ASSESSMENT OF GROUND WATER QUALITY USING PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PARAMETERS AND WATER QUALITY INDEX AROUND RUNNING MINES OF DHANBAD DISTRICT, JHARKHAND.

Groundwater has become an alternative source for domestic and irrigational uses at present in most places, due to insufficient availability of clean surface water. Limited availability and supply of potable water, people have started using groundwater for drinking and other domestic purposes. This study was aimed to estimate physico-chemical properties in ground water samples collected from different sources around coal mines of Dhanbad. A total number of 25 ground water samples have been collected during the post monsoon season (October, 2015 - December, 2015). This study reveals that physico-chemical properties like pH, TDS, Alkalinity, Total Hardness, Chloride, Sulphate, Nitrate, Fluoride, Iron and Zinc showed considerable variation due to metamorphic impact but were found within the permissible limit prescribed by IS 10500: 2012 Second Revision. Water Quality index (WQI) value ranged from 23.9 to 260.3. It showed that 48% of the water samples fall in the category of good water and 52% of the water sample falls in the category of poor water which were due to elevated iron content but fall under good water characteristics considering other parameters. The ground water for use of drinking purpose requires some treatment including removal of Iron.