Identification of groundwater potential for urban development using multi-criteria decision- making method of analytical hierarchy process

Detailed knowledge regarding the availability of potential groundwater sources is a prerequisite for the sustainable development of cities and towns in a planned manner. The present study is carried out to identify the potential groundwater sources for the growth of towns and cities around Virudhunagar district, India by integrated geospatial techniques and analytical hierarchy method. The groundwater potential zones are divided into four groups: low, medium, high, and very high. It is obtained that 1.71% and 51.86% fall under the low and medium zones, respectively. The area with high and very high groundwater potential accounts for 45.7% and 0.73% of the total area, respectively. Finally, potential areas identified for groundwater are validated with data on the potential yield of various wells, demonstrating a good correlation. The results of this research will help planners and decision-makers to better plan and develop future cities.