Murshidabad District Of West Bengal Research Articles

Assessment of food security by using the core food security model (CFSM) in beedi workers: A case study in Murshidabad district of West Bengal

Assessment of food security by using the core food security model (CFSM) in beedi workers: A case study in Murshidabad district of West Bengal

Higher Secondary School Teachers’ Attitude Towards the Implementation of Sex Education at Higher Secondary Level in Murshidabad District of West Bengal, India

In this study an attempt has been made to study the attitude of the higher secondary school teachers towards the implementation of sex education at higher secondary level in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, India. For this purpose, 380 higher secondary school teachers were randomly selected and attitude towards the implementation of sex education scale administered to them. To study the significance of difference between the various groups, ‘t’ test was applied by the researcher. The overall results indicate that the higher secondary school teachers (both urban and rural) possess highly favourable attitude towards the implementation of sex education. And there is no significance difference in the attitude of higher secondary school teacher towards the implementation of sex education in relation to their gender (i.e. male and female), locality (i.e. rural and urban) and stream (i.e., arts, science and commerce).

Sustainable Economic Impact of Seed Replacement Rate on Production of Mustard Seed: A Case Study on Murshidabad District of West Bengal, India

"Quality Seeds are the critical determinant of different agro-climatic zones for sustainable planning in agricultural production. It is necessary to raise the supply of quality seeds of different crops in sufficient quantity at reasonable prices for farmers at the right time in the state. New seeds are either Certified Seeds (CS) or Hybrid Seeds. A better Seed Replacement Rate (SRR) presents a better application of Certified or Quality Seed or Hybrid Varieties Seeds (HYV). It plays a major role in agriculture to raise the production of crops. In this research paper, we have analysed the impact of Seed Replacement Rate on the production of Mustard Seeds during the period 2022-23 in the Jarur Gram Panchayat (GP) of Block Raghunathganj-I, Murshidabad District, West Bengal. The data have been collected by the stratified random sampling procedure. With the help of collected data, we have formed a Coob-Douglas Type of production function and which is estimated by the Ordinary Least Square Method. From the collected data, it has been observed that the average Seed Replacement Rate is 38.52 percent which is below the state average (53.2%). We have also noticed that 30.43 percent farmers have used farm-saved seeds and only 17.4 percent farmers have used hundred percent new seeds. The estimated result has proved that Seed Replacement Rate is a key determinant to raise both production, productivity and economic benefits. If Seed Replacement increases production also will increase and thereby there would be economic leverage. It has also been found that farm size with Seed Replacement Rate is not a significant factor in increasing the production of Mustard Seeds. Another interesting finding is that seventy percent of farmers have used inorganic fertilizers. They have applied excessive chemical fertilizers which is greater than the government’s prescribed norm. However, from the estimated result we have observed that the Seed Replacement Rate according to different farm sizes with excessive application of fertilizers does not influence both the production and productivity of Mustard Seeds. From an economic standpoint of view, new seeds are better than farm-saved seeds (old seeds) as their gross income increases."

The probable reasons of arsenic susceptibility in a chronically exposed population of West Bengal

Arsenic is potent human carcinogen which affects millions of people across the globe. Arsenic induced pre-cancerous and cancerous skin lesions are hall marks of chronic arsenic toxicity. Even then, only 15%–20% of the population manifest arsenic-induced skin lesions but the rest do not, the reason for which in not very clear. Not only that, conjunctival irritations of the eyes, peripheral neuropathy and respiratory distress are the non-dermatological health effects which are often manifested in them in addition to the cancers of skin and other internal organs. In this work we have considered 233 arsenic exposed individuals with skin lesions and 205 arsenic exposed individuals without skin lesions from the highly arsenic affected Murshidabad district of West Bengal. We have compared arsenic exposure in the two groups through drinking water. Both the study groups have similar levels of arsenic exposure, drinking same arsenic laden water. Results show that higher amounts of arsenic were retained in the nails and hair of the skin lesion group compared to the no skin lesion group. Significant higher amounts of chromosomal aberration and micronucleus formation were found in the skin lesion group, than the no skin lesion group. Incidences of conjunctival irritations of the eyes, peripheral neuropathy and respiratory distress were much higher in the former group compared to the later. We, thus found that one group was more susceptible than the other, even with similar levels of arsenic exposure. We have tried to identify and discuss the probable reasons for this observation with reference to our previous works in the exposed population from West Bengal, India.

