Status of Heavy Metals in Irrigation Water in the Central Narmada Valley Zone of Madhya Pradesh, India

Water quality deteriorating due to the growing global population. In the present study, a total of 104 water samples were collected from Central Narmada Valley zone Madhya Pradesh and analyzed using ICP- MS/MS in the laboratory the results showed that the mean concentrations of 3.49 μgL-1, 4.203 μgL-1,40.43 mgL-1, 0.24 μgL-1, 10.42 μgL-1, 0.58 μgL-1, 4.81 μgL-1, 0.344 μgL-1,0.019 μgL-1, 1.58 μgL-1, and 1.97 μgL-1, of Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe, Cr, Co, Ni, Cd , Hg , Pb and As respectively. The concentrations of these metals varied across the districts, with substantial fluctuations indicated by high coefficients of variation (CV%). The Cu and Zn showed high CV%, in Narsinghpur (120.51%) and Narmadapuram (164.51%), suggesting irregular distribution. Mn status showed considerable variation, with extreme values in Narmadapuram, while Fe concentrations were relatively low, Although the concentrations of Fe, Cr and as occasionally exceeded lower thresholds, all metals remained within the permissible limits set by the WHO. The highest CV% was observed for Hg in Harda, indicating considerable variability in status. The results revealed that the western areas appear to have higher contamination levels than eastern part. Overall, the findings, continuous monitoring is recommended to ensure the safety of irrigation water.