Aquifer Mapping and Management :

An Approach in Indian Perspective

Dr. R. C. Jain

Formerly Chairman,
Central Ground Water Board and
Central Ground Water Authority Add your
company logo
here on master
slide
Add your company logo and other footers here on master slide
Ground water -the backbone of India’s agriculture and drinking water
security - under tremendous stress
India - The largest consumer of groundwater in the world - estimated
usage 245 bcm per year
GW meets nearly 60 per cent of the demand for irrigation and about
80 per cent of the domestic water demand.

Out of 6607 Blocks in the country 2077 Blocks of the country are
either in Overexploited (1071), Critical (217) Semi-Critical (697) Stage
or are Salinity affected (92) as per the assessment made in Add theyouryear
2011. company logo
here on master
Sustainability of this resource is vital to ensure food and slidedrinking
water security
 However, there is no dedicated programme on groundwater
management in the country today.

Most groundwater-related interventions are currently part of other

programmes like : Integrated Watershed Management Programme
(IWMP), River basin management and other programmes on water
resources and rural development, including the Mahatma Gandhi Rural
Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).

Hence, Groundwater resources are simply perceived as a part of watersheds,Add your

company logo
landscapes, river basins, villages, blocks, districts, states etc, but
here on master
slide
aquifers are seldom considered.
Specific programs such as drinking water and sanitation still seem to be
bound to sources rather than resources.
This approach is restrictive and concludes at understanding groundwater
prospects with a special reference to locating drinking water sources

Even today a good “strike” of groundwater is considered a sound

measure of success, without any reference to the strength and
potential of the aquifers behind
“sources of water supply”.

Hence,It is imperative to design an aquifer mapping

Add your
company logo
programme with a clear-cut groundwater management here on master
slide
purpose.
 Rationale for Aquifer Management
• Aquifers are the repositories for ground water storage – their
dimensions, characteristics, quality, storage etc. need to be
ascertained to manage them
• Ground water has a complex nature of occurrence, recharge,
discharge etc.
• Shift from “ground water development” to ground water
management” .
• What is needed is a standard methodology for aquifer mapping and
management which ingrains the principles and practices Add your of
participatory management . company logo
here on master
slide

5
 Aquifer Mapping & Management Programme
• National Aquifer Mapping and Management Programme
(NAQUIM) commenced from year 2012.
• Four major components
– Mapping of aquifers, resource, quality, recharge potential
– Ground Water Modeling and Management Plan
– Dissemination of Data/information / plan
– Participatory management of the resource
• Out of 23 lakh sq.km mappable area, around 8.89 lakhAdd your
sq.km area is envisaged to be covered in first phasecompany logo
here on master
(2012-17- XII FYP) and remaining during second phaseslide .
 Area for Aquifer Mapping during XII
Plan
(2012-17)

Total OE/Critical
Blocks- 1288
Being covered (1127)
•Priority areas in 8
states- 915
•Other areas- 212

Add your
company logo
here on master
slide
5.25 lakh sq.km
3.64 lakh sq.km
 Approach for Aquifer Mapping Program
• Identification of areas and their • Processing and compilation of thematic
prioritization in consultation with maps on GIS Platform.
State governments. • Assessment of Potentiality of Aquifer
• Status of data availability and • Assessment of ground water resources
compilation. • Identification of aquifer issues such as
• Ground water stressed areas
• Identification of data gaps. • Water quality vulnerable areas
• Generation of data for filling up the • Water logging areas
• Non potential ground water areas
gaps. • Recharge areas
• Geology • Development of ground water
• Hydrogeology
management plans for supply and
• Remote Sensing Add your
• Geophysics demand side management through
company logo
• Exploration aquifer response modelling here
. on master
slide
• Water Quality etc. • Development of Aquifer Information
and Management System(AIMS)
 Process Flow for Aquifer Mapping & Management
Activities

Data Compilation Data Acquisition Development of Development of Aquifer

& Data Gap lithological model & Management
Analysis Preparation of Plan
Aquifer Map

Geology, Hydrogeology
Remote Sensing, Geophysics,
Formulation of strategies
Ground water Exploration ,Water for sustainable GW
Quality etc. management

Data Integration
Add your
Analysis & company logo
Interpretation of data here on master
generated slide
Aquifer Management Plan – Lower Vellar Watershed,Cuddalore district , Tamilnadu
Neyveli
Lignite Mine 4500 GPM
pumping

• First Layer (Sandstone)

1. Sea water intrusion –
Perumal Eri Threat along the coast
.( Aquifer units – I to II)

2. Heavy withdrawal for

Lignite mining (45,000 GPM)
(Aquifer – III)
3. Pumping for irrigation,
Aquifer - I
Industries & Domestic .
(Sandstone) (aquifer I & II)

4. Desilting of Perumal Eri.(will

induce recharge & would have
influence on Aquifer – I)

Aquifer - III 5. Aquifer– IV ( For future

Basement (Sandstone)
drinking use-Chennai)
Sixth layer (Clay)
Aquifer – IV (Sandstone)
 Recommended Strategies
Upper Cuddalore Aquifer Lower Cuddalore Upper Neyveli Middle Neyveli
aquifer Sandstone Sandstone
Management aquifer
Sr. No
Options
(Aquifer unit-I)
(Aquifer Unit-III)
(Aquifer Unit-II)
(Aquifer Unit-IV)
Drinking water
Vulnerability Mining &
Domestic & Irrigation Irrigation & Industrial supply to
Irrigation
Chennai

1 Threat of sea Vulnerable (0-5 Km from Vulnerable (0-5 Km Vulnerable(0-5 Km Vulnerablae (0-
water intrusion coast) from coast) from coast) 5Km from coast)

2 Decline in GW Vulnerable in central portion Entire aquifer NO NO

Level
Change in crop that Change in crop that Periodic Periodic
requires less water than requires less water Monitoring for Monitoring for
paddy and sugarcane than paddy and piezometric piezometric
following a drought year . sugarcane following a level and level and
drought year .Periodic quality along quality along
Management
3 Periodic Monitoring for Monitoring for the coast and the coast.
option water level and quality Piezometric level & around Neyveli
along the coast. quality along the lignite mine
coast.
 ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY FOR AQUIFER MAPPING
Heliborne Geophysical Surveys Automated water level and water quality monitoring

High accuracy survey equipment -DGPS

 Aquifer mapping & managment
Description • A native description of maps
• For the aquifers, stating that the average withdrawals should
Sustainable yield management goal not exceed long-term recharge, at least as a guiding principal

• Inputs for implementing artificial recharge programmes

Artificial recharge programs effectively, indicating plans for implementing artificial
recharge for the aquifers concerned.
• aquifer mapping will lead to a groundwater management
Groundwater Management strategies strategy, which includes appropriate demand-management
strategies in addition to water use and recharge.

• Aquifer mapping will lead to location-specific protocols and

Location specific protocols and Add your
agreements within the user community as well help arrive
agreements company logo
at a robust regulatory framework through legislation .
here on master
slide
Sum up
“Know your Aquifer…Manage your Aquifer…!”

So what is the Essence?

• Demystification of Science of Hydrogeology
• Infusion of a sense of ownership amongst stakeholders
• Effort by Government and community to work in tandem for
sustainable management