Evaluation of groundwater quality of Atwari Upazilla in the Panchagarh District and its appropriateness for irrigation

A research was undertaken to assess the groundwater quality of Atwari Upazilla, located in the Panchagarh District of Bangladesh.Atwari Upazila is located in the northern most region of Bangladesh.Forty water samples were gathered and examined at the Agricultural Chemistry Laboratory of Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University (HSTU) to determine their suitability for irrigation.The study evaluated various parameters to gauge water quality of pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), cations (Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Na + , K + , Cu 2+ , Zn 2+ , Mn 2+ and Fe 3+ ), anions (HCO3 -, SO4 2-, PO4 3-and Cl -), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), total hardness (HT), permeability index(PI), potential salinity (PS), Kelly's ratio (KR), residual sodium carbonate (RSC) and soluble sodium percentage (SSP) were used to evaluate the suitability of groundwater for irrigation uses.The majority of the water samples met the recommended pH levels and positively influenced crop growth.Regarding electrical conductivity, 32 samples fell into the 'excellent' category, while 8 samples were categorized as 'good' for irrigation.Based on TDS and SAR values, all waters were under 'fresh' and 'excellent' categories, respectively.On the basis of cation concentrations, all water samples can safely be used for irrigation and would not affect the soils.Analyzed anions were deemed appropriate for irrigation purpose.In conclusion, the groundwater quality of the study region was acceptable and suitable for irrigation purpose.