The global hydrological cycle is likely to be accelerated due to climate change leading to increase in number of extreme rainfall events and increased evaporation. The potential consequences of anthropogenic climate change in water resources have been widely investigated over the last three decades and numerous studies suggest that climate warming is likely leading to the alteration and intensification of the hydrologic cycle. This is particularly true in the case of the river basins of southern Western Ghats which are fed essentially by precipitation. The problem is more intense in the river basins draining through the densely urbanized areas like that of Kerala. The present study aims to decode the changes in hydro-climatological variables, trace any evidences of acceleration of hydrological cycle and its impact on the hydrological regime of important river basins of Kerala. The study focused on analyzing the changes in the hydro-meteorological variables of the important river basins of Kerala State, located in the western side of the Southern Western Ghats. The study showed evidences of changes in the rainfall distribution between the south-west and north-east monsoon seasons. In general, a declining trend in rainfall is observed during the months of June, July, August and October; and a relatively increasing trend in the month of September and November. The same pattern was observed in the discharges of the studied rivers. Increase in the number of low and no flow events are observed in all the studied rivers. Increase in water lost due to evapotranspiration was noticed in major parts of Kerala during the last decade which indicates the combined effect of increase in temperature and land use changes. Groundwater level showed a decline in the southern and northern edges of Kerala. The changes in hydrological variables during the last two decades showed evidence of acceleration of hydrological cycle, with short and quick rainfall events, increase of flood events and faster loss of water due to evapotranspiration.
Acceleration of Hydrological Cycle: Evidences from the River Basins of Kerala
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The global hydrological cycle is likely to be accelerated due to climate change leading to increase in number of extreme rainfall events and increased evaporation. The potential consequences of anthropogenic climate change in water resources have been widely investigated over the last three decades and numerous studies suggest that climate warming is likely leading to the alteration and intensification of the hydrologic cycle. This is particularly true in the case of the river basins of southern Western Ghats which are fed essentially by precipitation. The problem is more intense in the river basins draining through the densely urbanized areas like that of Kerala. The present study aims to decode the changes in hydro-climatological variables, trace any evidences of acceleration of hydrological cycle and its impact on the hydrological regime of important river basins of Kerala. The study focused on analyzing the changes in the hydro-meteorological variables of the important river basins of Kerala State, located in the western side of the Southern Western Ghats. The study showed evidences of changes in the rainfall distribution between the south-west and north-east monsoon seasons. In general, a declining trend in rainfall is observed during the months of June, July, August and October; and a relatively increasing trend in the month of September and November. The same pattern was observed in the discharges of the studied rivers. Increase in the number of low and no flow events are observed in all the studied rivers. Increase in water lost due to evapotranspiration was noticed in major parts of Kerala during the last decade which indicates the combined effect of increase in temperature and land use changes. Groundwater level showed a decline in the southern and northern edges of Kerala. The changes in hydrological variables during the last two decades showed evidence of acceleration of hydrological cycle, with short and quick rainfall events, increase of flood events and faster loss of water due to evapotranspiration.
