HYDROGEOCHEMICAL STUDIES AND GROUNDWATER QUALITY EVALUATION IN HANUR WATERSHED, KOLLEGAL TALUK, CHAMARAJNAGAR DISTRICT, KARNATAKA STATE, SOUTH INDIA.

Groundwater is becoming a scant resource in part of Kollegal taluk, Chamarajnagar District, Karnataka State. This area receives an average annual rainfall of 696 mm. Groundwater has been the major sources of irrigation and drinking purpose for several years almost 80 percent of area is underlain by hard rocks. The study area is drought prone, most of the people in this area depend on groundwater for drinking water and agriculture. Therefore, constant monitoring and assessment of water resource is necessary. The study area is bounded by Yelandur and T. Narasipura Taluk to the west, Mandya and Bangalore to the North, and East and South it is bounded by Dharamapuri District of TamilNadu this area is located in the south eastern corner of Karnataka. The area is located between 770 51 to 770 301 East longitude 110 451 to 120 151 North latitude with an areal extent of 1026sq km covering 138 villages coming under the Survey of India Toposheet (SOI) numbers are 57 H/4, 57H/7, 57H/8,, 58E/1 and 58E/5. The study area comes under the semiarid region. In recent years, this region has been facing water scarcity as well as water quality problems. The major sources of employment are sericulture, agriculture and horticulture, engaging almost 70% of the workforce. Water samples have been collected from 68 locations of the study area, during the monsoon year 2016, The collected samples were analysed for chemical parameters. In the study area Ca-Mg-HCO3 type of water predominates during the mansoon season of year 2016. On the basis of hydro-chemical facies classification the water is found to be suitable for irrigation.The other evaluated parameters are SAR, RSC, salinity sodium hazard and USSL Classification.