Affiliations: Assistant Professor, Department of Civil Engineering,
Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, India. E-mail: [email protected] | Research Scholar, Department of Civil Engineering,
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India | Associate Professor, Department of Civil Engineering,
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India | Visiting Scientist, Indo-French Cell for Water
Sciences, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Science,
Bangalore, India
Note: [] Corresponding Author
Abstract: Accurate estimation of groundwater recharge is extremely important
for proper management of groundwater system especially in semi-arid regions.
Many different approaches exist for estimating recharge. This study deals with
groundwater modeling for assessing the groundwater balance and estimating the
recharge in the Gundal sub-basin, which is located in a semi-arid portion of
the Kabini river basin. A two-dimensional fully distributed groundwater model
on the concept of predominantly lateral flow conceptualized as an unconfined
aquifer has been used in this study. The modeling is supported through remote
sensed data and GIS. The different modeling approaches used here gave
consistent set of specific yield, transmissivity and rainfall recharge factor
with the assumption of zero flow condition specified along the basin boundary.
However, these parameters are found to be lower than what is usually known to
occur in this geo-climatic context. The results of groundwater modeling,
further supported through the groundwater chemistry analyses, show the impact
of pumping resulting in regional groundwater flows influencing the
hydrogeological regime in the recharge zone. The study also indicates that
water levels in the excessive groundwater depletion zones in the Gundulpet area
are sustained at the present level due to the inflows from the adjacent Nugu
river basin.
Keywords: Groundwater, numerical modeling, recharge, water balance, gneissic aquifer, semi-arid zone
