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Hydrogeochemical Assessment of Groundwater Quality of Bundelkhand, India Using Statistical Approach

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Abstract

Hydrochemical study of groundwater is useful for determining its suitability for drinking, industrial, and agricultural purposes. In this study, chemical analysis of the groundwater and soil samples has been carried out in Bundelkhand region, where The Government of India is planning to link Ken and Betwa Rivers through a man-made canal. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of groundwater quality parameters produced five significant components, explaining the 71.04 % cumulative variance. The chemical composition of the groundwater and soil enables the hydrochemical evaluation of the aquifer system based on the ionic constituents, water types, and the factors controlling groundwater quality. The results show that the major geochemical processes occurring in the region are weathering, ion-exchange, oxidation–reduction, and dissolution. The hydrochemistry of the groundwater of this region seems to be influenced by local anthropogenic activities as the concentrations of fluoride and nitrate were observed to be high at some places. It is expected that with this project development, habitat loss, change in downstream morphology, change in downstream water quality (because of the disturbance in the current surface water budget in both of the rivers and its surrounding areas) etc. will be some of the consequences.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are highly thankful to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi, for the financial assistance. The authors are also indebted to the National Water Development Authority (NWDA) for providing valuable data to pursue this study. Authors also want to put on record the contribution of the School of Environmental Science, JNU, New Delhi for facilitating data analysis in its labs and are also thankful to a MEXT Japanese Government fellowship to pursue research in The University of Tokyo, Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Sustainability and Peace, United Nations University (UNU-ISP), Tokyo, 150-8925, Japan

    Ram Avtar

  2. Research Institute for Global Change, Japan Agency for Marine-Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokohama, 236001, Japan

    Ram Avtar

  3. Institute of Science and Technology for Advance Studies and Research (ISTAR), Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat, 388120, India

    Pankaj Kumar

  4. School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India

    Ram Avtar, C. K. Singh & S. Mukherjee

  5. Disaster Prevention Research Institute, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 611-0011, Japan

    Netrananda Sahu

  6. Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 153-8505, Japan

    R. L. Verma

  7. Department Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology, Institute of Geosciences, Martin Luther University, Halle (Saale), Germany

    J. K. Thakur

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  1. Ram Avtar
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  2. Pankaj Kumar
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  3. C. K. Singh
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  4. Netrananda Sahu
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  5. R. L. Verma
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  6. J. K. Thakur
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  7. S. Mukherjee
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Correspondence to Ram Avtar.

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Avtar, R., Kumar, P., Singh, C.K. et al. Hydrogeochemical Assessment of Groundwater Quality of Bundelkhand, India Using Statistical Approach. Water Qual Expo Health 5, 105–115 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-013-0094-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-013-0094-2

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