Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Demarcation of groundwater quality domains using GIS for best agricultural practices in the drought-prone Shanmuganadhi River basin of South India

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

A Correction to this article was published on 18 May 2020

This article has been updated

Abstract

A study was conducted to evaluate the suitability of groundwater in the drought-prone Shanmuganadhi River basin of south India for best agricultural practices since the surface water that exists in this basin is not sufficient to meet out the demand. As the quality of groundwater is not uniform in the hard rock aquifers of this basin, the work was carried out to demarcate the suitable groundwater quality zones for the agricultural activities. Sixty-one groundwater samples were collected and analyzed for various parameters such as electrical conductivity (EC), pH, TDS, major cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, and K+) and anions (Cl−, SO42−, HCO3−, PO43−, NO3−, and F−). To demarcate the feasible zones for agricultural practices, irrigation water quality parameters like EC, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), percent sodium (Na %), residual sodium carbonate (RSC), magnesium hazard ratio (MHR), Kelly’s ratio (KR), and permeability index (PI) were computed. Furthermore, the irrigation water quality representation diagrams like USSL, Wilcox, and Doneen were prepared, and their outputs were spatially plotted using the Geographical Information System (GIS) to identify the suitability domains of groundwater for irrigational practices. Interpretation of irrigation water quality parameters and diagrams indicate that 2% of groundwater samples represented “low” salinity, 26% of samples represented “medium” salinity, 66% of samples represented “high” salinity, and 6% of samples represented “very high” salinity. Similarly, about 59% of samples represented the low alkaline/sodium category and 41% of them represented the medium alkaline category. The USSL output shows that about 2% of samples of the basin signified “low salinity with low alkalinity” category (C1S1), 28% of samples signified the “medium salinity with low alkalinity” category (C2S1), 33% of samples signified “high salinity with low alkalinity” category (C3S1), 28% of samples signified the “high salinity with medium alkalinity” category (C3S2), and 10% of samples signified the “very high salinity with medium alkalinity” category (C4S2). Groundwater is suitable for irrigation in 277.52 km2 area of the basin. It is moderately suitable in an area of 318.46 km2 and poorly suitable over 38.64 km2. This study recommends that groundwater with moderate suitability could only be used for irrigating permeable soils and for cultivating salt-tolerant crops. The addition of gypsum to soil might be helpful to increase the infiltration capacity and osmotic activity. However, poorly suitable area should be avoided for agricultural practices.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

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

Explore related subjects

Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.

Change history

References

  • Adimalla N (2018) Groundwater quality for drinking and irrigation purposes and potential health risks Assessment: A case study from semi-arid region of South India. Exposure and Health. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-018-0288-8

  • Anand B, Karunanidhi D, Subramani T, Srinivasamoorthy K, Suresh M (2019) Long-term trend detection and spatiotemporal analysis of groundwater levels using GIS techniques in lower Bhavani River basin, Tamil Nadu, India. Environ Dev Sustain 22:2779–2800. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-019-00318-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anandakumar S, Subramani T, Elango L (2008) Spatial variation and seasonal behaviour of rainfall pattern in Lower Bhavani River basin, Tamil Nadu, India. The Ecoscan 2(1):17–24

  • APHA, AWWA, WPCF (2005) Standard methods for the examination of waters and waste waters, 21st edn. American Public Health Association (APHA), Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Arya S, Subramani T (2015) Groundwater flow and fluctuation using GIS in a hard rock region, South India. Indian J Mar Sci 44(9):1422–1427

  • Ayers RS, Westcott DW (1985) Water quality for agriculture (No. 29): food and agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy

  • Bian J, Nie S, Wang R, Wan H, Liu C (2018) Hydrochemical characteristics and quality assessment of groundwater for irrigation use in central and eastern Songnen plain, Northeast China. Environ Monit Assess 190(7):1–16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-018-6774-4

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chaudhary V, Satheeshkumar S (2018) Assessment of groundwater quality for drinking and irrigation purposes in arid areas of Rajasthan, India. Appl Water Sci 8(8):1–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-018-0865-9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Collins R, Jenkins A (1996) The impact of agricultural land use on stream chemistry in the middle hills of the Himalayas, Napal. J Hydrol 185:71–86

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Domenico PA, Schwartz FW (1998) Physical and chemical hydrogeology. Wiley, New York, p 506

    Google Scholar 

  • Doneen LD (1964) Notes on water quality in agriculture. Published as a water science and engineering, paper 4001, Department of Water Sciences and Engineering, University of California

  • Duraisamy S, Govindhaswamy V, Duraisamy K, Krishinaraj S, Balasubramanian A, Thirumalaisamy S (2018) Hydrogeochemical characterization and evaluation of groundwater quality in Kangayam taluk, Tirupur district, Tamil Nadu, India, using GIS techniques. Environ Geochem Health. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-018-0183-z