Transcriptome Analysis from leaf during non-flowering vegetative growth phase of mango (Mangifera indica L. var Fazli) from Murshidabad district of West Bengal, India.

Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is a major fruit crop in numerous tropical and subtropical countries, facing various problems such as susceptibility to diseases, bi-annual production, low yield and a brief shelf life of the fruit, in cultivation. Traditional breeding methods have limited success in improving the quality of this fruit crop due to prolonged time of maturity, self-incompatibility and high degree of heterozygosity in breeding lines. However, recent studies utilizing genomic analysis have identified key genes responsible for economically important characters, suggesting the possibility of Marker Assisted Selection (MAS) in breeding lines through transgenic or specific genotype selection from seedlings. With the rapid advancements in genome sequencing and bioinformatics, it is now feasible to identify, label, clone, and manipulate numerous genes related to economically important characters. While research on the flowering and fruiting of mango has been extensive, research studies to preliminarily identify the functions of mango genes during the vegetative growth phase is very few. The major findings include few highly active genes viz. WRKY, NAM, MYB, GoGID1 which is channelizing the energy towards vegetative growth and inhibit flowering genes.

Multitemporal Analysis of Land Use/Cover Changes and Landscape Fragmentation in Murshidabad District of West Bengal, India

Rapid population growth, human migration, and commercial activities are changing land use and Land cover at a faster rate. The human being's need and greed to sustain themselves alter the earth's natural environment, and that change affected us. However, poor and unmanageable land conversion led to severe environmental effects. For planning and management purposes, precise information regarding land use and its characteristics is required to ensure the sustainability of the area. The current study uses multi-temporal satellite images to analyze the decadal change from 1991 to 2021. Supervised image classification is performed using the Maximum likelihood classifier. The main goal of this study is to compare post-classification results using change vector analysis and analyze human impact on the environment using FRAGSTAT. Fragstat is a widely used software program designed for analyzing spatial patterns in categorical maps. It is commonly employed in landscape ecology, conservation biology, and land management studies. The primary purpose of Fragstats is to quantify and assess the composition and configuration of patches or landscape elements within a given area. The built-up area increased from 2.57% to 8.41% over the past 30 years, while the agricultural land decreased from 83.51% to 70.05%. It was observed that the density of patches and percentage of landscape reduction over time, the rise in the number of patches for agricultural class from 3570 in 1991 to 10173 in 2021 indicates that spatial diversity is increasing in the class with higher levels of anthropogenic disturbances. Moreover, in landscape-level indices, the number of patch and landscape shape index increases, and a fall in the largest patch index indicate that the landscape is becoming more complicated and fragmented. To achieve the sustainable land-use planning and safeguard natural ecosystems and biodiversity from anthropogenic activities, land-use change maps are utilized as an early warning system.

Impact of Microfinancing on Socio Economic Status and Employment Condition among the Rural Farmers in Murshidabad District of West Bengal, India

Micro-financial institutions are embodiment of hope in the poverty-driven sector of our country. More importantly, the role that this play can be validated by a thorough study undertaken within the rural community who are the beneficiaries of micro-financial institutions. The present research entitled “The Impact of Microfinancing on Agriculture in District Murshidabad of West Bengal” was carried out during the year 2022-23. The object of this research enterprise is to make a specialised study on the workability of the microfinance and SHG in the present socio-economic scenario in the economies of the purposively selected district of West Bengal. 80 farmers were selected randomly from the study area. The paper examines two basic research questions. First, the paper tries to conducts an in-depth profile evaluation based on the demographic parameters of the respondents of the selected study area. Secondly in addition to that the paper tries to attempt a study on how Microfinancing and the credits obtained from them have shaped the life of the respondents in terms of income generation and employment condition and ground reality of the situation. The empirical findings are also followed by a statistical analysis. The study reveals that that microfinance is playing an important role in improving living standard, minimising financial crisis, increasing income and increasing savings and employment opportunities. The economic development of India and the socio-economic upliftment of the rural poor will largely depend on the entrepreneurship, employment and mobilization, utilization and generation of capital by this section of the society.

