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.