Assesment of Groundwater Quality for Irrigation Using IWQI in Thoubal and Kakching Districts, Manipur, India
Groundwater quality in some villages of Thoubal and Kakching districts, Manipur, India, were assessed to check viability for irrigation during the 2024 pre-monsoon season. Twenty groundwater samples were examined for physicochemical parameters, including total alkalinity (TA), electrical conductivity (EC), total hardness (TH), major cations Ca2+, Mg2+, Na+, K+, Cl- and anions SO42-, CO32- and HCO3-. Parameters assessed included Residual Sodium Carbonate (RSC), Percent Sodium (%Na+), Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR), Magnesium Hazard (MH), Kelly’s Ratio (KR), Permeability Indices (PI), Potential Salinity (PS), Electrical Conductivity (EC) and Wilcox diagram classifications as well. Predominantly, the water samples assessed were identified as appropriate for irrigation purposes, with a few exceptions. Based on correlation coefficient data, %Na+ shows an inverse relationship with the concentrations of both Ca2+ and Mg2+. For RSC, water that meets the standards for irrigation purposes is characterized by reduced HCO3- concentrations but elevated values of Ca2+ and Mg2+. In the case of SAR, good irrigation water quality is characterized by a low concentration of Na+ and elevated concentrations of both Ca2+ and Mg2+. Based on PS, water that meets the standards for irrigation purposes is associated with reduced concentrations of Cl- and SO42-. However, based on PI, water that meets the standards for irrigation purposes is characterized by high concentrations Na+ and HCO3- but reduced concentrations of Mg2+ and Ca2+. IWQI study indicated that a large proportion of the samples ranged from low to moderate irrigation water quality categories.