Assessment and Management of Underground Water Quality in Talwandi Sabo Tehsil of Bathinda District (Punjab)

Electrical conductivity of water samples coilected from 88 villages of Talwandi Sabo tehsil (Bathinda district) varied from 0.55 to 13.74 dS m⁻¹. Soluble carbonates, bicarbonates and residual sodium carbonate (RSC) of these waters varied from nil to 3.2; 2.0 to 17.7 and nil to 14.6 me VI, respectively. Soluble sodium (3.0 to 90.1 me L⁻¹) was the dominant cation and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) ranged from 2.3 to 31.3. Based on EC and RSC of the waters 15, 38, 12 and 35 per cent samples were good (low EC & RSC), marginal-saline, marginal-sodie and poor (high EC & RSC), respectively for irrigation purposes. Salinity is more prevalent than sodicity in the area.