Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Evaluation of groundwater quality for irrigation and drinking using GIS and geostatistics in a peri-urban area of Delhi, India

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Arabian Journal of Geosciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Intensive agriculture by indiscriminate use of agrochemicals, sewage water, and polluted drain water has posed a serious threat to groundwater quality in some peri-urban areas of Delhi like Najafgarh block. The objective of the study was to determine the groundwater quality and to map their spatial variation in terms of suitability for irrigation and drinking purpose. Ordinary kriging method was used for preparation of thematic maps of groundwater quality parameters such as electrical conductivity, sodium adsorption ratio, bicarbonate, magnesium/calcium ratio, total dissolved solids, chloride, nitrate and hardness. Exponential semivariogram model was best fitted for all quality parameters except chloride and hardness, where spherical model fitted best. Pollution level was highest at south and south-eastern part of the study area. Better quality groundwater may be expected at the northern and western part. High salinity was due to high chloride concentration in the groundwater. Nitrate pollution level was found to be very alarming and need immediate interventions. High dissolved solids and hardness made the groundwater unsuitable for drinking. There were negligible sodium and bicarbonate hazard in the study area. The groundwater quality index was devised to analyse the combined impact of different quality parameters on irrigation and drinking purposes. The irrigation water quality index and drinking water quality index distribution maps delineated an area of 47.29 and 6.54 km2 suitable for irrigation and drinking, respectively. These safe zones were found as a small strip along the northern boundary and a very small pocket at the western side of the study area.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adhikary PP, Chandrasekharan H, Chakraborty D, Kamble K (2010) Assessment of groundwater pollution in west Delhi, India using geostatistical approach. Environ Monit Assess 167:599–615

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • APHA (1995) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater, 19th edn. APHA, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • BIS (1991) Indian standard specification for drinking water. Bureau of Indian Standard, publication no. IS:10501, New Delhi, India

  • CGWB (2006) Ground water year book, National Capital territory, Delhi. Central Ground Water Board, Ministry of Water Resources. Government of India, New Delhi, India

    Google Scholar 

  • CWC (2006) Water and related statistics. Central Water Commission, Ministry of Water Resources. Government of India, New Delhi, India

    Google Scholar 

  • Das BK, Kakar YP, Moser H, Stichler W (1988) Deuterium and oxygen-18 studies in groundwater of the Delhi area, India. J Hydrol 98:133–146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dash JP, Sarangi A, Singh DK (2010) Spatial variability of groundwater depth and quality parameters in the National Capital Territory of Delhi. Environ Manage 45(3):640–650

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Datta PS, Bhattacharya SK, Tyagi SK (1996) 18O studies on recharge of phreatic aquifers and groundwater flow paths of mixing in the Delhi area. J Hydrol 176:25–36

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Datta PS, Deb DL, Tyagi SK (1997) Assessment of groundwater contamination from fertilizers in the Delhi area based on 18O, NO3 and K+ composition. J Contam Hydrol 27:249–262

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ella VB, Melvin SW, Kanwar RS (2001) Spatial analysis of NO3–N concentration in glacial till. Trans ASAE 44(2):317–327

    Google Scholar 

  • ESRI (2004) Using ArcGIS geostatistical analyst.. Environmental Systems Research Institute, Redlands, p 300

    Google Scholar 

  • FAO (2003) The irrigation challenge: Increasing irrigation contribution to food security through higher water productivity from canal irrigation systems. IPTRID Issue Paper 4, IPTRID. Secretariat, Food and agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Rome

    Google Scholar 

  • Fetter CW (1999) Contaminant hydrogeology. Prentice Hall, USA, p 500

    Google Scholar 

  • Gamma Design Software (1988) GS+. Gamma Design Software, LLC, Plainwell

    Google Scholar 

  • Gupta M, Srivastava PK (2010) Integrating GIS and remote sensing for identification of groundwater potential zones in the hilly terrain of Pavagarh, Gujarat, India. Water Int 35(2):233–245

