GEOSPATIAL TECHNIQUES AIDED STUDY OF GHAGGAR RIVER WATER QUALITY FOR DRINKING PURPOSE IN PANCHKULA DISTRICT, HARYANA, INDIA

Abstract

Water is important for survival of living beings as well as geological and geomorphic processes on the planet Earth. In the present scenario of developmental activities both surface and groundwater are polluted and need attention for checking the pollutant sources. Ghaggar river in northern part of the country is flowing from the states-Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and finally in Pakistan. In the upper part of the Ghaggar river after entering in Haryana in Panchkula district its water quality has been assessed for drinking purpose. Eight river water samples were collected from different locations of Ghaggar River in the month of June 2019. Water samples were analyzed using Field Water Testing Kit prepared by Tamilnadu Water Supply and Drainage Board (TWAD), Chennai for chemical parameters-pH, Hardness, Chloride, Fluoride, Iron, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Phosphate and Residual Chlorine. Results of chemical analysis of water samples were categories as per BIS drinking water standards (IS 10500:2012). In the river water samples pH ranges from 6.5 to 7.5; hardness ranges from 100 mg/l to 1170 mg/l; chloride ranges from 50 mg/l to 360 mg/l; fluoride ranges from 0.5 mg/l to 3 mg/l; iron ranges from nil to 10 mg/l; aammonia ranges from 0.5 mg/l to 5 mg/l; nitrite ranges from 0.2 mg/l to 1 mg/l; nitrate ranges from 20 mg/l to 150 mg/l; phosphate ranges from 0.5 mg/l to 1 mg/l and residual chlorine ranges from nil to 2 mg/l. The data interpretation shows that pH in all the eight water samples is desirable for drinking purpose; hardness is desirable at Bitna, Kaushalya Dam, MajriChowk, Peer Muchchalla, Sector28, Panchkula, Daffarpur and permissible at Jagatpur and non-potable at ChandiMandir; chloride is desirable at Bitna, Jagatpur, Kaushalya Dam, MajriChowk, Peer Muchchalla, Sector-28, Panchkula, Daffarpur and permissible at ChandiMandir; fluoride is desirable at Bitna, Jagatpur, Kaushalya Dam, MajriChowk, Peer Muchchalla, Sector-28, Panchkula, Daffarpur and non-potable at ChandiMandir; iron is desirable at Bitna, Kaushalya Dam, Peer Muchchalla, Sector-28, Panchkula, Daffarpur and non-potable at Jagatpur, ChandiMandir, MajriChowk; ammonia is desirable at Bitna, Sector-28, Panchkula, Daffarpur and non-potable at Jagatpur, Kaushalya Dam, ChandiMandir, MajriChowk, Peer Muchchalla; nitrite is desirable in all the eight water samples; nitrate is desiarble at ChandiMandir, MajriChowk, Peer Muchchalla, Sector-28, Panchkula and non-potable at Bitna, Jagatpur, Kaushalya Dam, Daffarpur; phosphate is desirable in all the eight water samples and residual chlorine is desirable at Bitna, Jagatpur, Kaushalya Dam, ChandiMandir, Peer Muchchalla, Sector-28, Panchkula, Daffarpur and non-potable at MajriChowk. The study shows that river water is not suitable for drinking purpose in seven water samples except one water sample (Sector-28, Panchkula). The study is highly useful for monitoring the water quality of Ghaggar River.