Adoption of agricultural technology and its recent impact on agricultural development in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, India

Agriculture and allied sector play an important role in the Indian economy. It employs nearly 54.6 per cent of the population and contributes 17.4 per cent of the gross domestic product in India (Census, 2011). Among the various factors, technology is crucial for agricultural development. West Bengal is one of the leading agrarian states in India. According to agricultural census data of West Bengal, the total food grain produced in 2021 is 20.110 tons million. The present study attempts to examine the level of agricultural development in terms of technology in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal. Murshidabad contributes the highest in food production. It also enjoys a favourable climate, suitable soil, and availability of labour. About 76 per cent of the total land area is under cultivation. Eleven variables are considered related to agricultural development and machinery. Data is collected from the Agriculture Department, Murshidabad district, 2015-16, Bureau of Applied Economics and Statistics, Government of West Bengal, 2015-16, District Statistical Handbook, Murshidabad district, 2013-14, and other secondary sources. To draw a relation Z-score, Composite Z-score, and Carl Pearson’s correlation coefficient are calculated. Arc GIS is used for mapping. Based on agricultural development and the use of technology blocks are categorized into high, medium, and low levels. Providing high-yield varieties of seeds, proper irrigation facilities, organic and chemical fertilizers, and other institutional facilities can help the blocks with low and medium levels of agricultural development and minimize food insecurity and unemployment in the district.

Assessing the relative preference of mango varieties through Paired Comparison Method in Murshidabad district of West Bengal

Assessing the relative preference of mango varieties through Paired Comparison Method in Murshidabad district of West Bengal

Age, sex, religion and caste specific goitre prevalence in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, India

Goitre prevalence of selected population in respect of age, sex, religion and caste was evaluated in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal during post salt iodization phase. The study was carried out on 9321 school children in the age group 6-12 years of both sexes from randomly selected 26 representative localities from all 26 Community Development Blocks. Children were clinically examined for goitre. Result showed that the prevalence of goitre was found at endemic level. The overall goitre prevalence was found 22.1%. Besides palpable goiter (2.5%), the prevalence of visible goiter (19.7%) in school children was prevalent. A gradual increase in goitre rate was found from the age of 6 yr till the age of 8 yr followed by a short decline at the age of 9 yr to 12 yr. Goitre was most prevalent in Hindus (23.7%) than Muslim (21.4%) communities. Among the Hindus, general caste (20.8%) students suffered more than Scheduled caste & Scheduled tribe (19.0%). These variations in goitre prevalence among different caste and religions might be due to their different environmental adaptability and dietary habit.

Assessing Groundwater Dynamics and Potentiality in the Lower Ganga Plain, India

The present study intended to assess groundwater storage dynamics (GWS) and identify potential zones using the Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) method and geospatial technology in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal, India. The study district is located in the Ganga–Padma–Bhagirathi rivers’ floodplain and covers approximately a 5324 km2 area, comprising 26 blocks in five sub-divisions. The study portrayed a quantitative investigation of the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon season’s variability of GWS from 2000 to 2020, taking Landsat TM/Landsat 8 OLI/SRTM satellite data. The geo-spatio-temporal analysis of groundwater storage variability for 20 years was carried out by such remotely sensed data with the geospatial method to portray the dynamics and uncover the potential zones of GWS using various cartographic and statistical techniques. We determined nine parameters for the study, and the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) method was employed for the computation. The present estimation and assessment include the MCDM method, covering assorted parameters and the variations and aspects of GWS in the pre- and post-monsoon seasons from 2000 to 2020. The outcome illustrates that a decline in water storage has taken place in most of the blocks of Murshidabad district on average during the study period, which indicates a water stress provison in the near future. However, the micro (block)-level scenario of the spatiotemporal dynamics of GWS and the potential zonation in the Murshidabad District were investigated to form a location-specific micro-level arrangement for the sustainable management of water.