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hesse PR (1971) A text book of soil chemical analysis. John Murray Publishers Ltd., London

    Google Scholar 

  • Hudak PF (2000) Regional trends in nitrate content of Texas groundwater. J Hydrol 228:37–47

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • India (2006) Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Government of India, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • Kumar D, Ahmed S (2003) Seasonal behaviour of spatial variability of groundwater level in a granitic aquifer in monsoon climate. Cur Sci 84(2):188–196

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu X, Zhang W, Zhang M, Ficklin DL, Wang F (2009) Spatio-temporal variations of soil nutrients influenced by an altered land tenure system in China. Geoderma 152:23–34

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu P, Su Y, Niu Z, Wu J (2007) Geostatistical analysis and risk assessment on soil total nitrogen and total soil phosphorus in the dongting lake plain area, China. J Environ Qual 36:935–942

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Matheron G (1965) Les Variables Re´gionalise´es et leur Estimation. Masson, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  • Nas B, Berktay A (2006) Groundwater contamination by nitrates in the City of Konya, (Turkey): a GIS perspective. J Environ Manage 79:30–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nas B, Berktay A (2010) Groundwater quality mapping in urban groundwater using GIS. Environ Monit Assess 160:215–227

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Osborn GH, Johns H (1951) The rapid determination of sodium and potassium in rocks and minerals by flame photometry. Analyst 76:410–415

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Remesen R, Panda RK (2007) Groundwater quality mapping using GIS: a study from India’s Kapgari watershed. Environ Qual Manage Spring 16:41–60

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Richards LA (1954) Diagnosis and improvement of saline-alkali soils. Agricultural handbook no. 60, USDA

  • Santra P, Chopra UK, Chakraborty D (2008) Spatial variability of soil properties and its application in predicting surface map of hydraulic parameters in an agricultural farm. Cur Sci 95:937–945

    Google Scholar 

  • Sarangi A, Madramootoo CA, Enright P (2006) Comparison of spatial variability techniques for runoff estimation from a Canadian Watershed. Biosys Eng 95(2):295–308

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Satyanarayanan M, Balaram V, Hussain MSA, Jemaili MARA, Rao TG, Mathur R, Dasaram B, Ramesh SL (2007) Assessment of groundwater quality in a structurally deformed granitic terrain in Hyderabad, India. Environ Monit Assess 131:117–127

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sawyer CN, Mccarty PL (1978) Chemistry for environmental engineering. McGraw-Hill, New York, p 532

    Google Scholar 

  • Shah T, Molden D, Sakthivadivel R, Seckler D (2000) The global ground water situation: overview of opportunity and challenges. International Water Management Institute, Colombo

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Subbiah BV, Asija GL (1956) A rapid procedure for the determination of available nitrogen in soils. Cur Sci 25:259–260

    Google Scholar 

  • WHO (2004) Guidelines for drinking water quality, 3rd edn. World Health Organization, Geneva

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India for its financial support in the form of a Senior Research Fellowship to the first author during his Ph.D. program.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, New Delhi, 110012, India

    Ch. Jyotiprava Dash, H. Chandrasekharan & T. B. S. Rajput

  2. Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute, Research Centre, Gwalior Road, Datia, Madhya Pradesh, 475661, India

    Partha Pratim Adhikary

  3. Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute, Research Centre, Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India

    S. K. Dubey

Authors
  1. Partha Pratim Adhikary
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ch. Jyotiprava Dash
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. H. Chandrasekharan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. T. B. S. Rajput
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. S. K. Dubey
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Partha Pratim Adhikary.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Adhikary, P.P., Dash, C.J., Chandrasekharan, H. et al. Evaluation of groundwater quality for irrigation and drinking using GIS and geostatistics in a peri-urban area of Delhi, India. Arab J Geosci 5, 1423–1434 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-011-0330-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-011-0330-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation