Water quality index (WQI)
WQI was calculated to assess the present nature of groundwater for drinking purposes in the study region. The classification of groundwater based on WQI value is less than 25 is excellent, 26-50 is good, 51-75 is moderate, 76-100 is doubtful, and greater than 100 is unsuitable for drinking water purpose. In the study area, WQI ranges from, 28.70 to 117.15, with an average of 53.59. About 53.33 % of the sample location is good, 26.67% of sample location is moderate, 13.33% of sample location is doubtful and 6.67% of sample locations (2 Stations) are unsuitable class of water (Table.5). In 3D spatial analysis (contour lines), the study area was carried out to visualize the highly contaminated zone (Fig.8). It indicates the higher value of WQI was recorded in the footpath of hilly terrain areas. A larger amount of waste disposal from households, sewage disposal, excess utilization of fertilizers, and pesticides for agriculture are the major factors that influence groundwater quality for drinking purposes.