Appraisal of Groundwater Quality of Punjab, India for Irrigation
Groundwater quality for irrigation in Punjab
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Authors
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Brijesh Kumar Yadav
Regional Research Station, Punjab Agricultural University, Bathinda
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Babu Lal Meena
ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana
Keywords:
Ground water quality, Water quality parameter, Saline water, Alkali water, Irrigation water classesAbstract
Study on survey, characterization and classification of groundwater quality in the different districts of Punjab was undertaken with a total of 3525 samples from 22 districts. Out of this, 3267 ground water samples from 8 districts of south-west districts of Punjab were collected by AICRP on Management of Saline Water and Associated Salinization in Agriculture (MSW&ASA), Bathinda, while data of remaining 258 ground water samples from 14 districts were acquired from Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), New Delhi. The ground water samples were analyzed in the laboratory for electrical conductivity (EC), pH, concentrations of cation (Na+, Ca2+ + Mg2+) and anions (CO32-, HCO3 - and Cl-). The water samples were categorized into different irrigation water classes as per criterion provided by ICAR-Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal based on EC, Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) and Residual Sodium Carbonate (RSC). The irrigation water classes include good quality, three subclasses for saline water and three subclasses for alkali water. The data indicated that sub-mountain undulating region (agro climatic region-I) contain the maximum (97.4%) good quality ground water followed by 66.7 % in undulating plain region (agro climatic region-II). However, minimum (20.6%) good quality water samples were recorded from central plain region (agro climatic region-III) followed by 23.6% in western region (agro climatic region-V). It was also reported that 27.9% samples were found in good quality water class “A”, 13.7% in marginally saline (B1), 4.7% in saline (B2) and 4.7% in high SAR saline water class (B3), respectively. Among alkali water samples, 8.3% come under marginally alkali (C1), 6.4% in alkali water (C2) and 34.3% in high alkali water class (C3), respectively. In case of anions, HCO3 was dominant ion followed by Cl and CO3 in water samples. These results highlight an increasing issue of declining groundwater quality, which poses threats to crop productivity, soil health, and long-term agricultural sustainability, especially in Punjab central and southwestern districts. In order to ensure sustainable agricultural production and stop further land degradation in Punjab, this study also emphasizes the urgent need for comprehensive water resource management policies.
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References
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