Abstract:
Groundwater is one of the primary sources for drinking and irrigation in Bikaner district of Rajasthan, India. However its quality is deteriorating due to population growth, agricultural runoff and urbanization. In this paper, fuzzy inference tool has been used to develop a model for assessing groundwater quality in Dungargarh block of Bikaner district in Rajasthan. Eleven water quality parameters have been considered as important indicators to evaluate water quality status in 15 groundwater wells located in the region. The model predicts status of groundwater quality along with measure of its sustainability. The ranking of the wells corresponding to both drinking and irrigation uses also provides clarity to the decision makers to formulate suitable policies for treatment processes and sustainable planning of groundwater resources in the region.