Delineation of Groundwater Recharge Potential Zones in Namakkal District, Tamilnadu, India Using Remote Sensing and GIS

Exploitation of groundwater and frequent failure of monsoons has produced rapid water table depletion in present days. Rainwater is discharged as surface runoff without replenishing the groundwater table. Identification of potential zones for groundwater recharge has become an important event to replenish the groundwater resources. The recharge potential is governed by various features of surface, subsurface and hydrometeorological parameters. Remote sensing technique is found to be very effective tool for the integration of various features of these factors. In this work, an attempt has been made to identify groundwater recharge potential zones in Namakkal district of Tamilnadu state, India. Weighted index overlay analysis (WIOA) was carried out in this study using the software ArcGIS by intergrating the thematic layers of soil, geology, geomorphology, lineament, land use/land cover, rainfall, groundwater level and slope. The groundwater potentials were delineated as Very Good, Good, Moderate to Good, Moderate and Poor zones. Good category of groundwater recharge potential zones constitutes 62.21 % in the study area. GIS based output results were validated with the water level data of Public Works Department (PWD).