Unprecedented Aquifer Mapping of Arid Region, NW India for Groundwater Sustainability

The Arid region, NW India spreads over the great Thar deserts, Precambrian of Aravalli’s, recent alluvium, Deccan basalts and so on, and inhabits ~ 80 million people. Freshwater resources in the region are scarce and contaminated at places, which threaten long term availability of water for agriculture, domestic, and environmental needs therefore, requires a good plan for groundwater exploration and the sustainable management of water resources. The subsurface hydrostratigraphy and conceptual models of the aquifer systems are crucial for developing a sustainable groundwater management plan in these challenging environments. Considering, the constraints of accessibility and traditional methods of aquifer mapping, state of art heliborne geophysical methods are utilized which are supplemented by ground TEM, EVRI, ERT, and drilling information to map subsurface hydrostratigraphy of about 100,000 sq. km area in the diverse geological terrains of the region. These extensive studies have provided 3D geophysical model of principal aquifer with delineation of de-saturated and saturated aquifers, and aquifer system with relatively fresh and saline water zones with unprecedented spatial resolution of a few hundred meter along the flight lines spaced at 2-5 kms. On the basis of information’s of geometries and properties of the aquifer systems, places for potential drilling wells and sites for managed aquifer recharge are demarcated which can enable better management plan for groundwater sustainability.

+ Team NGRI-CGWB