  • Fipps G( 2003) Irrigation water quality standards and salinity management strategies. Texas Agricultural Extension Service, Texas A&M University System, College Station, TX (USA). B-1667, 4-03, pp 1–19

  • GSI (1995) Geological and mineral map of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. Published by the Director General Geological Survey of India on 1: 500,000 scale

  • Hem JD (1995) Study and interpretation of the chemical characteristics of natural water. USGS, Water Supply Paper. 264, 117–120

  • Hema S, Subramani T (2017) Scientific methods of assessing groundwater for irrigation purpose- a case study in a part of Cauvery River basin, South India. Indian J Ecol 44(2):185–191

  • Hema S, Subramani T, Elango L (2010) GIS study on vulnerability assessment of water quality in a part of Cauvery River. Int J Environ Sci 1(1):1–17

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Javed SA, Ullah S (2017) Spatial assessment of water quality parameters in Jhelum city (Pakistan). Environ Monit Assess 189(119):1–16

    Google Scholar 

  • Karanth KR (1987) Ground water assessment, development and management. Tata McGraw Hill, New Delhi, p 720

    Google Scholar 

  • Karanth KR (1989) Hydrogeology (pp. 1–455). Tata McGraw Hill Publ. Co., Ltd., New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • Karunanidhi D, Vennila G, Suresh M, Subramanian SK (2013) Evaluation of the groundwater quality feasibility zones for irrigational purposes through GIS in Omalur Taluk, Salem District, South India. Environ Sci Pollut Res 20(10):7320–7333. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-1746-2

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karunanidhi D, Aravinthasamy P, Subramani T, Wu J, Srinivasamoorthy K (2019) Potential health risk assessment for fluoride and nitrate contamination in hard rock aquifers of Shanmuganadhi River basin, South India. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal 25(1-2):250–270

  • Keesari T, Ramakumar KL, Chidambaram S, Pethperumal S (2016) Understanding the hydrochemical behaviour of groundwater and its suitability for drinking and agricultural purposes in Pondicherry area, South India—a step towards sustainable development. Groundw Sustain Dev 2–3:143–153

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kelly WP (1963) Use of Saline Irrigation Water. Soil Sci 95(4):355–391

  • Little J, Kalischuk A, Gross D, Sheedy C (2010) Assessment of water quality in Alberta’s irrigation districts. Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, Alberta

    Google Scholar 

  • Margat J, Van der Gun J (2013) Groundwater around the world. CRC Press/ Balkema, Leiden

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Misaghi F, Delgosha F, Razzaghmanesh M, Myers B (2017) Introducing a water quality index for assessing water for irrigation purposes: a case study of the GhezelOzan River. Sci Total Environ 589:107–116

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mohan R, Singh AK, Tripathi JK, Chowdhary GC (2000) Hydrochemistry and quality assessment of ground water in Naini industrial area, Allahabad District, Uttar Pradesh. J Geol Soc India 55:77–89

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mousazadeh H, Mahmudy-Gharaie MH, Mosaedi A, Moussavi Harami R (2018) Hydrochemical assessment of surface and ground waters used for drinking and irrigation in Kardeh Dam Basin (NE Iran). Environ Geochem Health 41:1235–1250. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-018-0214-9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nag SK (2014) Evaluation of hydrochemical parameters and quality assessment of the groundwater in Gangajalghati block, Bankura District, West Bengal, India. Arab J Sci Eng 39:5715–5727

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ragunath HM (1987) Groundwater. Wiley Eastern Ltd, New Delhi, p 563

    Google Scholar 

  • Ravikumar P, Somashekar RK (2015) Principal component analysis and hydrochemical facies characterization to evaluate groundwater quality in Varahi river basin, Karnataka state, India. Appl Water Sci. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-015-0287-x

  • Rezaei A, Hassani H (2017) Hydrogeochemistry study and groundwater quality assessment in the north of Isfahan, Iran. Environ Geochem Health 40(2):583–608. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-017-0003-x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Richards LA (1954) Diagnosis and improvement of saline alkali soils:agriculture, handbook, vol 160. US Department of Agriculture, Washington DC, p 60

    Google Scholar 

  • Roy A, Keesari T, Mohokar H, Sinha UK, Bitra S (2018) Assessment of groundwater quality in hard rock aquifer of central Telangana state for drinking and agriculture purposes. Appl Water Sci 8(5). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-018-0761-3

  • Saleh A, Al-Ruwaih F, Shehata M (1999) Hydrogeochemical processes operating within the main aquifers of Kuwait. J Arid Environ 42:195–209