Geochemical appraisal of groundwater arsenic contamination and human health risk assessment in the Gangetic Basin in Murshidabad District of West Bengal, India

Geochemical appraisal of groundwater arsenic contamination and human health risk assessment in the Gangetic Basin in Murshidabad District of West Bengal, India

Diversity and abundance of Macrozoobenthic communities in a Gangetic flood plain wetland of West Bengal, India

Aquatic macrozoobenthic invertebrates are the most important group of organisms which have a crucial ecological role in the flood plain wetland ecosystems. They can indicate the habitat conditions by integrating bottom sediments and overlying water strata. The flood plain wetland locally named as Katiganga beel with an approx area of 33 ha is an open wetland of Murshidabad district of West Bengal was studied for its macrozoobenthic fauna on monthly basis from randomly selected 8 spots of the beel for two years (2019- 2020). The macro zoobenthic population of the beel Katiganga was recorded which comprised of maximum 46 no. of taxa throughout the investigation period. These taxa have been classified and grouped into Annelids (10 taxa), Molluscs (24 taxa), Insects (10 taxa) and Crustaceans (2 taxa). Molluscan population was found to be maximum in both the years of study contributing about 58-59% of the total macrozoobenthic fauna followed by Annelids (21%)> Insects (17-19%) and Crustaceans (2-3%). The Shannon (H) indices were highest for Molluscs (2.764-3.138) followed by Insects (2.0-2.286), Annelids (1.724-2.277) and Crustaceans (0.4101-1.0). Higher values of Margalef Richness Index (d) in the study (2.246-4.58) for Annelids, Insects and Molluscs represented the suitability of habitat for these organisms and indicated the presence of longer food chain and complex food web in the ecosystem involving these organisms in their stable community. The flow modification due to poor connectivity with the river Ganges, water depth, pollution received from adjoining catchment area can influence the composition, abundance, and diversity of macrozoobenthos.

Pollution index and health risk assessment of arsenic through different groundwater sources and its load on soil-paddy-rice system in a part of Murshidabad district of West Bengal, India

The present study investigates the As-contamination scenario in groundwater and treated drinking water sources from all the 9 gram panchayats under Raninagar-II block, Murshidabad. Approximately 54.6 % of groundwater samples from the domestic and community tube-wells (n = 366) are with As concentration above the permissible limit in drinking water (10 μg/l); while 37.3 % of groundwater samples from agricultural tube-wells (n = 67) are As-contaminated above its recommended value in irrigational water (100 μg/l). Malibari-II is the worst affected gram panchayat with mean As concentration of 141 μg/l (range: <3–995 μg/l; n = 67) in domestic tube-wells and 294 μg/l (range: 69.7–990 μg/l; n = 16) in irrigational water. Arsenic–Iron pollution index assessment and ecological risk analysis state that the groundwater of the study area is sternly polluted. About 12.5 tonnes of As is withdrawn every year through irrigational water in the entire block. Bio-accumulation of As in rice grain (1.78) and paddy whole grain (2.67) shows the potential of hyper-accumulation. The concentrations of two essential micro-nutrients in groundwater (Selenium and Zinc) are low (mean: 0.57 and 84.5 μg/l, respectively) which encourages the poor health of the local inhabitants. The populations can be expected to suffer from serious cancer and non-cancer risk through contaminated drinking water where the studied adult males face higher risk than the females. The R.O. and Sajaldhara water treatment plants show 77.6 and 74.4 % of As removal efficiency; however, dug wells are the safest drinking water source among all the available sources with a natural Fe/As ratio of 66.1 and account for lowest health risk according to SAMOE.

Labour out-migration and Covid-19 Pandemic in India: A case study of Murshidabad district of West Bengal

This article outlines the patterns of internal migration from Murshidabad district of West Bengal during the Covid-19 Pandemic. We found that seasonal/temporary male migration from the study area has been evolving continuously over time. More than half of the total migrants move within the state boundaries. The inter-state migrants are often destined to economically better off states than the study area. We have shown that landlessness, lack of jobs, low wages, decaying of traditional craftsmanship and household pressure are among the factors leading young males to migrate. These moves are motivated by jobs and income, and movers often shift from agricultural work to building and construction and petty businesses. Migrants and their families are almost exclusively dependent on domestic remittances to meet the household expenditures, repay loans and meet children’s educational expenses. Social networks, especially friends and relatives, are crucial in facilitating the migration process. Covid-19 Pandemic raised essential questions about the future of these vulnerable sections of the population as migration became difficult and remittances dropped significantly.

