Evaluation of groundwater quality for drinking and irrigation purposes, ionic sources and land use/land cover impacts in the Kathua region of Jammu and Kashmir, India

Kathua is one of the fast-growing industrial districts of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, northern India. The primary source of water in Kathua is groundwater, which is widely used for industrial, agricultural, drinking, and building purposes. The groundwater system is changing significantly both in terms of quantity and quality in the study area due to recent industrial and infrastructural developments. Thus, 40 groundwater samples were collected from different wells in the pre-monsoon season, May 2022, and analyzed for physicochemical variables to determine the impact of geogenic and anthropogenic activities on the groundwater. The drinking groundwater quality appears to be excellent to good. Of the variables that were examined, two—TH and HCO₃—had concentrations higher than the recommended limits of the BIS and WHO guidelines. Groundwater contains alkaline earth metals and weak acids, and its hydrochemistry is controlled by rock‒water interactions (silicate weathering or cation exchange and reverse-ion exchange processes). Several parameters (electrical conductivity, sodium percentage, sodium adsorption ratio, permeability index, magnesium adsorption ratio, residual sodium carbonate, and the Kelly’s ratio) were used to evaluate groundwater suitability for irrigation. The permeability index, magnesium adsorption ratio, and residual sodium carbonate indicate that the groundwater of a few samples is unsuitable for irrigation purposes. Land use/land cover (LULC) change analysis was used to determine the potential impacts of LULC changes on groundwater. Anthropogenic interventions are a major cause of LULC changes that are considerably reducing groundwater recharge zones, increasing surface runoff, and artificially polluting groundwater through domestic and industrial wastes, according to the LULC analysis conducted using satellite data for the year 2017 and 2022. Therefore, to minimize the effects of LULC on groundwater, prompt action must be taken, requiring regular monitoring of groundwater quality and LULC changes. The results of the study may be useful to the general public, farmers, and policy makers in the sustainable development and management of groundwater.