Assessment of Groundwater Quality for Drinking & Irrigation Purpose in Umerkot District, Sindh

Abstract

The current study used irrigation indices for agricultural purposes and the water quality index (WQI) for drinking purposes to evaluate the groundwater quality of Umerkot district in Sindh. Groundwater's physical, chemical, metal, and non‑metal characteristics—including pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, turbidity, total alkalinity, total hardness, fluoride, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and arsenic—were analyzed to determine the WQI. A total of 42 groundwater samples were collected from tube wells in the study area. Standard laboratory techniques were used to preserve and analyze the samples. According to the analytical results, the physicochemical parameters total dissolved solids, fluoride, sulfate, chloride, total alkalinity, calcium, and arsenic were within the WHO permissible limits, whereas electrical conductivity, pH, turbidity, total hardness, magnesium, potassium, and sodium exceeded the WHO permissible limits. Based on the water quality index, 7% of the samples had good water quality, 33% poor, 38% very poor, and 21% were unfit for human consumption. Among the irrigation indices, sodium soluble percentage, sodium percentage, and residual sodium carbonate were within the FAO permissible limits, while Kelly index, sodium absorption ratio, and magnesium hazard index exceeded the FAO limits. Overall, the groundwater quality in most of the area is unsuitable for drinking, and the soil condition for agriculture in the study area will become hazardous in the near future.

 Keywords: Groundwater, Water Quality Index, Irrigation Indices, Umerkot District