A comparative study of ground water and surface water quality in the Jia – Bharali river basin, India with reference to Physico - Chemical characteristics

A comparative assessment of the hydrological quality of the shallow aquifers and surface water sources in the Jia Bharali River basin and adjoining areas of the Himalayan foothills has been made in this work. Six set of seasonal samples were analysed with respect to the common physicochemical parameters including major anions (carbonate-bicarbonate, chloride, sulphate, fluoride, nitrate and phosphate), and cations (calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium). 74% of the aquifers had higher TDS and 88% had higher hardness in the wet seasons. The major cations were in the ranges of Ca: 7.1 – 43.9 mg/L, Mg: 2.1 – 25.9 mg/L, Na: 3.8 – 40.8 mg/L, and K: 2.1 – 22.7 mg/L. The total alkalinity was almost entirely due to the presence of bicarbonate. The aquifers are rich in chloride (5.6 – 110.7 mg/L) and sulphate (3.1 – 83.1 mg/L) with nitrate (BDL to 0.72 mg/L) and phosphate (BDL – 1.27 mg/L), the latter being significantly high for some aquifers. In case of surface water sources, the major ions show wide variability (Ca: 1.56 – 45.45 mg/L; Mg: 0.56 – 14.56 mg/L; Na: 3.10 – 14.30 mg/L; K: 1.0 – 11.50 mg/L). The surface water rich in chloride (2.28 – 38.45 mg/L) and sulphate (0.38 – 29.45 mg/L), is also contains the nutrients, nitrate (BDL – 1.45 mg/L) and phosphate (BDL – 1.48 mg/L).