Potential Groundwater Accumulations Assessment in Drought Prone Area using Remote Sensing and GIS Technology

Abstract

Water plays a crucial role in the socio-economic development of India. Safe drinking water is required for the very large and growing population. Water has also become a major factor for the growth of the agricultural and industrial sectors. In the present study, the application of remote sensing and GIS techniques is applied for delineation of potential groundwater zone. The failure of monsoon and extensive groundwater usage lead to frequently drought condition. This has been visually observed during the field visit most of the dry wells extended to the depth of more than 50 m depth which is in unusual conditions in hard rock terrain. Similarly bore wells are using for extraction of groundwater with an average depth of 150 m (bgl). The study area annual average rainfall is 628 mm. In the present study the potential groundwater zones were demarcated through analysis of hydrogeology, geomorphology and lineaments with the help of IRS P6 LISS III satellite data and field investigation. The thematic maps like geology, geomorphology, lineament density, drainage density, land use and land cover and soil were reclassified and integrated for generation of groundwater potential map through GIS technique. Reclassification of thematic maps, ranking and weights assignment and were done through subjective and field experience. The final result is obtained through GIS overlay analysis. The groundwater condition in the major formations such as hornblende biotite gneiss, charnockite in the study area is controlled by secondary porosities like joints and fractures. The lineaments and associated fractures and buried pediments are important zones for potential groundwater accumulations and suitable for groundwater development for agriculture.