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salifu M, Aidoo F, Hayford MS, Adomako D, Asare E (2015) Evaluating the suitability of groundwater for irrigational purposes in some selected districts of the upper west region of Ghana. Appl Water Sci 7(2):653–662. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-015-0277-z

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh S, Ghosh NC, Gurjar S, Krishan G, Kumar S, Berwal P (2017) Index-based assessment of suitability of water quality for irrigation purpose under Indian conditions. Environ Monit Assess 190(1). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-017-6407-3

  • Sreedevi PD, Sreekanth PD, Ahmed S, Reddy DV (2018) Evaluation of groundwater quality for irrigation in a semi-arid region of South India. Sustain Water Resour Manag. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40899-018-0279-8

  • Struik PC, Kuyper TW (2017) Sustainable intensification in agriculture: the richer shade of green. A review. Agron Sustain Dev 37(5). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-017-0445-7

  • Subba Rao N (2002) Geochemistry of groundwater in parts of Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh, India. Environ Geol 41:552–562

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Subramani T, Elango L, Damodarasamy SR (2005) Ground water quality and suitability for drinking and agricultural in chithar river basin, Tamilnadu, India. Environ Geol 47:1099–1110

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Subramani T, Rajmohan N, Elango L (2009) Groundwater geochemistry and identification of hydrogeochemical processes in a hard rock region, southern India. Environ Monit Assess 162(1–4):123–137. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-009-0781-4

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Taheri M, MahmudyGharaie MH, Mehrzad J, Afshari R, Datta S (2017) Hydrogeochemical and isotopic evaluation of arsenic contaminated waters in an argillic alteration zone. J Geochem Explor 175:1–10

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tajabadi M, Zare M, Chitsazan M (2018) The hydrogeochemical and isotopic investigations of the two-layered Shiraz aquifer in the northwest of Maharlou saline lake, south of Iran. J Afr Earth Sci 139:241–253

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tiri A, Belkhiri L, Mouni L (2018) Evaluation of surface water quality for drinking purposes using fuzzy inference system. Groundw Sustain Dev 6:235–244

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Todd DK (1959) Groundwater hydrology, I edn. Willey, Hoboken, p 336

    Google Scholar 

  • UCCC, (University of California Committee of Consultants) (1974) Guidelines for interpretations of water quality for irrigation. University of California Committee of Consultants, California, USA

  • Uhegbu CA (2012) An investigation to determine the suitability of the groundwater of Aba Metropolis for agricultural purposes. Arch Appl Sci Res 4(5):2027–2033

  • Umamageswari TSR, SaralaThambavani D, Liviu M (2019) Hydrogeochemical processes in the groundwater environment of Batlagundu block, Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu: conventional graphical and multivariate statistical approach. Appl Water Sci 9(1):1–15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-018-0890-8

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • USSL (US Salinity Laboratory) (1954) Diagnosis and improvement of saline and alkaline soils. Agriculture Handbook No. 60 USDA, p 160

  • Vennila G, Subramani T, Elango L (2008) GIS based groundwater quality assessment of vattamalaikarai basin, Tamil Nadu, India. Nat Environ Pollut Technol 4(7):585–592

    Google Scholar 

  • Wanda EMM, Gulula LC, Phiri A (2013) Hydrochemical assessment of groundwater used for irrigation in Rumphi and Karonga districts, Northern Malawi. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Parts A/B/C 66:51–59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pce.2013.09.001

  • Wilcox LV 1955 Classification and use of irrigation waters, US Department of Agriculture. Circ. 969. Washington, DC

  • Zaki SR, Redwan M, Masoud AM, Abdel Moneim AA (2018) Chemical characteristics and assessment of groundwater quality in Halayieb area, southeastern part of the Eastern Desert, Egypt. Geosci J 23:149–164. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12303-018-0020-5

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India (File. No: ECR/2017/000132 dated. 18.07.2017) released the required funds to execute this research.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Sri Shakthi Institute of Engineering and Technology (Autonomous), Coimbatore, 641062, India

    P. Aravinthasamy & D. Karunanidhi

  2. Department of Geology, CEG, Anna University, Chennai, 600025, India

    T. Subramani

  3. Instituto de Geologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM), Ciudad Universitaria, CP 04510,, Mexico City, Mexico

    Priyadarsi D. Roy

Authors
  1. P. Aravinthasamy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. Karunanidhi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. T. Subramani
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Priyadarsi D. Roy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to D. Karunanidhi.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict interests.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Xianliang Yi

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

The original article was revised: The correct name of the 1st Author is presented in this paper.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Aravinthasamy, P., Karunanidhi, D., Subramani, T. et al. Demarcation of groundwater quality domains using GIS for best agricultural practices in the drought-prone Shanmuganadhi River basin of South India. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 18423–18435 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-08518-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-08518-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation