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Mapping Groundwater Potential Zones in Meja Block, Allahabad District Using

Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques

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DOI: 10.18782/2320-7051.6898

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Tiwari et al Int. J. Pure App. Biosci. 6 (5): 573-583 (2018) ISSN: 2320 – 7051
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18782/2320-7051.6898 ISSN: 2320 – 7051
Int. J. Pure App. Biosci. 6 (5): 573-583 (2018)
Research Article

Mapping Groundwater Potential Zones in Meja Block,

Allahabad District Using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques
Vivek Tiwari1*, Sarika Suman1, H. K. Pandey2, and Deepak Lal3
1
Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
2
Department of Civil Engineering, MNNIT Allahabad
3
Shepherd Institute of Engineering, SHUATS, Allahabad
*Corresponding Author E-mail: [email protected]
Received: 21.08.2018 | Revised: 19.09.2018 | Accepted: 26.09.2018

ABSTRACT
Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) has become one of the leading
tool for managing water resources. It allows manipulation and analysis of individual thematic
layer of spatial data. It is used for analyzing and modelling the interrelationship between the
layers. This article mainly deals with the integrated approach of RS and GIS techniques to
delineate groundwater potential zones in a sedimentary area of Meja block of Allahabad District.
The satellite image (LANDSAT-VIII, February 2016) and DEM have been used for the
preparation of groundwater prospective map by integrating drainage-density, landuse,
geomorphology, and groundwater level contour maps. The results revealed that about 32.21% of
the area have excellent groundwater potential, 25.62% as good groundwater potential zone,
20.41% have moderate groundwater potential, 12.92% area comes under poor potential zone
and only 8.85% area have very poor groundwater potential. Assessment of the groundwater
potential map showed that the distribution is more or less a reflection of drainage density,
geomorphology, depth to water level contours, land use maps and in addition is well correlated
with the bore well yield data. The groundwater prospective map could be helpful in better
planning and management of groundwater resources especially in the hard rock area.
Key words: Remote Sensing, GIS, Groundwater prospect map, Sedimentary area, Allahabad
district, India.

INTRODUCTION delineation of groundwater potential zones

In recent times, Remote Sensing (RS) and Krishnamurthy et al.3 demonstrated the
Geographic Information System (GIS) are capabilities of RS and GIS techniques for
proving to be a cost-effective technique in the groundwater resource development in hard
identification of groundwater potential zones1. rock terrains, specifically for the demarcation
Javed and Hussain1 and Narendra et al.2 have of suitable sites for artificial recharge of
used remote sensing and GIS techniques for groundwater aquifers.

Cite this article: Tiwari, V., Suman, S., Pandey, H.K. and Lal, D., Mapping Groundwater Potential Zones
in Meja Block, Allahabad District Using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques, Int. J. Pure App. Biosci.
6(5): 573-583 (2018). doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.18782/2320-7051.6898

