Mapping Prospects for Artificial Groundwater Recharge Utilizing Remote Sensing and GIS Methods

Dheeraj Mohan Gururani; Yogendra Kumar; Salwan Ali Abed; Vinod Kumar; Dinesh Kumar Vishwakarma; Nadhir Al-Ansari; Kanwarpreet Singh; Alban Kuriqi; Mohamed A. Mattar

doi:10.3390/w15223904

Water (Nov 2023)

Mapping Prospects for Artificial Groundwater Recharge Utilizing Remote Sensing and GIS Methods

Dheeraj Mohan Gururani,
Yogendra Kumar,
Salwan Ali Abed,
Vinod Kumar,
Dinesh Kumar Vishwakarma,
Nadhir Al-Ansari,
Kanwarpreet Singh,
Alban Kuriqi,
Mohamed A. Mattar

Affiliations

Dheeraj Mohan Gururani: Department of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar 263145, Uttarakhand, India
Yogendra Kumar: Department of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar 263145, Uttarakhand, India
Salwan Ali Abed: College of Science, University of Al-Qadisiyah, Al-Qadisiyah 58002, Iraq
Vinod Kumar: Department of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar 263145, Uttarakhand, India
Dinesh Kumar Vishwakarma: Department of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar 263145, Uttarakhand, India
Nadhir Al-Ansari: Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Lulea University of Technology, 97187 Lulea, Sweden
Kanwarpreet Singh: Civil Engineering Department, Chandigarh University, Mohali 140413, Punjab, India
Alban Kuriqi: CERIS, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisbon, 1649-004 Lisbon, Portugal
Mohamed A. Mattar: Department of Agricultural Engineering, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/w15223904
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 15, no. 22
p. 3904

Abstract

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The indiscriminate use of groundwater and its overexploitation has led to a significant decline in groundwater resources in India, making it essential to identify potential recharge zones for aquifer recharge. A study was conducted to determine such potential recharge zones in the Nandhour-Kailash River watershed. The study area included 1481 streams divided into 12 sub-basins (SWS). The results show that the downstream Saraunj sub-basins (SWS-11) and Odra sub-basins (SWS-12) were high priority and required immediate soil and water conservation attention. Sub catchments Lobchla West (SWS-4), Deotar (SWS-5), Balot South (SWS-8), Nandhour (SWS-9), and Nakoliy (SWS-10) had medium priority and were designated for moderate soil erosion and degradation. In contrast, sub-catchments Aligad (SWS-1), Kundal (SWS-2), Lowarnala North (SWS-3), Bhalseni (SWS-6), and Uparla Gauniyarao (SWS-7) had low priority, indicating a low risk of soil erosion and degradation. Using the existing groundwater level data, the potential map of groundwater was validated to confirm its validity. According to the guidelines provided by the Integrated Mission for Sustainable Development (IMSD), the results of the groundwater potential zones for good to very good zones have been integrated at the slope and stream order. In a 120.94 km2 area with a slope of 0–5% in first-order streams, 36 ponds were proposed, and in a 218.03 km2 area with a slope of 15% in first- to fourth-order streams, 105 retention dams were proposed and recognized as possible sites for artificial groundwater recharge. The proposed water harvesting structure may aid in continuously recharging these zones and benefit water resource managers and planners. Thus, various governmental organizations can use the results to identify possible future recharge areas.

Published in Water

ISSN: 2073-4441 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Technology: Hydraulic engineering; Technology: Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering: Water supply for domestic and industrial purposes
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/water/

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