In the Doiwala block of the Dehradun District in Uttarakhand, groundwater serves as the main supply of irrigation and drinking water, however its quality may be threatened by human activity and population expansion. In order to determine the primary processes governing water chemistry, the current study assesses the hydrochemical properties and adaptability of groundwater using statistical methods. The current status of water quality was determined through statistical analysis of 16 factors related to water quality, as well as through calculation of the water quality index, correlation matrix and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The parameters tested include pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, total hardness, calcium content, magnesium content, sodium content, potassium content, chloride content, sulfate content, bicarbonate content, nitrate content, alkalinity, and turbidity. The results were evaluated and compared against water quality standards set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Key ions in both positively and negatively charged particles include alkalinity, turbidity, iron (Fe²⁺), magnesium (Mg2+), and calcium (Ca2+). The Piper ternary diagram illustrates the occurrence of Mg2+- Cl− and CaMgCl classes in groundwater samples. Based on the Ionic Concentration Analysis (ICA), correlation matrix, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) findings, most samples were rated as excellent to good quality, indicating they were safe for consumption. Overall, the study offers a scientific baseline for sustainable groundwater management and preservation policies in the Doiwala block of Dehradun District and illustrates the efficacy of statistical methodologies in groundwater quality assessment.
Groundwater dynamics in basaltic hard-rock terrains are highly heterogeneous and remain poorly understood due to reliance on low-frequency monitoring. This study investigates aquifer stress–response behaviour in the over-exploited basaltic aquifers of Ratlam District, Central India, using high-frequency groundwater level data (four readings per day, aggregated to daily values) from 15 monitoring wells during 2023–2025. Groundwater abstraction in the district exceeds annual recharge ( 130
This study evaluates groundwater potential zones using Dar-Zarrouk parameters derived from Vertical Electrical Sounding data. According to the findings, there are 5-10 underlying lithological strata, ranging in thickness from 13 to 64.2 m (average 34.9 m) and aquifer resistivity from 13.4 to 281 Omega m (average 102.8 Omega m). The heterogeneity of the aquifer is reflected in the moderate empirical correlation (R2 = 0.56) between hydraulic conductivity and aquifer resistivity. The study area of southern, central, and northwest regions were identified as having high groundwater potential zones. Significant thickness (50-70 m), strong hydraulic conductivity (7-11 m/day), transmissivity (300-550 m & sup2;/day), and anisotropy (0.6-1) are all present in these shallow aquifers (45-50 m depth). These high-permeability zones are advantageous for groundwater development, but because pollutants migrate quickly, they are more susceptible to contamination. This emphasizes the need for sustainable extraction methods, frequent monitoring, and protective management techniques.
Selecting suitable sites for artificial recharge in basaltic terrain is difficult because storage and percolation are governed by weathered flow tops, fractures, intertrappean beds, and discontinuous alluvial cover. The Upper Tapi River Basin (UTRB) in western India typifies this hydrogeological complexity and has experienced growing groundwater stress. This study integrates remote sensing, GIS, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) to delineate recharge-prone sectors and prioritise locations for field verification. Seven thematic layers (geology, geomorphology, soil, slope, drainage density, lineament density, and land use/land cover) were prepared and weighted to derive an aquifer recharge potential index (ARPI). The basin was classified into four recharge categories: poor (4.5
Public groundwater programmes increasingly use rapid geophysical surveys to site deep irrigation tubewells, on the implicit assumption that deeper target formations also yield better water. We tested this assumption in the Tarai alluvial aquifer of Uttarakhand, India, by linking multi-frequency natural electric field (MNEF) siting records with the chemistry of 15 deep community tubewells and 15 nearby shallow sources. The MNEF sections indicated a multilayered sequence, with shallow water-bearing strata at 20–40 m, deeper strata at 50–100 m and recommended drilling depths of 90–150 m. Mean electrical conductivity was lower in deep groundwater (1.59 ± 0.49 dS m⁻¹) than in shallow groundwater (2.07 ± 0.79 dS m⁻¹), but the difference was not significant ( p = 0.058). pH, bicarbonate, calcium, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn and Pb also did not differ significantly between depth categories. Cadmium exceeded the FAO irrigation guideline (0.01 mg L⁻¹) in both groups (mean contamination factor 1.6), and elevated Mn was confined to a few shallow wells. Exploratory multivariate analyses showed heterogeneous trace-metal covariation rather than a depth-controlled pattern. Hydrogeophysical siting can locate productive formations, but it is not a proxy for water quality; baseline and periodic chemical testing, particularly for Cd, should accompany programme-scale tubewell development.
