Groundwater quality assessment using PCA and water quality index (WQI) in a drought-prone area

Rapid agricultural and industrial growth in Uttar Pradesh's Mahoba district, specifically in the Panwari and Kabrai blocks, has triggered an alarming overexploitation of groundwater resources. Consequently, groundwater quality degradation has emerged as a pressing concern, attributed to diverse usage patterns and inadequate management. This study aims to tackle these challenges through a comprehensive approach encompassing multivariate statistical techniques, water quality indexing, hydrogeochemical analysis, geostatistical interpolation, and principal component analysis. The central objective is to comprehensively assess groundwater quality across both blocks. A dataset of 49 groundwater samples, analyzed at the Central Groundwater Board laboratory in Lucknow, forms the foundation of this study. The findings underscore a prevalent issue of poor drinking water quality, with a notable exception of better quality in Panwari's northwestern part. However, the absence of excellent water quality in both blocks is evident from the water quality index. Principal component analysis unveils that the primary factors driving groundwater quality changes are natural and geogenic influences, impacting rock weathering and mineral leaching processes. This impact on groundwater's chemical composition is observable in both blocks. Interestingly, the Kabrai block exhibits a more substantial decline in groundwater quality compared to the Panwari block, underscoring the urgency of interventions to mitigate further deterioration. The study's results offer essential insights into groundwater quality status, facilitating effective water resource management strategies in the studied area. By addressing the pressing issue of declining groundwater quality, this research contributes to sustainable water resource planning and management, thereby fostering the region's overall development.