Shallow aquifers of east coast in Ramanathapuram district, Tamil Nadu, India – An assessment using multivariate statistical analysis

Abstract

Thirty seven stations have been identified and the water samples were collected from May to June 2013, to know the groundwater quality of the East Coast of Ramanathapuram District using Water Quality Index (WQI) and Factor Analysis (FA). Samples were analyzed for the physico-chemical parameters viz., pH, Electrical Conductivity, Total dissolved solids, Total Hardness, Calcium Hardness, Magnesium Hardness, Alkalinity, Chloride and Salinity. The Water Quality Index decides the potability of groundwater in the present study area. Sea water intrusion has also been assessed using various parameters. For the statistical studies, values of mean, standard deviations and correlation coefficient were calculated to determine the relationship between the variables.