International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) Volume: 04 Issue: 02 | Feb -2017
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e-ISSN: 2395 -0056 p-ISSN: 2395-0072
Hydrogeological Investigation and Analyzing Groundwater Scenario in Haringhata Block, West Bengal Alivia Chowdhury Department of Soil and Water Engineering Faculty of Agricultural Engineering Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya (BCKV) Mohanpur, District-Nadia, 741252, West Bengal, India
----------------------------------------------------------------***------------------------------------------------------------Abstract: A hydrogeological investigation was carried out in Haringhata Block, Nadia district, West Bengal to understand the groundwater scenario in the block. The groundwater condition and the stratigraphy were analyzed at seventeen sites of the study area. The rainfall-groundwater dynamics was also analyzed to understand the recharge condition in the study area. Groundwater level data was used for preparation of pre- and post-monsoon groundwater depth contour maps and a groundwater fluctuation map. The analysis of 5 years (2004-2008) seasonal groundwater level data of 17 sites indicated appreciable groundwater fluctuations over the area. The groundwater drops 5 to 8 m from the ground surface at most sites during the dry season, whereas, mean post-monsoon (November) groundwater depth varies from 2 to 4 m. It is concluded that long-term monitoring of groundwater level and understanding the rainfall-groundwater dynamics are helpful for formulating strategies for sustainable development and management of groundwater resources in the study area. Keywords: Hydrogeologic analysis, Aquifer characterization, Groundwater dynamics, water scarcity
1. INTRODUCTION Groundwater plays a central role in maintaining and ensuring the ecosystem and livelihood security of this planet. Nowadays groundwater has become a very dependable and popular freshwater resource in both urban and rural areas of our country due to it’s easy and ensured availability at the required time. The socio-economic dependency on groundwater can be explained over a wide range of factors [1]. Recent research shows that groundwater irrigation has overtaken surface-water irrigation as the main supplier of water for India’s crops. Quantitative and qualitative aquifer mining is the major outcomes of this unplanned over-exploitation of groundwater resources [2]. Therefore, policy makers must rise to the challenge of finding ways to manage groundwater resources sustainably. Haringhata Block located in southern part of Nadia district, West Bengal is suffering from water shortage problems both qualititatively and quantitatively. As the main occupation of the local people is agriculture, the water scarcity problem greatly hampers the socio-economic condition in the area. The block is mainly irrigated through extraction of ground water. There are 3477 shallow tube wells, 42 Deep Tube wells run by the Department of Agri-irrigation, Govt. of West Bengal. The existing surface irrigation sources are not sufficient to ensure proper quantity of water at required time due to the erratic nature of the rainfall in the country. Therefore, groundwater becomes an inevitable source of water supply in the study area. However, the unrestricted excessive pumping of groundwater has resulted in groundwater lowering problem in the area in past few years. In addition to that, the area has an arsenic contamination problem. The detrimental health effect has increased in recent years because of increased use of tube wells. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop management strategies for the sustainable utilization of groundwater resources in the study area. With this background, a hydrogeological investigation was carried out to understand the groundwater scenario in Haringhata Block, Nadia district, West Bengal for the sustainable utilization of vulnerable groundwater resource of the area. The objectives of the present study were (i) to analyze available lithologic data to understand the aquifer system in the area, (ii) to explore groundwater dynamics in the study area.
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