, S.P. and Saksena, D.N., 1993. Planktonic fauna in relation to
physico-chemical characteristics of Gauri Tank at Bhind, M.P. India.
Advances in Limnology. Narendra Publishing House. New Delhi, pp. 57-
61.
[25] NAS, 1974. Water quality criteria. Nat. Acad. Sci., 23 (1972): 105p.
[26] Nordstrom, P.L., 1987. Groundwater resource of the antlers and Travis
peak formations in the outcrop area of North Central Texas. Texas Water
Development Board, Report 298, 280p.
[27] Radha Krishnan, R., Dharamaraj, K. and Ranjitha Kumari, B.D., 2007. A
comparative study on the physico-chemical and bacterial analysis of
drinking borewell and sewage water in the three different places of
Sivakasi. J. Environ. Biol., Vol.28, pp. 105-108.
[28] Raghunath, R., Sreedhara Murthy, T.R. and Raghavan, B.R., 2001.
Spatial distribution of pH, EC and total dissolved solids of Nethravathi
river basin, Karnataka state, India, Poll. Res. V.20 (3), pp. 413-418.
[29] Ramesh, R., 2001. Point and Non-point sources of Groundwater
Pollution: Case Studies along the East Coast of India. In: Subramanian,
V.and Ramanathan, A.L. (Eds.), Proceedings of the International
Workshop on ECOHYDROLOGY. Capital Publishing Company, New
Delhi, India, 107p.
[30] Rao, P.M., Sekhar, P. and Yadav, Y.S., 2004. Water Quality Studies
on Kolleru Lake and Its Infalling Drains of A.P., India. In: Arvind Kumar
(Ed.), Water Pollution. APH Publishing Corporation, New Delhi, 171p.
[31] Saha, D., Dhar, Y.R. and Sikdar, P.K., 2008. Geochemical Evolution of
Groundwater in the Pleistocene Aquifers of South Ganga Plain, Bihar.
Jour. Geol. Soc. India, Vol.71, pp. 473-482.
[32] Saleh, A., Al-Ruwaih and Shehata, M., 1999. Hydrogeochemical
processes operating within the main aquifers of Kuwait. J. Arid. Environ.
42, pp. 195-209.
[33] Sawyer, C. N. and McCarty, P. L., 1967. Chemistry for sanitary
engineers, 2nd ed., McGraw-hill, New York, 518p.
[34] Simeonov, V., Stratis, J. A., Samara, C., Zachariadis, G., Voutsa, D.,
Anthemidis, A., Sofoniou, M. and Kouimtzis, T.H. 2003. Assessment of
the surface water quality in Northern Greece. Water Research, Vol.37, pp.
4119-4124.
[35] Soman, K. 1977. Geology of Kerala, published by Geological Society of
India, Bangalore, India-560019, 280p.
[36] Sreedevi, P.D., 2004. Groundwater quality of Pageru river basin,
Cuddepah district, Andhra Pradesh. J. Goel. Soc. India, Vol.64 (5),
pp.619- 636.
[37] Todd, D. K., 2001. Groundwater Hydrology, 2nd edition, John Wiley &
Sons Pte. Ltd. - Singapore, pp. 334.
[38] UNEP, 1999. United Nations Environment Program. Global Environment
Outlook 2000. Earthscan, U.K.
[39] Valsalakumar, N., 2003. Environmental Quality and Health in Nattakom
Panchayat, Discussion Paper No. 50, Kerala Research Programme on
Local Level Development, Centre for Development Studies,
Thiruvananthapuram, pp. 29-30.
[40] WHO, 1993. Guidelines for drinking water quality. 1. Recommendations,
2nd Edn. World Health Organization, Geneva.
[41] WHO, 1996. Guidelines for Drinking Water, Vol. 2, Recommendations,
World Health Organization, Geneva.
[1] Abbasi, S.A., 1998. Water Quality Sampling and Analysis. Discovery
Publishing House, New Delhi. 51p.
[2] APHA, 1995. Standard methods for the examination of water and waste
water. 19thedition, APHA, Washington D.C, USASS.
[3] Appelo, C.A.J. and Postma, D., 2005. Geochemistry, Groundwater and
Pollution, 2nd edition. Balkema publishers, Leiden, the Netherlands,
404p.
[4] Babu, K.N., Padmalal, D., Maya, K., Sreeja, R. and Arun, P.R., 2007.
Quality of Surface and Ground Water Around Tile and Brick Clay Mines
in the Chalakudy River Basin, Southwestern India. Jour. Geol. Soc. India,
Vol.69, pp. 279-284.
[5] Bajpayee, S.K. and Verma, A., 2001. Water Quality of Rivers of Kerala,
South Western, India. In: Subramanian, V. and Ramanathan, A.L., (Eds.),
Proceedings of the International Workshop on Ecohydrology. Capital
Publishing Company, New Delhi, India,. pp. 307-308.
