摘要：Assessment of suitability of groundwater for domestic and agricultural purposes was carried out inVel river basin, Maharashtra, India. The study area covers an area of 44.23 km2 and lies on thenorthern side of Pune. Groundwater is the major source for drinking and agricultural activity in thisarea. Groundwater samples were collected from 15 wells during pre-monsoon period in the year2012. The water samples were analysed for physical and chemical characteristics. Suitability ofgroundwater for irrigation was evaluated based on salinity hazard, sodium percent, sodium adsorptionratio, US salinity diagram, Gibbs diagram, Kelly’s ratio and permeability index. Physical and chemicalparameters of groundwater such as electrical conductivity, pH, total hardness, Na+,K+,Ca2+,Mg2+,Cl-,HCO3-,CO32-, SO42-, and NO3- were determined. Interpretation of analytical data shows that mixed CaMg-Cl, Ca-Cl, and Na-Cl are the dominant hydrochemical facies in the study area. The results ofanalysis were compared with the water quality standards of Indian Standard Institute (ISI), and WorldHealth Organization (WHO). The overall groundwater quality is suitable for drinking purposes and forirrigation purpose which was evaluated by calculating Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR), resulting inSAR values less than 10 for all dug wells. The systematic planning of groundwater exploitation usingmodern technology is essential for the proper utilization of this precious natural resource. Informationfrom this study could be used for effective identification of suitable locations for extraction of potablewater for rural population.