Copyright © Sept.-Oct., 2018; IJPAB 573

Tiwari et al Int. J. Pure App. Biosci. 6 (5): 573-583 (2018) ISSN: 2320 – 7051
The occurrence and movement of groundwater toposheet no. 63 G/16. Total study area is
in an area is governed by several factors such around 62.84 km2 (Fig. 1) and it is
as topography, geological structures, drainage characterized by Active Flood Plains, Older
pattern, landuse, climatic conditions and Alluvial Plain and Rocky Surface
interrelation of satellite data in conjunction (Denudational hills). The active flood plain is
with sufficient ground truth information makes quite localized and confined only to the river
it possible to identify and outline various system, whereas the older alluvial plain is
features such as geological structure, characterized by depositional and erosional
geomorphic features and their hydraulic terraces found in patches along the active
characters, that may serve as direct or indirect plain. The denudational hills found prominent
indicators of the presence of in trans Yamuna area formed mainly of
groundwater4.Remote Sensing and GIS tool quartzite10.
produces valuable data on geomorphology, 1.2 GEOLOGY AND HYDROGEOLOGY
geology, landuse and land cover, slope, Rocks exposed in the area belong to
lineament density, drainage density, etc. which Dhandraul Formation of Kaimur group of
helps to decipher groundwater recharge Vindhyan Super group comprising medium to
potential zones5. A set of weights for the coarse grained, white to greyish and white
different themes and their individual features sandstone in the study area. The rock exhibits
were decided based on personal judgments sedimentary structure like ripple marks and
considering their relative importance from the cross bedding. The rocks were moderately
artificial recharge viewpoint6. Remote sensing jointed (Fig. 2). The deposition of horizontal
and GIS has been widely used for the and vertical joints has given the blocky nature
preparation of different types of thematic to the rock. Also, the area exposes quaternary
layers and integrating them for different sediments represented by Banda Alluvium
purposes7. It has been increasingly used for (Older Alluvium). The area is covered with
recharge estimation, draft estimation, mapping thick overburden comprising yellowish brown
of prospective zones, identification of over variegated silty clay with ubiquitous kankar
exploited and undeveloped areas and and coarse to fine sand and reddish-brown silt.
prioritization of areas for recharge structures8. Available drill hole data revealed that the
This groundwater potential zone map is useful thickness of overburden varies from 3.00 to
for future irrigation planning and for framing 34.25 m,bgl in the study area and in Kohrar
sustainable groundwater development plans9. (21.30 m), Salaiya Khurd (1.65 m)11.
In the present study an attempt has been made Groundwater occurs in alluvium and in the
for mapping groundwater prospective zone weathered and joint sandstones in areas which
using RS and GIS Techniques. The study was are underlain by the hard rocks. Two broad
conducted in a selected area in the Meja block hydrogeological units, namely, unconsolidated
of Allahabad District, Uttar Pradesh state (Alluvium) and consolidated (hard rock) are
(India). the major components. The Alluvial
1.1 ABOUT THE STUDY AREA formations occur in the Trans-Ganga and Doab
The Study area is a part of Meja Block, region. Occurrence of consolidated formations
Allahabad District, Uttar Pradesh, India and is is restricted primarily to Trans Yamuna tract.
confined between the latitudes 25° 06' 45'' to In the study area, the thickness of alluvium is
25° 11' 33''N and longitudes 81° 52' 30'' to 82° more than 300 m with the discharge rates of
00' 00''E and fallen under the Survey of India 2000-3000 lpm12.

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I N D E X M A P

Fig. 1: Location map of the study area along with drainage system

Fig. 2: Blocky nature of rock due to disposition of horizontal and vertical joint sets

MATERIAL AND METHOD groundwater occurrence. The weights were

With the help of Toposheets, DEM, Satellite assigned to drainage density, landuse,
Imagery and Geospatial tools the extraction of geomorphology and groundwater level
various hydrogeological thematic layers have contours as 25, 20, 35 and 20, respectively, on
been carried out. The four thematic layers viz., the basis of literature reviewed8 and5. as well
Drainage density, Landuse, Geomorphology as suitability factors responsible for
and Groundwater level contours were groundwater recharge. Further ranks were
considered in the mapping of groundwater assigned in decreasing order to the individual
potential zones for the study area. The inter- feature class within the thematic layers
relationships between these influencing factors according to their contribution and potential to
were weighted according to their response for groundwater and its recharge8 and6. Index
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values were used to reclassify the thematic preparation of groundwater prospective map
layer which can be calculated as, which is shown in Fig. 3.
Index = Rank * Weight ..................................................................................
2.1 DATA USED (1)
A factor with a higher weight value shows 1. LANDSAT-VIII digital data (February
larger impact and a factor with a lower weight 2016)
value shows a smaller impact on groundwater 2. Digital Elevation Model (DEM)
potential. Finally, the computed index values 3. Meteorological data
which is the product of weightage and ranking 4. Survey of India (SOI) Toposheet No. 63
is been used for quick assessment of G/16 and published geomorphological
groundwater potential zones8 and4. Thematic and geological map, Groundwater level
layers formed and assigned weights for data.

Fig. 3: Schematic flowchart for groundwater potential zone mapping

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RESULTS AND DISCUSSION means a poorly drained basin with a slow
3.1 DRAINAGE DENSITY hydrologic response13. Low drainage density
Drainage density is defined as the length of value is more favorable for high groundwater
drainage per unit area. It was prepared in Arc potential and assigned higher weight9. (Table
GIS tool using DEM (Fig. 4). A high drainage 1). The higher drainage density was observed
density reflects highly dissected drainage basin in and around Dhudhanva, Pipraon, Jhadiyahi
with a relatively rapid hydrologic response to areas whereas low drainage density is
rainfall events while a low drainage density observed in Patai Dandi and Salaiya Khurd.