| Publication Mode |
Online |
|---|---|
| Publication Author |
Merin Mariam Mathew, Micky Mathew, K. Sreelash |
| Publication Language |
English |
| Publication Type |
Conference Paper |
| Publication Year |
2021 |
| DOI |
10.17491/cgsi/2021/165451 |
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Ground Water Resources of Western Region of India
Conference Papers, SP-12: Water Resources of Western and Central Regions of India: Status, Issues and Strategies
SKU:
C-168750
In western India, the states Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan having area of 0.11%, 5.97%, 9.36% and 10.41% of India respectively have 0.24%, 6.83%, 13.48% and 4.52% of the total population of the country. The area, except Goa which records high precipitation, receives moderate rainfall. Arid conditions prevail in north Gujarat and major part of Rajasthan. The utilization pattern of ground water is uneven across the region resulting in ground water stressed conditions and over exploitation in some parts, particularly the arid regions and sub-optimal ground water utilization in others. Water level varies widely being very shallow in the southern part and deep to alarmingly deep in the northern part, having deepest water level of the country in Bikaner district of Rajasthan. Water quality is of concern in the major parts. In considerable areas, some chemical constituents exceed the permissible limit for drinking water, and large patches with brackish to saline water are encountered in Rajasthan and Gujarat. Sporadic occurrences of Fluoride and Nitrate in ground water exceeding the permissible limit for drinking water are spread almost throughout the region which necessitates cautious use of ground water in these areas for drinking purposes. The stage of ground water development is 37%, 68% and 54% in Goa, Gujarat and Maharashtra respectively. In Rajasthan, the stage of ground water development is 140% and 164 out of 248 ground water assessment units are overexploited and 23 ground water assessment units in Gujarat are over exploited. This requires immediate judicious intervention without which some areas will not be able to meet even the drinking water needs. Groundwater withdrawal requires to be strictly regulated so that it does not exceed the annual recharge and also that it does not disturb the hydro-chemical balance. Alarming declines in groundwater levels warrant immediate attention for taking-up of recharge schemes to arrest further decline and augment the groundwater resources. In areas of scanty recharge, ground water should be allowed only for drinking water purposes. In other areas, along with water conservation and ground water augmentation measures, demand side management using micro irrigation techniques and change of cropping pattern etc should be religiously adopted.
Surface Water Scenario in Rajasthan State, India
Conference Papers, SP-12: Water Resources of Western and Central Regions of India: Status, Issues and Strategies
SKU:
C-168758
Surface water resources in Rajasthan are scarce and scanty owing to hot arid climatic conditions. Major parts of western Rajasthan are devoid of any major drainage system and are reeled under spells of chronic droughts. Average annual rainfall in the state is of the tune of 540mm, decreases westward and is even less than 150mm in the western most parts of Jaisalmer district. Annual Potential evapo-transpiration is also as high as 2060mm in parts of Jaisalmer district. There are 15 river basins in the state. There are also numerous natural as well as artificial freshwater lakes including Pushkar, Rajsamand, Nakki, Ana Sagar, Kayalana, Ramgarh, Foy Sagar etc. mainly in the southern and eastern parts of the state. Salt lakes include Sambhar, Kuchaman, Pachpadra, Didwana, Phalodi, Lunkaransar etc. Indira Gandhi Nahar (IGNP), Bhakara and Gang canals have been constructed to bring Himalayan water to the desert areas of western Rajasthan in addition to other major commands of Chambal, Mahi and Narmada canals etc. In Rajasthan, irrigation projects completed include 22 Major projects, 77 Medium projects, 660 Minor projects and 3139 Tanks have been transferred to Panchyat Raj Department. Usable water is of the magnitude of 16.05 BCM and the Gross Storage Capacity created is of the order of 14.547 BCM. The Live Storage Capacity created is about 11.99 BCM. Out of the total allocated share of 17.88 BCM under interstate water agreement, average annual water availability remains 12.66 BCM due to various climatic, political, institutional or hydrological reasons. In addition to various Central Government Schemes, Watershed schemes and Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan are also implemented in the state.