[6] Bohlke, J.K., 2002. Groundwater recharge and agricultural
contamination. Hydrogeol J., Vol.10, pp. 153-179. doi:10.1007/s10040-
001-0183-3.
[7] Carpenter, S.R., Caraco, N.F., Correll, D.L., Howarth, R.W., Sharpley,
A.N. and Smith, V.H., 1998. Non point of surface waters with
phosphorous and nitrogen. Ecological Application, Vol.8 (3), pp. 559-
568.
[8] CGWB, 2005. District Groundwater Management Studies of Palghat
District, Kerala, Technical Report Series, Report
No.25/KR/CGWB/2004-05.
[9] Chapman, D. and Kimstach, V., 1992. Selection of water quality
variables. In: Chapman, D. (Ed.), Water Quality Assessment UNESCO,
WHO and UNEP, pp. 59-126.
[10] Chattopadhyay, S., Asa Rani, L. and. Sangeetha, P.V., 2005. Water
quality variations as linked to landuse pattern: A case study in Chalakudy
river basin, Kerala. Curr. Sci., Vol.89 (12), 2167p.
[11] Collins, R. and Jenkins, A., 1996. The impact of agricultural land use on
stream chemistry in the middle Hills of the Himalayas. Jour. Hydrol.,
Vol. 185, pp. 71-86.
[12] Dass,S., Agarwal, M., Chaudhary, Y.S. and Shrivastav, R. 2001. A Study
on Fluoride and other Water Quality Parameters of Ground Water of
District Agra (U.P.). In: Subramanian, V. and Ramanathan, A.L. (Eds.),
Proceedings of the International Workshop on Ecohydrology. Capital
Publishing Company, New Delhi, India, 213p.
[13] Flood, D., 1996. Irrigation Water Quality for BC Greenhouses,
Floriculture Fact sheet, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food,
British Columbia.
[14] Fuhriman, D.K. and Barton, J.R., 1971. Groundwater pollution in
Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah, Water Poll. Cont. Research Ser.
16060 ERU, U.S. Environment Protection Agency, Washington D.C.,
249p.
[15] Garg, S.S., 2003. Water quality of Well and Bore Well of Ten Selected
Locations of Chitrakoot Region. In: Aravind Kumar (Ed.), Aquatic
Environment and Toxicology, Daya Publishing House, Delhi, India,
114p.
[16] Griffioen, J., 2001. Potassium adsorption ratios as an indicator for the fate
of agricultural potassium in groundwater. J. Hydrol. 254, pp. 244-254.
[17] Jalali, M., 2005. Nitrates leaching from agricultural land in Hamadan,
western Iran, Agric. Ecosyst Environ.,Vol.110, pp. 210- 218.
[18] Jarvie, H. P., Whitton, B. A. and Neal, C., 1998. Nitrogen and
phosphorous in east coast British rivers: Speciation, sources and
biological significant. Science of the Total environment, pp. 210-211 and
79-109.
[19] Jeong, C.H., 2003. Effect of landuse and urbanization on hydrochemistry
and contamination of ground water from Taejon area, Korea. Journal of
Hydrology, Vol.235, pp. 194-210.
[20] Kolahchi, Z. and Jalali, M. 2006. Effect of water quality on the leaching
of potassium from sandy soil. J. Arid Environ. Vol.68, pp. 624-639.
[21] Kotaiah, B. and Reddy, S.S., 2004. Ground Water Quality of Block-V
Srisailam Right Branch Canal Command Area, Kurnool District, Andhra
Pradesh. In: Arvind Kumar (Ed.), Water Pollution. APH Publishing
Corporation, New Delhi. 105p.
[22] Lehr, J.H., Gass, T.E., Pettyjohn, W.A. and De Marre, J., 1980. Domestic
Water Treatment. Mc Graw-hill Book Co., New Delhi, 655p.
[23] Lloyd, J.W. and Heathcote, J.A., 1985. Natural Inorganic Hydrochemistry
in Relation to Groundwater. Claredon Press, Oxford, 294p.
[24] Mishra, S.P. and Saksena, D.N., 1993. Planktonic fauna in relation to
physico-chemical characteristics of Gauri Tank at Bhind, M.P. India.
Advances in Limnology. Narendra Publishing House. New Delhi, pp. 57-
61.
[25] NAS, 1974. Water quality criteria. Nat. Acad. Sci., 23 (1972): 105p.
[26] Nordstrom, P.L., 1987. Groundwater resource of the antlers and Travis
peak formations in the outcrop area of North Central Texas. Texas Water
Development Board, Report 298, 280p.
[27] Radha Krishnan, R., Dharamaraj, K. and Ranjitha Kumari, B.D., 2007. A
comparative study on the physico-chemical and bacterial analysis of
drinking borewell and sewage water in the three different places of
Sivakasi. J. Environ. Biol., Vol.28, pp. 105-108.
