Assessment of groundwater potential zone for sustainable water resource management in south-western part of Birbhum District, West Bengal

Abstract

AbstractWater is an indispensable natural resource for survival of any species in the globe. For centuries, civilization has flourished on the bank of river based on the easy availability of water. Groundwater is one of the prime sources of freshwater supply, but, its occurrence and spatial distribution are highly uneven and affected by several surface and subsurface features. Development of several geospatial tool based on the remote sensing and GIS in recent time helps immensely for delineation and management of this precious resource. The present study has been undertaken in south-western part of Birbhum district, West Bengal with an objective to delineate groundwater potential zone using multiple criteria decision analysis and GIS. Seven thematic layers concerning with geology, geomorphology, hydrology, land use land cover and edhaphic factor have been employed in this study with proper weightage depending on their role in groundwater formation to identify the groundwater potential zone. By using analytical hierarchy process, whole study area has been classified into four zones ranging from excellent to poor. Primary field data and secondary data about depth of groundwater have been compared with the result to make it authentic. The result shows that the southern part composed of alluvial plain has the excellent potential compared to the northern lateritic and pediment part where groundwater potential is moderate. Eventually, few recommendation and suggestion have been framed for sustainable water resource management that will help the researchers, planners and other decision-makers for judicious exploration and management of the groundwater resource in the study area.