Evaluation of groundwater potential zones in the sub-watersheds of north pennar river basin around Pavagada, Karnataka, India using remote sensing and GIS techniques

Abstract

The study area is one of the watersheds of North Pennar basin, covering an area of 570 km2 in Pavagada taluk of Tumkur district. The watershed has been subdivided into nine sub-watersheds namely Dalavayihalli, Maddalenahalli, Talamaradahalli, Puluvalli tank, Nagalamadike, Gowdatimmanahalli, Naliganahalli, Devadabetta and Byadanur. These nine sub-watersheds have been evaluated to delineate groundwater potential zones based on the characteristics of geomorphic units together with slope, geology, lineaments, borewell data using Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques. Slope varies from nearly level (0–1%) to very steep (>35%). The different geomorphic units in each sub-watershed consist of denudational hills, residual hills, inselbergs, pediment inselberg complex, pediments, shallow weathered pediplains, moderately weathered pediplains and valley fills. The lineament map for each sub-watershed has been prepared and the trends were analysed with rose diagrams. The analysis of borewell locations and their yield data in association with lineaments at subwatersheds level reveals that the lineaments are acting as a pathway for groundwater movement. The integrated map comprising groundwater potential zones prepared by “Union” function using GIS indicate that valley fills and moderately weathered pediplains are very good to good, shallow weathered pediplains are good to moderate, pediment inselberg complex and pediments are moderate to poor and denudational hills, residual hills and inselbergs are poor to very poor groundwater prospect zones.