[28] Raghunath, R., Sreedhara Murthy, T.R. and Raghavan, B.R., 2001.
Spatial distribution of pH, EC and total dissolved solids of Nethravathi
river basin, Karnataka state, India, Poll. Res. V.20 (3), pp. 413-418.
[29] Ramesh, R., 2001. Point and Non-point sources of Groundwater
Pollution: Case Studies along the East Coast of India. In: Subramanian,
V.and Ramanathan, A.L. (Eds.), Proceedings of the International
Workshop on ECOHYDROLOGY. Capital Publishing Company, New
Delhi, India, 107p.
[30] Rao, P.M., Sekhar, P. and Yadav, Y.S., 2004. Water Quality Studies
on Kolleru Lake and Its Infalling Drains of A.P., India. In: Arvind Kumar
(Ed.), Water Pollution. APH Publishing Corporation, New Delhi, 171p.
[31] Saha, D., Dhar, Y.R. and Sikdar, P.K., 2008. Geochemical Evolution of
Groundwater in the Pleistocene Aquifers of South Ganga Plain, Bihar.
Jour. Geol. Soc. India, Vol.71, pp. 473-482.
[32] Saleh, A., Al-Ruwaih and Shehata, M., 1999. Hydrogeochemical
processes operating within the main aquifers of Kuwait. J. Arid. Environ.
42, pp. 195-209.
[33] Sawyer, C. N. and McCarty, P. L., 1967. Chemistry for sanitary
engineers, 2nd ed., McGraw-hill, New York, 518p.
[34] Simeonov, V., Stratis, J. A., Samara, C., Zachariadis, G., Voutsa, D.,
Anthemidis, A., Sofoniou, M. and Kouimtzis, T.H. 2003. Assessment of
the surface water quality in Northern Greece. Water Research, Vol.37, pp.
4119-4124.
[35] Soman, K. 1977. Geology of Kerala, published by Geological Society of
India, Bangalore, India-560019, 280p.
[36] Sreedevi, P.D., 2004. Groundwater quality of Pageru river basin,
Cuddepah district, Andhra Pradesh. J. Goel. Soc. India, Vol.64 (5),
pp.619- 636.
[37] Todd, D. K., 2001. Groundwater Hydrology, 2nd edition, John Wiley &
Sons Pte. Ltd. - Singapore, pp. 334.
[38] UNEP, 1999. United Nations Environment Program. Global Environment
Outlook 2000. Earthscan, U.K.
[39] Valsalakumar, N., 2003. Environmental Quality and Health in Nattakom
Panchayat, Discussion Paper No. 50, Kerala Research Programme on
Local Level Development, Centre for Development Studies,
Thiruvananthapuram, pp. 29-30.
[40] WHO, 1993. Guidelines for drinking water quality. 1. Recommendations,
2nd Edn. World Health Organization, Geneva.
[41] WHO, 1996. Guidelines for Drinking Water, Vol. 2, Recommendations,
World Health Organization, Geneva.
@article{"International Journal of Biological, Life and Agricultural Sciences:52995", author = "N. Kannan and Sabu Joseph", title = "Quality of Groundwater in the Shallow Aquifers of a Paddy Dominated Agricultural River Basin, Kerala, India", abstract = "Groundwater is an essential and vital component of our life support system. The groundwater resources are being utilized for drinking, irrigation and industrial purposes. There is growing concern on deterioration of groundwater quality due to geogenic and anthropogenic activities. Groundwater, being a fragile must be carefully managed to maintain its purity within standard limits. So, quality assessment and management are to be carried out hand-in-hand to have a pollution free environment and for a sustainable use. In order to assess the quality for consumption by human beings and for use in agriculture, the groundwater from the shallow aquifers (dug well) in the Palakkad and Chittur taluks of Bharathapuzha river basin - a paddy dominated agricultural basin (order=8th; L= 209 Km; Area = 6186 Km2), Kerala, India, has been selected. The water samples (n= 120) collected for various seasons, viz., monsoon-MON (August, 2005), postmonsoon-POM (December, 2005) and premonsoon-PRM (April, 2006), were analyzed for important physico-chemical attributes. Spatial and temporal variation of attributes do exist in the study area, and based on major cations and anions, different hydrochemical facies have been identified. Using Gibbs'diagram, rock dominance has been identified as the mechanism controlling groundwater chemistry. Further, the suitability of water for irrigation was determined by analyzing salinity hazard indicated by sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), residual sodium carbonate (RSC) and sodium percent (%Na). Finally, stress zones in the study area were delineated using Arc GIS spatial analysis and various management options were recommended to restore the ecosystem.
", keywords = "Groundwater quality, agricultural basin, Kerala, India.", volume = "3", number = "4", pages = "180-19", }
