K.M. Nayak¹, H.K. Sahoo^2,

Water quality analysis in the Mahanga block of Cuttack district indicate that, ground water quality is controlled by natural geochemical processes such as mineral weathering, dissolution/precipitation reaction, ion-exchange process. The chemical parameters such as Ca, Mg, Na, K, Cl, HCO₃, and SO₄ of groundwater play a significant role in classifying and assessing water quality. With respect to drinking water quality in comparison to BIS (1991) standards, TDS, TA, TH, Ca, Mg, Cl, F, NO₃ are found to exceed the highest desirable limits in some cases but not the maximum permissible limit. With respect to irrigation indices such as residual sodium carbonate (RSC), percent sodium (%Na), permeability index (PI), potential soil salinity (PSS), sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), the groundwater are suitable for irrigation purpose. The relative concentrations such as Ca/Mg, Na/Cl, Cl/(HCO₃+CO₃) and base exchange index are used to assess the salinity of groundwater in the study area.

groundwater quality, Mahanga block, residual sodium carbonate, irrigation, permeability index, Doneen diagram, magnesium hazards