Delineation of Phreatic Basaltic Aquifers in the Upper Nira River Basin, India and Evaluating the Efficacy of Methodologies Used for Estimating their Groundwater Potential ? A Case Study
Conference Papers, SP-12: Water Resources of Western and Central Regions of India: Status, Issues and Strategies
SKU:
C-168773
The Upper Nira River Basin (378.83 km2), in the Upland Deccan Traps is witnessing a transition from being a traditional rain fed, non-command entity to a predominantly surface irrigation command area. Understanding and accurately computing the change in groundwater storage is a vital component in groundwater estimation. The lava flows constitute 3 aquifers in the basin, UNR-1 , UNR-2 and UNR-3. The efficacy of the methodologies used for estimating the groundwater potential of the Upper Nira River Basin is evaluated. Groundwater assessment based on the GEC 2015 methodology has been undertaken to estimate a net available recharge of 4419 Ham in the aquifers and gross groundwater draft of 461.49 ham. The basin has been categorised as Safe due to low stage of exploitation (~11%). The people residing in the basin however face severe scarcity of groundwater during the summer season annually in spite of receiving copious rainfall (about 1500 mm) during the monsoon. The likely reasons for such a paradox are high surface runoff, low permeability, low storativity of aquifers, high base flow plus draft, etc. According to the new and simple aquifer-based methodology proposed in this paper the quantity of recharge (Q) for Aquifer UNR-1, Aquifer UNR-2 and Aquifer UNR-3 are 1146.70, 1691.02 and 16.97 km3 respectively. Thus, there is a difference in recharge to the tune of 1411 hams i.e. about 24% less recharge compared to the results obtained by the aquifer based methodology as per GEC (2015) guidelines. When the new recharge values are used in the GEC 2015 methodology a scenario close to reality emerges in the Nira River basin which proves the efficacy of the new methodology.
Groundwater Resources of Rajasthan: Status, Issues and Strategies
Conference Papers, SP-12: Water Resources of Western and Central Regions of India: Status, Issues and Strategies
SKU:
C-168759
Rajasthan is the largest state of India covering an area of 3,42,239 sq.km and represents 10.5% of the country?s geographical area. On the other hand it has only 1.15% of total surface water and 2.6% of dynamic groundwater resources of the country?s resources due to arid climatic conditions. Surface water availability is restricted to command areas of canal system; hence groundwater is the only dependable source in major part of the state. Groundwater quality deterioration with depth coupled with low and erratic rainfall has generated constraints as regards availability and development potential of groundwater resources. Over exploitation of groundwater has caused mining of groundwater, which has set in declining trend in water level and threatening depletion of limited available fresh groundwater resources at an alarming rate. Management of groundwater resources in this context is an extremely complex proposition. The highly uneven distribution of groundwater and its utilization make it impossible to have single management strategy for Rajasthan as a whole. Any strategy for scientific management of groundwater resources should involve a combination of supply side and demand side measures depending on the regional setting and local geology and also on use of saline water. There are saline water tracts in various parts of the state. Recently conservation of water through crop diversification and use of saline water in several parts of the state has gained momentum.
Surface Water Resources of Maharashtra: Potential, Development and Management Issues
Conference Papers, SP-12: Water Resources of Western and Central Regions of India: Status, Issues and Strategies
SKU:
C-168752
The water sector in Maharashtra is facing critical challenges. First, uneven availability of water over space and time is the biggest challenge and secondly, dramatically increasing competing demands for water from different sectors are giving rise todisputes and conflicts. Of the total water used in the state, about 82% goes to irrigation, 12% for domestic water supplies, 4% forindustrial use, and the remaining for other uses such as livestock, hydro and thermal power generation. With the urban population of about 51 million (45%), and rapidly growing urban centres and industries, there is considerable gap in demand and supply of thestate's scarce water resources. This has posed serious challenges to water security. There can be only limited dependence upon the groundwater resources for the protective irrigation in the State as 85% area is Deccan basalt having limited ground water recharge potential. Also access to safe drinking and other domestics is a challenge in the rural areas of the State. Planning and Management of water resources in a coordinated and holistic manner is needed. Considering the scarcity of water in large part of Maharashtra and substantial utilisation by irrigation sector, there is a need to expedite measures for improving Water Use Efficiency (WUE) so that water saved in irrigation can be utilised for other non-irrigation purposes. The paper gives an overview of the water resources scenario in Maharashtra with reference to surface water and discusses various water management issues that need focused attention. The paper brings out the impact of decision of various water dispute tribunals on the water availability for the State and also the need for inter-basin and intra-basin water transfer. It emphasises the need for upscaling use of Micro Irrigation (MI), Pipe distribution system, large scale integrated MI systems throughout the State etc. for not only to save substantial amount of water but also to help in increase the productivity and quality of agriculture produce. The paper also touches upon the issues of water quality and flood management in the State.
