Groundwater quality and geochemical signatures in the northeastern Haryana, India

This investigation aims to monitor the sub-surface water quality in Yamunanagar and Ambala districts in northeastern Haryana for domestic and irrigation purposes and to possibly assess the causes leading to the impendence of prime constituents in sub-surface water. For the combined observation of two seasons each of the years 2017 and 2018, the local variation of total hardness, total alkalinity, total dissolved solids, and pH indicated that 93.33%, 91.67%, 90%, and 100% of samples, respectively, were within the permissible ranges of sub-surface water quality. Similarly, 98.33% of samples for anions, 96.11% for cations, and 93.33% for iron were appraised to be within the "permissible" band. Hydro-geochemistry indicated dominant mixed Ca2+-Mg2+-HCO3-, Na+-Cl-, Ca2+-Na+-HCO3--, and Ca2+-Mg2+-Cl- sub-surface water. Metallic composition appraisal by the Stiff plot indicated the dominance of Ca2+-HCO3-, and Na+-K+-Cl- in ratio during the pre-and post-monsoon seasons, respectively. According to the Schoeller's diagram, the relative abundance of metals in mg/l showed Na+ + K+ > Ca2+ > Mg2+ and HCO3- + CO32- > Cl- > SO42-. The sub-surface water has high salinity, Na+ hazards, and presence of chloride, fluoride, calcium, sulfate, and iron. Hydro-geochemical reactions manifested through Durov diagram showed anthropogenic sources as the possible reasons besides applications of fertilizers, salinization, ion-exchange, carbonate dissolution, and weathering. A benchmarking of laboratory outcomes with the geographic information system maps is in good agreement. Subject to consumption based on cations, anions, and a suite of metal ions, the sub-surface water has been found to be not risking residents' well-being, crops, and industries.