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Mapping and management of aquifers suffering from over-exploitation of groundwater resources in Baswa-Bandikui watershed, Rajasthan, India

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Abstract

Dwindling of groundwater resources in northern India for the past few decades is one of the serious concerns. Groundwater resources in the Baswa-Bandikui watershed located in the state of Rajasthan in northwest India are ‘overexploited,’ and the groundwater level in the area is gradually depleting. In order to find a solution to this serious problem, micro-level aquifer mapping was carried out in the area. The study involved the application of advanced geophysical techniques like airborne electromagnetic, electrical resistivity tomography, vertical electrical sounding and VES coupled with conventional hydrogeological investigations such as water well drilling, aquifer performance tests, etc. The area is characterized by alluvium underlain by hard rock aquifer. Both aquifer types are in hydraulic continuity at places. Numerical modeling studies reveal that, within the next 10 years, a considerable portion of the productive upper alluvium aquifer will go dry if groundwater extraction continues at the present rate. Mathematical simulation studies were further extended to test the efficacy of the hypothetical groundwater management plans proposed for the study area. The studies indicate that the situation is so critical that it would require simultaneous implementation of four management interventions, viz., regulation of groundwater extraction, artificial recharge to groundwater, on-farm irrigation management practices and water conservation practices such as recycle and reuse of water to control further depletion of the water table.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are highly indebted to the Chairman, Central Ground Water Board, Member, Central Ground Water Board, Senior Scientists of Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation for the opportunity to work in the Pilot Aquifer Mapping Project. We, particularly the third and last authors, thank the Director, CSIR-NGRI for his continuous support and guidance throughout the pilot project and necessary permission to publish the work. The integrated geophysical investigations for high-resolution aquifer mapping were done by CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute (CSIR-NGRI), which carried out airborne geophysical surveys in collaboration with Aarhus University, Denmark. The authors are grateful to the World Bank for financing this project and to the World Bank Consultants for their technical guidance. The authors are very much indebted to the anonymous reviewers, whose suggestions have vastly refined the paper and brought it to its present shape. All fellow scientists of Central Ground Water Board, Jaipur Office and Central Head Quarters at New Delhi and Faridabad and scientists of CSIR-NGRI, Hyderabad who directly or indirectly contributed to the process are duly acknowledged for their support and encouragement.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Central Ground Water Board, New Delhi, India

    Rana Chatterjee

  2. Central Ground Water Board, Ahmedabad, India

    A. K. Jain

  3. CSIR-National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad, India

    Subhas Chandra & Shakeel Ahmed

  4. Central Ground Water Board, Dehradun, India

    Vikas Tomar

  5. Central Ground Water Board, Nagpur, India

    P. K. Parchure

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  1. Rana Chatterjee
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  2. A. K. Jain
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  3. Subhas Chandra
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  6. Shakeel Ahmed
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Correspondence to Rana Chatterjee.

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Chatterjee, R., Jain, A.K., Chandra, S. et al. Mapping and management of aquifers suffering from over-exploitation of groundwater resources in Baswa-Bandikui watershed, Rajasthan, India. Environ Earth Sci 77, 157 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-018-7257-1

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