Table 1: Weights and ranks assigned to drainage density

Density Drainage Density (in
Sl. No. Rank Weight Index
Aspect m/km2)

1 Low 0-2 3 75

2 Medium 2-4 2 25 50

3 High 4-6 1 25

3.2 LANDUSE agriculture land, forest, barren land, loose soil,

Landuse map was prepared by using satellite consolidated soil, rocky terrain and settlement.
imagery of the area (dated: 10-02-2016). The Higher weightage value was assigned for the
map was processed by using a supervised water bodies and lowest value to the rocky
classification technique in ERDAS Imagine terrain (Table 2). From the landuse map, it was
Software. In supervised classification, found that rocky terrain covers about 17.87
homogeneous pixels were grouped together in km2 which is the highest followed by
known landuse classes. The various landuse settlement with 14.30 km2. The other landuse
classes (Fig. 5) were identified using GPS classes i.e., barren land, forest, consolidated
points, Toposheet and Google Earth. Landuse soil, loose soil, agriculture land and water
map was assigned 20% weight. The landuse of bodies covers 7.89 km2, 7.15 km2, 4.97 km2,
study area was grouped into water bodies, 3.93 km2, 3.83 km2 and 2.9 km2, respectively.
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Table 2: Weights and ranks assigned to land uses
Weightage and ranks assigned to Landuse

Sl.No. Class Name Rank Weight Index Area (Sq.km)

1 Water bodies 8 160 2.9

2 Agriculture Land 7 140 3.83

3 Forest 5 100 7.15

4 Barren Land 6 120 7.89

20
5 Loose soil 3 60 3.93

6 Consolidated Soil 4 80 4.97

7 Settlement 2 40 14.3

8 Rocky Terrain 1 20 17.87

Fig.5: Landuse map of the study area

3.3 GEOMORPHOLOGY for Allahabad district and validated with the

Geomorphological map is an important feature field survey. The geomorphological features of
for identifying occurrence and movement of the study area were distinguished into three
groundwater. As far as groundwater classes namely, alluvium plain, denudational
potentiality is concerned the hilly and hill, and flood plain. On the basis of high
undulating topography forms runoff zone, recharge potential alluvium plain was assigned
whereas plain and depressed topography forms the highest rank (= 3) followed by flood plain
infiltration zone14. The geomorphology map (= 2) and denudational hill (= 1), respectively
(Fig. 6) for the study area was generated by (Table 3).
using a map of the geological survey of India

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Table 3: Weights and ranks assigned to geomorphology
Sl.No. Class Name Rank Weight Index
1 Alluvium Plain 3 105
2 Denudational Hill 1 35 35
3 Flood Plain 2 70

Fig. 6: Geomorphological map of the study area

3.4 GROUNDWATER LEVEL CONTOUR behavior of the aquifer (Fig.7). The

The Groundwater level contour map was groundwater level map was assigned 20%
generated by taking an average of 10 years of weight and grouped into 5 classes and ranked
groundwater level data. The pre- and post- according to the availability of water table
monsoon water level contour map as well as below ground level (bgl) i.e., the area with
water level graph was observed and compared water level> 8.0 m, bgl was assigned lowest
with the 10 years’ rainfall data to understand rank, whereas area with water level 0.0-2.0 m,
the movement of groundwater and the bgl assigned the highest rank (Table 4).

