RESOURCE CHARACTERIZATION AND SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF GROUND WATER QUALITY IN KANDUKUR MANDAL OF PRAKASAM DISTRICT, ANDHRA PRADESH

Abstract

Natural resources (land and water) in 17 villages of Kandukur (15007’01.17 to 15019’40.0 N latitude and 79050’26.35 to 79058’39.32 E longitude) mandal was recorded during transect of the area and ground water sampling. Land forms are uplands, low lands, river alluviums and uncultivated barren lands. Soil type varied with different land forms and the area is a conglomerate of red, black and mixed soils. Red sandy loams to sandy clay loams are in uplands. Black clay loams to clay in lowlands spread over villages of Machavaram, Dondapadu, Mopadu and Anandapuram. Some patches are seen with mixed soils. Some lands in Vikkiralapeta, Pandulapadu, Palukuru and Machavarm villages are on river beds of Manneru and Paleru where the soil is alluvium (sandy loams to silty loams). Rice is grown during kharif followed by summer pulses in fallows in low lands. Cotton is grown in black soil with good ground water because of Manneru and Paleru streams. Redgram is grown in all types of soils as kharif crop. During rabi, sole crops like tobacco and chickpea are grown. Tobacco is grown under rainfed tanks and ponds in Mopadu and Kondamudusupalem, during dry periods. Spatial distribution of the analyzed water quality parameters with thematic maps using Arc GIS showed that pH varied from 7.4 to 9.2. EC varied from 0.24 to 4.25 dSm-1, but most of the area was in the range of 1.5-3.0 dSm-1. Higher concentrations of HCO3- content were recorded in the ground water of light textured red soil areas. Chloride concentration varied from 0.9 to 87.1 meq/l. CO3and HCO3- contents ranged from 0.0 to 4.4 and 1.8 to 23.8 meq/l, respectively. Anion concentration followed an order of chlorides > bicarbonates> carbonates. The carbonate/bicarbonate ratio in the sample varied from 0.02 to 0.53. With increase in carbonate and bicarbone concentration, chloride concentration decreased.