Delineation of groundwater potential zones and recommendation of artificial recharge structures for augmentation of groundwater resources in Vattamalaikarai Basin, South India

Abstract

Nowadays, GIS and remote sensing techniques are effectively used to find groundwater prospect zones in various troublesome landscapes throughout the world. In the present work, groundwater potential zonation mapping was carried out for the Vattamalaikarai River basin in South India by overlaying ten thematic maps such as soil, drainage density, lineament density, geology, slope, land use/land cover, geomorphology, topographic position index, rainfall and groundwater level by giving appropriate weightages to each significant parameter with respect to its influence on groundwater. As the basin mainly depends on the groundwater resources, it is necessary to assess the groundwater prospect for the better management of aquifer system. Groundwater potential zonation map illustrates that more than 50% of the basin region falls under moderate to low groundwater potential category. Highly influential thematic layers were integrated to generate groundwater recharge zonation map. Based on this output, artificial recharge sites were selected to replenish the groundwater resources in the basin. Three check dam sites were suggested across the third- and fourth-order streams. Four suitable sites for the construction of percolation ponds and ten locations for the construction of recharge pits were also identified. Four injection well sites were recommended to augment groundwater in the aquifer present under the black cotton soil regions in the western part of the basin.