Hydrochemical assessment of groundwater in alluvial aquifer region, Jalandhar District, Punjab, India

Hydrogeochemical investigations have been carried out in the Jalandhar District, Punjab, India to decipher hydrochemistry and groundwater quality for its suitability for drinking and irrigation purposes. Most of the irrigation practices depend on shallow or deeper tube wells as an alternative source to the surface water, and consequently rapid decline of the groundwater levels. Based on sodium absorption ratio, %sodium, chloro-alkaline indices are CAI-I, CAI-II and Permeability Index results, most of the groundwater samples collected in the study area were good for drinking and irrigation purposes. The hydrochemical facies suggested that the fluids interacted with carbonate minerals and have not been significantly altered by cation exchange, dissolution of evaporates, and/or mixing with more evolved waters. The analysis of Gibbs plot indicated the groundwater chemistry controlled by weathering process of silicate minerals. The aim of the study was to assess the spatial distribution of hydrogeochemical parameters and to determine controlling factor of geochemical process of the water composition based on the major ion chemistry of 44 groundwater samples collected in the study area.