GROUNDWATER PROSPECTS ZONING IN A PART OF HIMALAYAN FOOT HILL USING GIS TECHNIQUES, UTTARAKHAND, INDIA

Ground water is attracting an ever increasing interest due to scarcity of good quality subsurface water and growing need of water for domestic, agricultural, and industrial uses. Remote sensing with its advantages of spatial, spectral and temporal availability of data covering large and inaccessible areas within short time has become a very handy tool in assessing, monitoring and conserving groundwater resources. Satellite data provides quick and useful baseline information on the parameters like geology, geomorphology, land use/land cover, lineaments etc. controlling the occurrence and movement of groundwater (Saraf and Choudhuray, 1998).

The concept of integrated remote sensing and GIS has proved to be an efficient tool in targeting ground water. Remote sensing and GIS technology have opened new paths in groundwater studies. In the present study, an attempt has been made to carry out geological and geomorphological mapping and ground water prospects zoning in a part of Himalayan foot hill, based on remote sensing and GIS techniques. The groundwater prospect map has been prepared considering major controlling factors, which influence the water yield. The map depicts Hydrogeomorphology coupled with hydrogeological and structural/lineament which have proved to be very effective tool to discern ground water potential zones.

In order to target the groundwater potential zones of study area different thematic maps like geological map, drainage map, geomorphology map, land use land cover map, slope map and aspect map, are prepared using Landsat TM image. The different thematic layers were overlaid and qualitatively visualized in terms of their importance with respect to the groundwater recharge and discharge zones for the occurrence and targeting of Groundwater. A realistic groundwater potential zoning map of an area which may be used for groundwater targeting, development and management programme is prepared.