GROUNDWATER QUALITY STUDY FOR DRINKING PURPOSE IN PEHOWA BLOCK, KURUKSHETRA DISTRICT, HARYANA, INDIA

Water is prime requirement for living beings to live on the planet earth. In the modern developmental activities, agricultural practices, industrial purposes and need of drinking water for increasing population resources of fresh water are depleting fast and creating crisis of water availability per capita. Haryana is an agricultural dominant state with requirement of water whole year for irrigation purpose. Besides agriculture demand water is also used in industrial purpose as well as increasing drinking water requirement for increasing population in the state. In the present study groundwater quality in Pehowa block which covers 548 sq. km. area in Kurukshetra district of Haryana state, India have been studied for drinking purpose. Nine groundwater samples were collected from different parts of the block in double capped plastic bottles. Groundwater samples were analyzed using field water testing kit prepared by Tamil nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board, Chennai for twelve chemical parameters-pH, alkalinity, hardness, chloride, total dissolved solids, fluoride, iron, nitrite, nitrate, ammonia, phosphate and residual chlorine. Results of chemical analysis of groundwater samples shows that range of pH 7- 8, alkalinity 230-420 mg/l, hardness 100-280 mg/l, chloride 30-100 mg/l, total dissolved solids (TDS) 432-924 mg/l, fluoride 0.5 - 1.5 mg/l, iron nil in all groundwater samples, ammonia nil - 2 mg/l, nitrite 0.2- 0.5 mg/l, nitrate 45-75 mg/l, phosphate nil in all groundwater samples, and residual chlorine nil to 0.5 mg/l. The study shows that groundwater is non-potable at Bherian (nitrate 75 mg/l), Gumthala (nitrate 75 mg/l, ammonia 2 mg/l), Thana (nitrate 75 mg/l), Ramgarh (nitrate 75 mg/l), Mohanpur (nitrate 75 mg/l), Sarsa (nitrate 75mg/l), Tikri (ammonia 1 mg/l, residual chlorine 0.5 mg/l). Groundwater is potable in one groundwater sample taken at Bodha with respect of all the twelve chemical parameters of drinking water. The study is highly useful for monitoring groundwater quality for drinking purpose in the study area.