Ground Water Quality of Rajasthan with Special Reference to Fluoride
Conference Papers, SP-12: Water Resources of Western and Central Regions of India: Status, Issues and Strategies
SKU:
C-168760
Among the challenges faced by the world today in the area of health care, water is the greatest challenge, and this is particularly true for the developing countries. A large proportion of the world?s population relies on ground water as primary source for drinking and domestic use. In recent years, due to increase of population, urbanization, industrialization, use of chemical fertilizers, pesticide in agriculture, there is over increasing threat to surface and ground water quality. The indiscriminate use of ground water for irrigation and other purposes has resulted in sharp decline in ground water table and in changes in the natural geochemistry of ground water. In the largest areal state of the country i.e. Rajasthan higher concentration of all the three hydrochemical parameters viz. salinity, nitrate and fluoride in ground waters have adversely affected the lives of people in general and their socio-economic status in particular. Ground water of western, north-eastern parts of Rajasthan are facing problem of salinity, nitrate and fluoride, whereas central and southern parts are generally facing an acute problem of fluoride. Therefore, immediate action for mitigating the problems at government, semi-government or social levels are required for the welfare of countrymen.
Assessment of Groundwater Pollution Potential of Goa using an Indexing Approach (Abhesht & Galdit Models)
Conference Papers, SP-12: Water Resources of Western and Central Regions of India: Status, Issues and Strategies
SKU:
C-168768
Chemical quality of surface and groundwater of an area is influenced by the climate, hydrological conditions, soil characteristics and geological formation. Irrespective of their source, all natural waters contain some chemical constituents and their quality changes progressively as they traverse over the land surface or infiltrate downward due to various hydro-geochemical processes. Anthropogenic factors also contribute substantially towards quality change of both surface water and ground water. In the present study an attempt has been made to understand the aquifer vulnerability to pollution, at the regional scale (Goa State), which takes into account the intrinsic hydraulic and hydrogeological parameters and environmental impacts. It is noticed that a variety of activities, such as agricultural, industrial and urban land uses, are carried out in the area, thus exposing the aquifers to a wide range of contaminants. Groundwater quality data of Goa state for the pre-monsoon seasons of 2014 and 2018 were obtained from CGWB (Bengaluru) and analysed statistically. A regional scale approach was developed which is known as ABHESHT (Aquifer type, Boundary conditions, Hydraulic Head representing static water level, Environmental impact, Solute concentration, Head variation (Water Table Fluctuation) during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons and Transmissivity). The method has been applied to Goa State, west coast of India and compared with the observed groundwater quality parameters. It is found that the model has successfully delineated the wells which are prone to pollution. Using GALDIT model, seawater intrusion impact was also assessed. The study revealed that the groundwater of Goa State did not show any significant pollution indicator, however, seasonal variations in water quality parameters were observed. It is also found that the North Goa coast as well as the other tourist spots spread over the entire state show signs of pollution at various locations (Anjuna. Baga, Mapusa. Concona etc). This calls for immediate attention from the concerned authorities.
