Hydrochemical Characteristics, Groundwater Quality and Sources of Solute in the Ramganga Aquifer, Central Ganga Plain, Bareilly District, Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

The quality of groundwater is determined in parts of Ramganga basin, Bareilly, UP, India. Spatial variation of all the major ions shows south-eastern increasing trend except chloride and sulphate. Groundwater in the area belongs to the Mg²⁺-Ca²⁺-HCO₃^- cation facies. The monsoonal rainfall changes the ionic abundance order from HCO₃^->Cl^->NO₃^->SO₄^-2>F^- and Mg²⁺>Ca²⁺>K⁺>Na⁺ of pre-monsoon to HC₃^->Cl^->SO₄^-2>NO₃^->F^- and Na+> Mg²⁺> Ca²⁺> K²⁺ of post-monsoon. Solute acquisition processes indicated that the rock weathering is the major mechanism of ions sources in groundwater. A coupled carbonate and silicate weathering type along with ion exchange processes are responsible for particular groundwater chemistry. Groundwater quality parameters were tested for drinking, irrigation and corrosion purposes. It is found that 8.5%, 26%, 49%, 14% and 3% of the samples fall under the excellent, good, poor, very poor and unsuitable category respectively. SAR, Na%, RSC and Kelly index suggests that groundwater is safe for irrigation purposes. But high TDS of few samples suggested the salinity hazard while using it for irrigation purposes. Low CR values indicated a lower degree of corrosion hazard to the underground metal pipelines in the area.