Critical Watershed Prioritization through Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Techniques and Geographical Information System Integration for Watershed Management

Abstract

The Precambrian hard rock topography of the Manbhum-Singhbhum plateau, which is well known for its semi-arid climates prone to drought, is often seen in Purulia district in West Bengal, India. Despite the district’s middling groundwater capacity, 17 out of 20 blocks have exorbitant fluoride pollution in the groundwater that negatively impacts the health of local residents. Approximately 13% of the whole area suffers from severe erosion. It is evident that the river Kangsabati and its tributaries are not well fed by rainwater and thereby there is always a dearth of ground water. The aim of this study was to identify and prioritize integral watersheds in the Purulia area using Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The evaluation was carried out in the Bandu sub-watershed, which contains five micro watersheds: 2A2B5m, 2A2B5k, 2A2B5h, 2A2B5b, and 2A2B5j. The analysis considered five major factors: lithological properties, land use and land cover, soil erosion, groundwater recharge, and hydrogeomorphology. The weights of these criteria were determined by the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) model, which was then prioritized using the Techniques for Order of Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) technique. This study emphasized an integrated approach to assess watershed hazards and to establish rational conservation goals. The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) of India report was referred during data analysis. As a result of this study, the 2A2B5k watershed emerged as the most critical due to its susceptibility across the analyzed parameters. This thorough plan demonstrated the usefulness of identifying watershed threads and prioritizing conservation efforts.