article · Applied Water Science
In the semi-arid Morna River Basin of Maharashtra, India, groundwater serves as a critical resource for domestic needs, agriculture, and industry. An assessment evaluated groundwater chemistry by combining hydrogeochemical testing, geographic information systems, the water quality index, and multivariate statistics. Analysis of 82 water samples collected during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon periods revealed that most samples possessed good or excellent quality, representing 48.72% and 46.15% of samples respectively, though quality noticeably deteriorated after the monsoon. Statistical evaluations showed that mineral dissolution, agricultural practices, and human activities are the primary drivers of water chemistry variations. Spatial mapping identified specific contamination hotspots across the river basin. The framework highlights the need for ongoing water monitoring and stronger regulations regarding agricultural practices and waste disposal to protect vulnerable groundwater supplies in semi-arid regions.
Groundwater is vital for drinking, farming, and industry in semi-arid regions. By demonstrating how seasonal changes, agriculture, and waste disposal alter water chemistry and generate pollution hotspots, this approach helps environmental managers and authorities locate compromised supplies. Adopting these assessment tools can support the protection of public health and guide the regulation of local farming and waste management practices.
The integrated spatial and statistical framework offers an applied diagnostic approach for environmental consultancies, municipal planners, and water authorities seeking to map contamination hotspots. Because it has been applied and tested on field samples, the methodology is ready to be adopted by resource management bodies in similar hydrogeological settings to design regular monitoring programmes and enforce agricultural and waste regulations.
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Groundwater quality assessment is crucial for sustainable water resource management in Maharashtra, India, where groundwater helps for main water sources for irrigation, domestic, and industrial sectors. Despite numerous studies on regional groundwater quality, there remains a lack of integrated research combining hydrogeochemical analyses with advanced spatial and statistical techniques. This study addresses this gap by developing a comprehensive groundwater quality assessment framework that uniquely integrates hydrogeochemical analyses, geographic information system (GIS) techniques, water quality index (WQI), and multivariate statistical approaches in the Morna River Basin. A total of 82 water samples were analyzed for physicochemical parameters in the pre-monsoon (PRMS) and post-monsoon (POMS) seasons. The WQI analysis revealed that 46.15% of samples exhibited excellent water quality, while 48.72% showed good quality during both seasons, though a notable quality decrease was observed during the POMS. Correlation analysis identified significant positive associations (p < 0.05) between key parameters, including Mg-TH, EC-pH, and Ca2+-TH. Principal component analysis identified six components explaining 75.534% of total variance in PRMS, with the first component contributing 17.437%. In POMS, five components explained 70.963% of variance, with the first component contributing 20.653%. Factor analysis revealed that mineral dissolution, agricultural activities, and anthropogenic inputs were the primary factors influencing the water chemistry. The spatial distribution maps generated through GIS analysis identified hotspots of contamination. This integrated approach provided a robust framework for understanding the complex interactions between natural and anthropogenic factors impact on the groundwater quality. The results suggest regural monitoring of water quality and an identified hotspots and implementation of rules and regulations on the agricultural practices and waste disposal. This research contributes to support of groundwater management strategies and provides a methodological framework appropriate to similar hydrogeological settings in other area or worldwide.
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DOI: 10.1007/s13201-025-02387-4
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