Description : Major ions showed high concentrations, ionic strength and chemical activity in the surface waters of Govind Ballabh Pant Sagar reservoir. Various geochemical ratios showed the dominance of silicate over carbonate weathering and major ions such as Na+ + K+ account for about 52 % of the cation budget. The high Na+ and K+ showed sedimentation of rock/coal particles consisting of highly weathered silicate minerals contributed by the discharge of mine water, fly ash mixing during transportation, etc. Further, Ca2+ + Mg2+/Na+ + K+ ratio was<1 (0.92) indicating the occurrence of silicate weathering in the reservoir catchment. The comparative assessment showed that the proportion of Ca2+ + Mg2+/Na+ + K+ tends to be lower along the coal mining belts compared to non-coal mining regions in the world. The Ca2+/SO4 2- ratio <1 revealed not only H2CO3 but H2SO4 also acting as a source of protons for rock weathering. The cause underlying these differences can be related directly to geological substrate and anthropogenic activities.
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