Aquifers: Forging the Convergence Between Groundwater and Communities in the Heterogeneous Groundwater Systems of Western and Central India
Conference Papers, SP-12: Water Resources of Western and Central Regions of India: Status, Issues and Strategies
SKU:
C-168770
The high reliability of rural and urban settlements on groundwater in India and the individualistic nature of groundwater usage make groundwater management and governance extremely challenging. Groundwater resources development in India, even today, has progressively become synonymous with increasing the accessibility of the resource through more and more sources and meeting the growing demand through the infrastructure of distribution. Management of groundwater becomes selflimiting when the focus is on exploration for new sources, without understanding resource behaviour. On the other hand, experience has shown that bringing aquifers to the centre stage of groundwater management is important. The concept of aquifers changes the way in which communities begin to perceive groundwater and becomes the first step in developing socioecological resilience to groundwater-related vulnerability. Building resilience to groundwater-related vulnerability further includes developing a governance mechanism that strikes a balance between supply management and demand regulation through an understanding of the resource, i.e., the aquifer.Aquifer systems in India are highly diverse and complex because of the variation in their inherent properties such as storativity, transmissivity and groundwater quality. Aquifer vulnerability is a consequence of not only how the rampant exploitation and contamination of groundwater occur, but also how different aquifers react to these fluxes. Moreover, irrespective of the scales of groundwater accumulation and movement, micro-level analysis of aquifers becomes imperative because of the atomistic nature of groundwater access and use. A systematic hydrogeology-based approach that requires delineating aquifers, understanding the dynamics of groundwater and mapping the demand and dependence of community on the resource holds the key to decentralized groundwater governance in India. Such an approach can be undertaken through participatory monitoring, decision support and action.The inherently heterogeneous nature of aquifers and communities in western and central India demand a strategic application of mapping, characterizing and managing local aquifers through a participatory groundwater management protocol. This nuanced approach beginning with aquifers as both a resource and a system, ensures equitable, efficient and hence, the sustainable management and governance of aquifers in this region.
Ground Water Resources of Gujarat: Status of Development, Management Strategy and Policy
Conference Papers, SP-12: Water Resources of Western and Central Regions of India: Status, Issues and Strategies
SKU:
C-168771
Gujarat State is located in the western part of India, it is well known for entrepreneurship of its peoples. Water resources in the state are very much unevenly distributed. There are very high rainfall areas in the southern part of state, whereas the northern and western parts face desert like climate. Hydrogeologically there are diverse aquifer systems. Some form prolific aquifer system like alluvial formations of North and Central Gujarat plains. There are also hard rock formations like Granites, Deccan Basalts which form poor aquifers. Due to frequent and persistent droughts water resources management has been a challenge in northern and western parts of the state. Total annual availability of water in the state is estimated at 51 BCM/ out of which surface water contribution is 38 BCM, whereas groundwater accounts for 13.58 BCM. The groundwater plays a very important role in agriculture as well as water supply in this drought prone state. The total annual Groundwater Recharge has been assessed as 22.37bcm and Annual Extractable Ground Water Resources as 21.25bcm. The Annual Ground Water extraction has been assessed as 13.58bcm and Stage of Ground Water extraction as 64%. There are 248 assessment units (talukas) out of which 25 Talukas have been categorized as ?Over- exploited?, 5 are ?Critical?, 11 are ?Semi-Critical?,194 as ?Safe? and 13 saline talukas in the state. A well-planned strategy is required for management of water resources in the state. Number of water conservation and augmentation measures have been taken up in the state in the form of Sujalam Suflam Yojna, Sauni Yojna, Participatory irrigation management, ATAL-JAL, Hydrology Project, Interlinking of Rivers to name a few. Further steps suggested for conservation and sustainable use of ground water can be augmentation of groundwater resources through Artificial Recharge, revival of ponds, reuse and recycling of wastewater, protection of water sources from pollution, conjunctive use of surface and ground water, etc
Strategies for Ground Water Resources Management to Facilitate Water Security in Gujarat
Conference Papers, SP-12: Water Resources of Western and Central Regions of India: Status, Issues and Strategies
SKU:
C-168756
As per the assessment of the dynamic ground water resource in Gujarat the utilsable ground water resources have been assessed as 24905 MCM, after providing for natural discharge (March 2021). The annual ground water draft is 13296 MCM. The Stage of ground water development works out to be about 53%. However, this is not uniform across the state. The stage of development is exceedingly high in North Gujarat and Kachchh regions. Highly intensive development of ground water in these areas has resulted in over - exploitation leading to the decline of ground water levels, deterioration in the ground water quality and sea water intrusion in the coastal areas. The paper presents existing scenario of various supply and demand side interventions implemented in the state with their impact. Recommendations for various interventions necessary for sustainable ground water management have been made with particular emphasis on use of scientific inputs from the supply as well as demand side interventions to the community participation in planning, implementing and monitoring.
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