A remote sensing and GIS based approach to evaluate the ground water prospects of Baghain watershed, Panna and Satna districts of M.P., India: A case study

Remote Sensing and GIS, potential tools for facilitating the generation and use of thematic information, has been applied to assess the ground water potentiality of Baghain watershed falling in parts of the Panna and Satna districts, M.P. The role of various parameters namely drainage, lineament, lithology and geomorphology have been emphasized for delineation of ground water potential zones. IRS-1C, LISS III imagery (FCC) on 1:50,000 scale and topographic maps (63 D/5 and 63 D/6) along with field survey have been used as the data source. The various thematic maps have been integrated with the help of GIS applying Index Overlay model to demarcate different groundwater prospects. The resultant map indicates that high prospects is in fractured valley (FV) and pediplain-shallow (PPS) and the moderate prospects in pediment (PD), moderately dissected plateau (PLM) and slightly dissected plateau (PLS), while bute (B), escarpment slope (ES) and mesa (M) show poor prospects for ground water. The groundwater prospect units have been correlated with the discharge of well within the units and it has been found that values match with the units derived from this approach. This study shall be useful in targeting recharge sites as well as drilling sites. The present result shows that integration of all weighted attributes provides more accurate results in groundwater prospects identification.