Synopsis

The quality of irrigation water directly influences the quality of the soil and the crops grown on
this soil. In this project an attempt has been made to Index the quality of water and soil within a
particular area with the application of advanced technologies such as GIS and GPS. These types
of projects can be helpful for the farmers for the better utilization of available water and soil for
cultivation and correct application of fertilizers to maximize the yield of a crop grown in these
areas.
Geographic Information System (GIS) is a System of computer software, hardware, data and
personnel to help manipulate, analyze and present information that is tied to a spatial locations.
MapInfo Professional is the powerful tool for desktop mapping that lets us perform sophisticated
and detailed data analysis to increase revenue, lowering the costs, boosting the efficiency and
improvement of service with location-based intelligence
Water is a universal solvent. Hence most of the compounds get dissolved in it. This changes the
physical and chemical properties of the water. The higher concentration of any chemical
parameters such as pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) etc.,
changes the quality of irrigation water which in turn affects the yield of crops grown with these
water and also alters the properties of top layer soil.
In the context of agriculture, soil quality is the capacity of soil in a better biomass production to
achieve higher crop productivity, better fertilizer response rate and a stabilized better crop
production.
The case study considered here is Vrishabhavathi Valley. This valley, receives water from Southwestern end of Bangalore city. While the original river has dried up, at present, it is carrying
industrial effluents and sewage water from about hundred small-scale industries of various kinds.
The water sample and soil samples are collected from either side of the banks of Vrishabavathi
valley. These are tested in laboratories for their physical and chemical properties which are
necessary for knowing water quality for irrigation and soil quality for agriculture purposes.
The water analysis results are then compared with the guidelines provided by Ayers & Westcot
for irrigation water quality. The soil analysis results are then compared with the guidelines

provided by Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) and Michael C.Amacher. Later
these results are incorporated with GIS software namely MapInfo. Data representing the
properties of water and soil are processed using MapInfo so that they can be presented later in a
simplified form to suite specific needs.
From the analyzed data of water and soil indexing parameter namely, Water Quality Index (WQI)
and Soil Quality Index (SQI) which incorporates all the analyzed parameters of water and soil
has been calculated.
The Water Quality Index ranges from 15 to 45 for the weighted parameters chosen. In the study
area, most of the samples fall within high suitability (Index 37-45) numbering 93 out of 122
samples.
The Soil Quality Index ranges from 5 to 15 for the parameters chosen. In the study area, most of
the samples fall within medium suitability (Index 7-12) numbering 65 out of 115 samples.
For a better understanding WQI and SQI is also expressed in percentage. Also WQI and SQI
have been combined to get a Composite index for the sampled location. Composite Index ranges
from 10 to 30. In the study area, most of the samples fall within high suitability (Index 24.5-30)
numbering 54 out of 93 samples.
By the evaluation of WQI, SQI and Composite Index of water and soil helps the famers to decide
the type of crop to be grown on the type and amount of fertilizers to be added to their field to
grow a particular crop for the better yield. It is also possible for a comprehensive development of
area by the decision making bodies.