Table 4: Weights and ranks assigned to groundwater level

Sl. No. Water Level (m, bgl) Rank Weight Index
1 0.0-2.0 5 100
2 2.0-4.0 4 80
3 4.0-6.0 3 20 60
4 6.0-8.0 2 40
5 Above 8.0 1 20

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Fig. 7: Groundwater level map (mbgl) for (a) pre- and (b) post-monsoons

3.5 GROUNDWATER PROSPECTIVE ‘very good’ and ‘excellent’. The poor zone
MAP indicates the least favorable area for
Groundwater condition in hard rock area is groundwater prospect, whereas the excellent
multivariate due to the heterogeneous nature of zone indicates the most favorable area for
the aquifer owing to the varying composite groundwater prospect16. It is apparent from the
ion, compaction and density of weathering15. groundwater potential map that about 32.21%
Overall the major lineaments having mainly of the study area have excellent groundwater
NE-SW direction through Mai kalan to potential, 25.62 % have good groundwater
Pipraon, and NNW-SSE direction through potential zone, 20.41% have moderate
Pipraon to Salaiya Khurd (Fig.8). The groundwater potential, 12.92 % area comes
groundwater potential map for the study area under poor potential zone and only 8.85 %
was obtained by integrating drainage density, area have very poor groundwater potential
geomorphology, landuse and groundwater (Table 5). Assessment of the groundwater
level (Fig.9). The same was validated with the potential map also revealed that the
exploratory well data of CGWB (Table.6). The distribution is more or less a reflection of
delineated GWPZ map was classified into five drainage density, geomorphology and depth to
zones, viz, ‘very poor’, ’poor’, ‘moderate’, water level in addition to the landuse.
.
Table 5: Groundwater potential zones

Classes Area (sq.km) Area (%)

Very Poor 5.56 8.85

Poor 8.12 12.92

Moderate 12.83 20.41

Good 16.10 25.62

Excellent 20.24 32.21

Total 62.84 100.00

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Fig.8: Lineament map of Meja thermal Power Plant Site.

Fig. 9: Groundwater potential zones of the study area

3.6 VALIDATION WITH BOREHOLE zones as revealed by the RS & GIS tools. The
YIELD DATA borehole locations, the expected bore hole
Overall the major lineaments spread along NE- yield descriptions from the potential map and
SW direction through Mai kalan to Pipraon, the actual yield descriptions obtained from the
and NNW-SSE direction through Pipraon to pumping tests are shown in Table 6. Out of 3
Salaiya Khurd17 attributing good to excellent bore wells, yield obtained at Pipraon village
groundwater prospective areas which were was about 770 lpm which has been deciphered
also corroborated with the findings of the as good to excellent on groundwater
present study. Further the data of existing prospective map whereas yield of 107 lpm
wells were collected from CGWB for 3 bore encountered at Saliya Khurd village belongs to
well in the study area in order to validate the very poor prospective area.
classification of the groundwater potential
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Table 6: Accuracy assessment of the developed groundwater potential model map
Well Depth Water Level Yield of well Actual
Expected yield on
Village (s) Latitude Longitude yield
(m) (m, bgl) (lpm) prospective map
description
Pipraon 25o08'40" 81o54'10" 30.80 11.5 770 Excellent Good to Excellent
Shahpur
25°10'30" 81o56'30" 33.94 20.45 450 Good Good to Excellent
Kalan

Saliya
25o06'50" 81o55'30" 41.41 2.00 107 Very poor Very poor
Khurd

CONCLUSIONS Rajasthan, Using Remote Sensing and GIS

Geographic Information System (GIS) Techniques, Journal of Geological Society
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geo-informative thematic maps, which play 2. NARENDRA, K., NAGESWARA, RAO
major role in occurrence and movement of K. and LATHA,S. P., Integrating remote
groundwater in study area. The integrated sensing and GIS for identification of
groundwater potential zones have been groundwater prospective zones in the
categorized on the basis of weightage assigned Narava basin, Visakhapatnam region,
to different features of thematic maps. Further, Andhra Pradesh, Journal of Geological
comparison of individual thematic maps Society of India, 81(2): 248-260 (2013).
supports that the distribution is more or less a 3. KRISHNAMURTHY, J., MANI, A.,
reflection of drainage density, geomorphology JAYARAMAN, V. and MANIVEL, M.,
and depth to water level in addition to the Groundwater resource development in
landuse in the study area. It has been also well hard rock terrain- An Approach using GIS
correlated with the bore well yield data of and Remote Sensing Techniques,
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could be useful for various purposes such as Observation and Geoinformatics, 2(3-4):
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Allahabad for providing the data and having 6. CHOWDHURY, A., JHA, M.K. and
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