Hydro-chemical assessment and groundwater recharge mechanism in the humid tropics: a case study

The study related to assessment of various chemical constituents in the groundwater, their origin and suitability for human use has been carried out in the Chaliyar river basin of Kerala (India). Groundwater samples were collected from 27 open dug wells and 7 bore wells, and analyzed. Piper tri-linear classification was followed in segregating the data with respect to source of dissolved constituents in groundwater. Most of the wells fall within the no dominant ion zone in the piper diagram, indicating the equal distribution of alkalis and alkaline earths. High level of dissolved solids, with the presence of chloride and sulphate, was observed in a few wells in the coastal region, which may be due to the salinity intrusion from the sea. The groundwater quality was found fairly good and potable in the lateritic midland region, except for a few wells, which were having significant level of nitrate and/or chloride. An attempt has been made to understand the source of groundwater recharge in the basin using environmental tritium as a tracer. It has been observed that the groundwater is predominantly recharged through rainfall, as evidenced from the level of tritium close to that of local precipitation.