A Comprehensive Evaluation of Groundwater Quality for Irrigation in Tehsil Bah, Agra, India

A higher agricultural yield depends on the quality of the water used. A significant source for irrigation is groundwater. 84 separate study locations had groundwater samples that were collected and analysed using the procedures outlined in the 2017 American Public Health Association, 23rd Edition (APHA). Tehsil Bah in the Agra district of Uttar Pradesh had its groundwater quality evaluated for irrigation purposes. Sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), sodium percentage (Na%), Residual Sodium Carbonate (RSC), Permeability Index (PI), Magnesium Ratio (MR), Electrical Conductivity (EC), Kelley’s Index (KI), base exchange index, and meteoric genesis index were used to assess the suitability of groundwater quality for irrigation. 96.4 percent of groundwater samples were deemed inappropriate for irrigation according to the Wilcox diagram, with 3.6 percent of samples falling into the questionable to unsuitable category. All the samples fall into the C3-S1 and C3-S2 water classes, which denote water with a high salinity hazard and a moderate to medium sodium hazard, according to SAR and electrical conductivity values plotted in the US salinity diagram. The amount of dissolved substances in groundwater determined its suitability for irrigation. According to the classification, all of the reported values of Na percent fall into the good and medium category. RSC values range from -3.61 to 4.24, with 7.1 percent of samples falling into the bad and very bad category and not suitable for irrigation use, while the remaining 92.9 percent of samples fall into the excellent, good, and medium category.