Groundwater assessment and feasibility of artificial recharge structures on over-exploited miniwatersheds of MR-12, osmanabad district

The assessment stage is one of the first elements of effective water resources management. A miniwatershed-based assessment provides an evaluation of conditions and trends in the watershed in a larger scale. It assists in the development, prioritization, and execution of an overall watershed management program. The increased use of groundwater is showing negative impact on the availability of groundwater. The groundwater exploitation is surpassing the recharge to fulfill the demands of stakeholders. Therefore, the assessment of groundwater potential to tap the groundwater and suitable artificial recharge structures to increase the groundwater recharge is significant. MR-12 watershed comprises two miniwatersheds that are over-exploited and groundwater occurred in unconfined / semi confined shallow aquifer. In the present study, the artificial recharge structures were propose to fulfill the demand of groundwater and to increase the availability of groundwater in sustained way. The detailed hydrogeological surveys carried out for assessment of the groundwater. The overlay analyses of geomorphology and drainage layer carried out by using GIS platform for identification of suitable sites for artificial recharge structures. The present study reports that, the integrated remote sensing and GIS techniques are the most suitable method for groundwater assessment and feasibility of artificial recharge zone in basaltic terrain.