A Comprehensive Review of Surface and Groundwater Quality in the Kukadi Irrigation Command Area in Junnar Tehsil of Pune District, Maharashtra, India

Abstract

Water quality in the irrigation command area is a very critical issue for sustainable agriculture and the health of people. The paper is a review about surface and groundwater quality in the Kukadi irrigation command in the Junnar Tehsil of Maharashtra, India, based on recent peer-reviewed research. Kukadi project reservoirs and canals provide water to large-scale cultivation, supplemented by groundwater in wells to irrigate and meet drinking needs. The review of physicochemical parameters (pH, salinity, major ions, nutrients) and biological indicators of various studies has shown that water resources of this command area correspond to the main quality criteria in irrigation. Sampled surface water in the Yedgaon reservoir of Kukadi has a neutral pH, a moderate amount of dissolved solids, and pollutants within the levels of the World Health Organisation (WHO), which validates its usage for crops. The quality of groundwater is less predictable: the vast majority of samples can be used to irrigate the fields, but some shallow wells show a high hardness level, nitrate, or electrical conductivity, which makes them inappropriate to drink. Interestingly, the levels of heavy metal in surface and groundwater are comparatively low and mostly at a safe level, which is evident in the mostly rural and non-industrial land cover. As it is critically synthesised, agricultural activities involving intensive farming and the application of fertilisers are starting to affect water quality in parts of the command, as shown by the increase in salinity and nitrate of some of the well waters. There are also geospatial studies and indices that are used to show the localised degradation that is related to agricultural runoff. These results highlight the importance of active water quality control and monitoring. Particularly, combining remote sensing with GIS mapping can be used to detect new regions of contamination and react to them with specific interventions. The review ends by stating that even though the water quality of the Kukadi command area is currently satisfactory to support irrigation and overall use, constant attention and better management practices are necessary. Such measures will protect the soil health, crop yield, and the health of the people against the insidious water quality issues in this valuable agricultural area.