GROUNDWATER QUALITY EVALUATION IN TAMIL NADU USING CRITIC METHOD IN MADM

Groundwater is a vital resource for domestic, agricultural, and industrial use in Tamil Nadu, where surface water availability is limited and rainfall is highly variable. Assessing groundwater quality is essential for sustainable management and safe utilization. This study evaluates the groundwater quality of selected districts in Tamil Nadu using the CRITIC (Criteria Importance through Intercriteria Correlation) method within the Multi-Attribute Decision-Making (MADM) framework. Key physicochemical parameters such as pH, chloride, nitrate, and fluoride were analyzed. The CRITIC method was applied to objectively determine the weights of these parameters based on their contrast intensity and inter-criteria correlation, eliminating subjective bias. Groundwater quality indices were then computed to rank sampling locations according to their suitability for drinking and irrigation purposes. The results reveal spatial variations in groundwater quality, highlighting regions with higher contamination risks due to anthropogenic activities and geogenic factors. The integrated CRITIC-MADM approach proves to be an effective and robust decision-support tool for groundwater quality assessment and regional water resource planning in Tamil Nadu.