Assessing Ground Water Quality for Irrigation Using IWQI and Geospatial Tools—A Case Study

Groundwater is the most valuable natural resource available on Earth. It is used to fulfill the domestic and non-domestic needs of humans worldwide in terms of water and food supply, directly or indirectly. Irrigation depends upon the availability of groundwater and its quality to have a good harvest. The quality of groundwater plays an important role in determining the productivity of crops and the best agricultural practices. Therefore, it becomes vital to analyze the groundwater quality with a special focus on irrigation. In the study, we collected 50 groundwater samples in December 2021 and analyzed them following American Public Health Association standards. The Electrical conductivity, Sodium adsorption ratio, and concentrations of Sodium, Chloride, and Bicarbonate ions have been utilized in evaluating the quality using the Irrigation Water Quality Index (IWQI). The result revealed that 12% of samples belong to the Low restriction, 60% to the Moderate restriction, and 28% to the High restriction categories of IWQI. A Map has also been generated delineating zones of restriction using the geographic information system, which can be utilized in planning the agricultural practices. It has been observed that areas having Precambrian rock bodies belong to Moderate to high restriction zones, indicating the role of the geology of the area in influencing the quality. Therefore, IWQI can be used to have a sustainable agricultural plan for better production and good irrigation practices.