Reporting water quality of sustainable traditional ponds using water quality index in Nagaur district of western Rajasthan, India

The present study investigates ancient water harvesting techniques of western Rajasthan and reports potable water quality by using the Water Quality Index (WQI). These small rain-fed ponds are still a significant water resource for the village community and quench the thirst for 6 to 10 months. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the water quality and its suitability for drinking, development of forest and irrigation purpose. There were four sampling sites that were analyzed seasonally for physico-chemical parameters including, pH, TDS, Fluoride, Nitrate, Chloride, Total Alkalinity, Total Hardness, Calcium and Magnesium over a period of one year from July, 2020 to June, 2021 in Nagaur district, Rajasthan. In the results, WQI indicated very poor and unsuitable drinking water quality in all seasons in the first sampling site located in the city due to poor management. Whereas, all the village sampling sites had excellent water quality index in terms of drinking in all seasons excluding one sampling site, which was showing poor water quality in summer. Calculations for WQI show that fluoride is the most influencing parameter in the study. The findings significantly enhance the understanding of the importance of these small water ponds and provide a base for making sustainable water strategies in present study areas.