Associations between Groundwater Quality and Soil Physico-Chemical Properties under Tube-Well and Sewage Irrigation in the Gird Region of Madhya Pradesh, India

Abstract

The experiment was conducted during October–December 2021 in ten villages of the Morar block, Gwalior district, located in the central Gird region of Madhya Pradesh. A total of thirty georeferenced irrigation water samples were collected from tube wells and sewage water sources. The findings showed that irrigation water quality and soil physico-chemical characteristics were strongly correlated across all soil depths, according to correlation analysis. Groundwater salinity and ionic composition had significant effects on soil bulk density, porosity, pH, EC, and nutrient availability (N, P and K) during tube well irrigation, indicating gradual changes in the soil environment with depth. Soil characteristics and water quality parameters like pH, EC, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, HCO₃⁻, CO₃²⁻, SAR, and RSC were much more strongly correlated when sewage water irrigation was used. A higher risk of salt and sodicity accumulation under sewage irrigation is highlighted by the strong correlation between soil EC and sodicity markers. Additionally, the correlation between soil nitrogen and chloride suggests that sewage imports have enriched the soil with nutrients. In general, compared to tube well irrigation, extended use of sewage water presents greater dangers to the chemical sustainability of the soil.