Exploring groundwater quality and subsurface characteristics using Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) in the Basantar watershed of J&K India

In the present study, 36 Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) sites test have conducted in the Basantar watershed with maximum current electrode separation of 300 m to detect groundwater prospects. The integration of VES results and lithology data reveals valuable information about groundwater potential zones in various sites. In order to substantiate the results, VES were conducted in finer grid pattern. The data acquisition was conducted using the Terrameter SAS 300C. In certain locations, non-collinear spacing and surface moisture affected the reliability of the observed apparent resistivity values, resulting in irregular VES curves. After applying smoothing techniques, the interpretation of the VES curves became feasible. The results indicated a strong correlation between the resistivity data and lithological information, identifying VES points 6, 9, 10, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 27, 29, 31, and 33 as the most suitable sites for groundwater extraction. Further, fifty groundwater samples have been analyzed for hydrochemical analysis shows that hydrochemistry is dominated by the alkaline earth and weak acids. The Pollution Index of Groundwater (PIG) shows that 97 % of groundwater samples found in the insignificant pollution.