Revamping heritage brand: a case of Murshidabad, West Bengal, India

In the recent past, city and state branding became essential to the respective state officials in different parts of the world. However, in the unorganized tourism market of India, the primary challenge is to create brand differentiation. Heritage tourism is one of the important models of India's tourism industry, and Murshidabad brand is positioned as a heritage brand as the place is famous for its history for years. Murshidabad district of West Bengal, India, was famous for its heritage sites and culture of Nawabs of Bengal. In pre-independence time, Murshidabad, during the era of Nawabs of Bengal, was the most critical place of economic activities of the state. The case study dealt with the branding initiatives of the state of West Bengal to make Murshidabad a heritage brand in the tourism market. It touched on the difficulties faced by the Government to maintain sustainable brand-building initiatives and maintaining the same for long-run success. The study explained the underlying issues confronted by the place and the brand and how they were addressed. The current study's focus is to explain place branding strategies that marketers may adopt to create heritage brands in the tourism market. Besides, it touches on the difficulties faced by the Government to maintain sustainable brand-building initiatives and maintaining the same for long-run success.

Eugenol Found by GC-MS Analysis of The Methanolic Extract of The Fruit Pulp of Indigenous Mango (Mangifera indica L.) Variety, Champa from Murshidabad District of West Bengal, India

Indigenous mango (Mangifera indica L.) varieties have unique aroma, taste, flavour, texture and size. The interactions among volatile compounds and with sugars and acids have a role in the distinct mango flavor. Murshidabad district of West Bengal has several indigenous mango varieties that have unique attributes like taste and aroma. The indigenous Champa mango variety of Murshidabad district has a distinct aroma very similar to that of the champaka flower (Michelia champaca L.). The present investigation was to determine if there was any phyto-chemical which could be responsible for the distinct and unique aroma present in the mango variety Champa. Eugenol, a phytogenic bioactive component frequently found in diversified herbal plants was found by GC-MS analysis of the methanolic extract of the fruit pulp of indigenous mango variety, Champa.

Women education and gender disparity in Murshidabad district of West Bengal

Education is a crucial social factor that helps in development by expending knowledge, thought, ability and skill. However, in our patriarchal society, the educational status of women is far behind than men. The present study is an attempt to analyses the educational status of women and male-female disparity in education in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal using the secondary data from the Census of India and the district statistical handbook and male-female disparity in literacy is calculated based on Sopher’s Disparity Index method. The result of the study indicates that the Murshidabad district is backward compared to other districts in West Bengal. The present female-literacy rate of the district is 67.53%, which is below the state average (77%) and the overall district rank is 16th in 2011 out of 19 districts. Still, the female literacy rate of the district is increased by 13.18% over the past decade. The study reveals that there is an uneven distribution of block-level female literacy rate in Murshidabad district in both the Census year 2001 and 2011, as well as it is also noticed that female literacy rate is very high in middle and southern blocks such as Berhampore, Hariharpara and Beldanga I and very low in the northern blocks namely Farakka, Suti I, Suti II and Samserganj block. The male-female disparity in literacy is very high in western blocks like Kandi (0.147), Nabagram (0.141), Khargram (0.140) and Burwan (.0136) and very low in the eastern blocks viz. Bhagwangola II (.039), Domkal (.052). However, the overall district-level female literacy rate is gradually increasing and gender disparity in education is decreasing, the Government should take appropriate measures to accelerate women education and eradicate male-female inequality in education.

Clinical Manifestation and Complications of Scrub Typhus Cases: A Hospital-based Observational Study from Rural Part of West Bengal

