Assessing the Suitability of Agricultural Managed Aquifer Recharge (AgMAR) Strategy in the Overexploited and Contaminated Hindon river basin (HRB), India.
Abstract
The Hindon River is the tributary of the Yamuna which is part of the vast Indo-Gangetic alluvial plain and is now one of the most polluted and over-exploited regions due to the increase in demand of water for agricultural, domestic, and industrial needs. In this densely populated and intensely cultivated region, implementing suitable managed aquifer recharge strategies with sufficient recharge potential is a significant challenge. Agriculture-based Managed aquifer recharge (AgMAR) is well known to improve water quality and quantity status. However, identifying suitable sites for implementing AgMAR in such overexploited and contaminated aquifers is a complicated task. In the present study, we used a Geographic Information System-based multicriteria decision analysis approach to delineate the AgMAR potential sites. Apart from using the commonly suggested data like LULC, drainage density, soil texture, slope, post monsoon water level and aquifer hydraulic conductivity. We have also used basin-specific information such as polluted area, canal network distribution for water supply and groundwater quality to optimize the selected sites further. Though this region is known for having a phreatic to semi-confined and confined aquifer with high recharge potential, the results of our study show that only 3.31% area is highly suitable and 56.53 % found to be suitable for the AgMAR approach. The majority of identified Ag-MAR potential sites will help to sustain and improve groundwater levels in the aquifer without further deteriorating the groundwater quality. Our research contributes to a better and improved understanding of the parameters and their weightage that need to be considered during AgMAR site suitability analysis, especially in the heavily contaminated and overexploited regions where recharging groundwater may further degrade the aquifers.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2022
- Bibcode:
- 2022AGUFM.H53A..05J
- Keywords:
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- Groundwater recharge;
- Agriculture based Managed aquifer recharge (AgMAR);
- Site Suitability;
- MCDA