Assessment of ground water quality parameters during post monsoon season in three Taluka of Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra using water quality index

To ensure the safe and sustainable use of water, it is crucial to assess the quality of the groundwater. Utilizing the water quality index (WQI), an attempt has been made to understand the groundwater quality in three Talukas of the Sindhudurg District of Maharashtra State. The groundwater samples were collected from 37 observation wells located in study area in post-monsoon season. The overall groundwater quality of study area was assessed using the water quality index (WQI). Spatial distribution maps of pH, turbidity, TDS, hardness, alkalinity, Na, K, Fe, Zn, Cl, Ca, Cl⁻ and NO₃ have been prepared using the Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) approach using QGIS 3.22.1 software. The water samples in the study region have been categorized from excellent to good, according to the water quality index map. Vengurla and Vadakhol have water quality index ratings of 25 and 26.23, respectively indicating the maximum value of the water quality index in the study area. The elevated levels of total dissolved solids (TDS), sodium, iron, zinc and turbidity in groundwater can indeed contribute to a high-water quality index value at monitoring stations and it indicates over-exploitation and anthropogenic activities such as more agricultural and domestic uses. The higher values of chlorine, total dissolved solids, turbidity and hardness indicate the contamination of groundwater due to seawater intrusion near these stations.