Geospatial Analysis Coupled with Logarithmic Method for Water Quality Assessment in Part of Pindrawan Tank Command Area in Raipur District of Chhattisgarh

Abstract

Water Quality Index is an effective tool to measure the quality of water based on different parameters. In this study, a part of Pindrawan tank command area under Mahanadi river basin in Raipur district of Chhattisgarh was selected to assess the suitability of water for drinking purpose. 25 water samples were collected from various surface and groundwater sources of the study area for comprehensive water quality analysis and 11 physio-chemical parameters such as: pH, fluoride, chloride, total hardness, total dissolved solids, iron, calcium, sodium, potassium, electrical conductivity and alkalinity were considered for calculating Water Quality Index (WQI). WQI was computed using logarithmic method. Spatial distribution maps for different parameters were prepared using IDW technique in GIS interface. The study area was categorised from excellent to unsuitable for drinking water zones according to the computed WQI values. Out of 25 water samples analysed for drinking water quality, 2 samples were found to be unsuitable for drinking, 10 samples fall under good/excellent and 13 samples quality were poor. Water in the poor zone can be utilised for drinking after proper treatment. This study demonstrates the efficiency of GIS for analysing the complex spatial data for water quality mapping.