Abstract:
Pakistan’s irrigation water resources are affected by urbanization. The present study has
been conducted for the sake of providing future water policy base which contributes to
socio-economic development in country. In most developing countries urbanization is a
major trend of 21st century. In recent years, other than urbanization an escalation in
population growth has pressurized water resources of world. The present study was
undertaken to classify irrigation water suitability for irrigation purposes in tehsil
Rawalpindi, Taxila and Gujar khan peri-urban areas of Rawalpindi district. Total 80
water samples were collected through Global positioning System (GPS) to find exact
location of samples from three tehsils of Rawalpindi district. Analysis and categorization
of samples were conducted based on the suitability criteria of water quality evaluation
and Geographic Information System (GIS) are used to record information on to maps.
The determinations were cations like Ca+2 + Mg+2 &Na+ and anions such as CO3-2, HCO3-
2
, Cl-. electrical conductivity (EC). Residual sodium carbonates (RSC) and sodium
adsorption ratio (SAR). Total 26 samples were collected from tehsil Taxila from which 14
samples were suitable, 8 were marginally suitable and 4 were unsuitable. Whereas 32
samples were collected from tehsil Rawalpindi out of 32 samples 8 were fit 16 were unfit
and 8 were marginally fit. While 22 samples were collected from tehsil Gujar Khan from
which 4 samples were fit 8 were marginally fit and 18 were found unfit for irrigation
purpose. It is concluded that available irrigation water quality is unfit for sustainable soil
health and crop production in most of the peri-urban areas.