International Journal of Medicine and Public Heal,2020,10,4,180-183.DOI:10.5530/ijmedph.2020.4.39Published:November 2020Type:Original ArticleClinical Manifestation and Complications of Scrub Typhus Cases: A Hospital-based Observational Study from Rural Part of West BengalKalyan Sarkar, Amitava Acharyya, Susmita Ghosh, Manas Ghosh, Ambarish Bhattacharya, and Kaushik Ghosh Kalyan Sarkar1, Amitava Acharyya2, Susmita Ghosh3, Manas Ghosh1, Ambarish Bhattacharya4, Kaushik Ghosh1,* 1Department of Medicine, Murshidabad Medical College, Berhampore, Murshidabad, West Bengal, INDIA. 2Central Sector Scheme of Grant-in-Aid for Promotion of Ayush Intervention in PHI-Ministry of AYUSH (Govt of India), New Delhi, INDIA. 3Department of Anaesthesiology, Murshidabad Medical College, Berhampore, Murshidabad, West Bengal, INDIA. 4Department of Medicine and Critical Care Nightingle and Monmohini Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, INDIA. Abstract:Introduction: Scrub typhus is very common re-emerging Rickettsia infection in India and many other South East Asian countries. The unplanned urbanization, deforestation and easy transportation leads to changes of place of occurrence of scrub typhus from hilly and forest terrains to plan land with different clinical manifestation. Aim: This study was conducted to identify the regional characteristic of clinical sign, symptom and treatment outcome of scrub typhus patients admitted in a tertiary level hospital of Murshidabad district of West Bengal. Methods: An observational cross sectional study was conducted among 82 hospitalized scrub typhus patients during September, 2019 to March, 2020. Patients were selected by purposive sampling procedure. Data were analyzed in descriptive statistic. Results: All study participants presented with acute febrile illness with other symptoms like headache, cough, dyspnea, nausea, generalized weakness, abdominal pain and myalgia. On examination, patients had hepatosplenomegaly (21%), lymphadenopathy (7%), pedal edema (14%), Icterus (12%) and eschar (4%). On investigation, elevated ALT (37%), elevated AST (36%), Low platelet count (25%), low Hb% (52%), elevated WBC count (37%) levels were the most common findings. Interestingly few patients diagnosed with co-morbid infections eg: enteric fever (12%), Urinary tract infection (12%), respiratory tract infection (27%), dengue fever (5%) and malaria (2%). Low mortality rate (4%) was observed due to tertiary level health care services and increased awareness among local medical fraternities on scrub typhus apart from lower virulence or indigenous resistance as host or environment factor. Conclusion: Scrub typhus is an important zoonotic disease of variable presentation with low fatality if diagnosed and treated early. It is necessary to include scrub typhus serology test as routine blood test for all acute febrile illness patients for this area. Keywords:Complications, Murshidabad, observational study, Scrub typhusView:PDF (311.91 KB)

Analysis of spatio-temporal trend in groundwater elevation data from arsenic affected alluvial aquifers – Case study from Murshidabad district, West Bengal, Eastern India

Fluctuation in groundwater level is a time-dependent stochastic process. It is also a function of various inflow and outflow components to and from the hydrologic system concerned. Depth to water level data are measured through a network of observation wells or hydrograph stations to ascertain the degree of fluctuation in groundwater level at the desired scale, on a long-term basis. Basically, these depths to water level data are point measurements, which can be regarded as random variables furnishing changes in groundwater storage over time. The intrinsic in-homogeneity in aquifer materials introduces variations like jumps, trends, and periodicities in such hydrologic time series data. Thus, trending results from certain gradual, natural and/or anthropogenic interventions in the hydrologic environment and analyses of their trends are imperative for assessment of groundwater level scenario in the area of interest. This in turn, is essential for strategic planning and management for exploitation of the precious groundwater resource in the same area. The area of interest in this article, i.e., Murshidabad is one of the nine arsenic affected districts of West Bengal. Here, contamination persist within, shallow, arseniferous, alluvial aquifers, which are otherwise widely exploited for irrigation purposes. According to many researchers working in this area, over-exploitation of groundwater is the root cause for the plummeting water level and the widespread arsenic contamination as well. The present study intends to detect and analyze the trends persisting in the depth to water level data measured over a period from 1996 to 2016, in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, India, amidst its complex and contrasting hydrogeologic set-up and interpret the results in terms of the hydrologic attributes of the Bengal basin as a whole. The non-parametric Mann–Kendall test and the Sen’s slope estimator have been used to identify the linear trend persisting in the time series pre- and post-monsoon groundwater elevation values. The analysis indicates statistically significant decline in water level across the study area especially during the post-monsoon season. This can be attributed to the recharge–discharge disparity within the hydrologic regime; brought through intense pumping over the study area. Its ill effect being particularly observed in the western part of river Bhagirathi. Findings of such study are crucial for assessment of dynamic groundwater resources of the district and subsequently can be utilized as a decision support tool for groundwater management at micro-level.