Implications of Kali-Hindon inter-stream aquifer water balance for groundwater management in western Uttar Pradesh

The Kali-Hindon inter-stream region extends over an area of 395 km² within the Ganga-Yamuna interfluve. It is a fertile tract for sugarcane cultivation. Groundwater is a primary resource for irrigation and industrial purposes. In recent years, over-exploitation has resulted in an adverse impact on the groundwater regime. In this study, an attempt has been made to calculate a water balance for the Kali-Hindon inter-stream region. Various inflows and outflows to and from the aquifer have been calculated. The recharge due to rainfall and other recharge parameters such as horizontal inflow, irrigation return flow and canal seepage were also evaluated. Groundwater withdrawals, evaporation from the water table, discharge from the aquifer to rivers and horizontal subsurface outflows were also estimated. The results show that total recharge into the system is 148.72 million cubic metres (Mcum), whereas the total discharge is 161.06 Mcum, leaving a deficit balance of −12.34 Mcum. Similarly, the groundwater balance was evaluated for the successive four years. The result shows that the groundwater balance is highly sensitive to variation in rainfall followed by draft through pumpage. The depths to water level are shallow in the canal-irrigated northern part of the basin and deeper in the southern part. The pre-monsoon and post-monsoon water levels range from 4.6 to 17.7 m below ground level (bgl) and from 3.5 to 16.5 m bgl respectively. It is concluded that the groundwater may be pumped in the canal-irrigated northern part, while withdrawals may be restricted to the southern portion of the basin, where intense abstraction has led to rapidly falling water table levels.     

Spatial Variability of Mass Movements in the Satluj Valley,Himachal Pradesh during 1990～2006

Satluj Valley is known to have a history of landslides and related mass movement activities since the geological times. Geological and geomorphological settings combined with anthropogenic activities constitute a propensity towards slope failure. During the last two decades,the area witnessed substantial increase in athropogenic pressure,mainly due to the exploitation of hydropower potential,changing landuse pattern and population growth. In addition,a shift of the climatic patterns in the form of larger area falling under the influence of rains was observed. These natural as well as anthropogenic changes in the area have resulted in increased spatial coverage of landslide in the area. This paper documents these changes during 1990～2006.     

Electrical resistivity surveys to delineate groundwater potential aquifers in Peddavanka watershed,Anantapur District,Andhra Pradesh,India

Vertical electrical resistivity soundings were conducted in order to delineate groundwater potential aquifers in Peddavanka watershed, which is a catchment of about 398 km² in Anantapur District, Andhra Pradesh, India. The main lithologic units in the watershed are quartzite, limestone, shale, and alluvium. Ninety-nine vertical electrical soundings were conducted using the Schlumberger configuration, covering the entire watershed. The data were interpreted with the help of master curves and auxiliary point charts. Interpretations of VES were used to generate a top layer apparent resistivity contour map and longitudinal conductance map. Isoresistivity contour maps were prepared and interpreted in terms of resistivity and thickness of various sub-surface layers using computer software (SURFER), and isocontour diagrams depicting the depth to bedrock were prepared. Resistivity results were correlated with the existing lithology. Based on the depth to bedrock, the thickness of the saturated layer and the resistivity of the second layer, a groundwater potential map has been prepared, in which good, moderate, and poor zones are classified. The study reveals that the weathered and fractured portions in shale and limestone that occur in the southernmost and central portions of the watershed area constitute the productive water-bearing zones categorized as good groundwater potential aquifers.     

Geochemistry of carbonate precipitation from the groundwater in a coastal region

Groundwater samples were collected from a coastal region of Andhra Pradesh to assess the possible conditions of the formation of carbonates. The area experiences a semi-arid climate and is underlain by khondalites, over which the Quaternary sediments occur. The study of the geochemistry of groundwater indicates that groundwater is mostly of fresh, with alkaline nature. The study further suggest that the breakdown of feldspars as kaolinite during rock-water interaction, releases Ca²⁺. Soils/weathered products contribute high CO₂ under the open system. The Ca²⁺ and CO₂ are added to the groundwater through the infiltrating recharge water. They subsequently precipitate as fine-grained carbonates in the weathering profile due to evapotranspiration under a freshwater environment.     

Biogeochemical investigation in south eastern Andhra Pradesh: the distribution of rare earths, thorium and uranium in plants and soils

The concentration of rare earth elements (REE), thorium and uranium were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP−MS) in the plant species, Pterocarpus santalinus, P. marsupium and P. dalbergioides, and the soils on which they were growing. Higher concentrations of lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce) were observed in both plants and soils. Large amounts of thorium and uranium were found in the soil. In all tree species, the concentration of REEs were higher in the heartwood than the leaves. The heartwood of P. santalinus accumulated larger quantities of uranium (average concentration of 1.22 ppm) and thorium (mean value of 2.57 ppm) than the other two species. Received: 8 September 1999 · Accepted: 15 December 1999     

Evidence for the thrust emplacement of the ‘Lesser Himalaya’ Chur granite,Himachal Pradesh

Numerous peraluminous and porphyritic granitic bodies and augen gneisses of granitic compositions occur in the nappe sequences of the Lower Himalaya. They are Proterozoic-to-lower Paleozoic in age and have been grouped into the ‘Lesser Himalaya granite belt’. The mode of emplacement and tectonic significance of these granites are as yet uncertain but they are generally considered to be sheet-like intrusions into the surrounding rocks. The small and isolated granite body (the Chur granite) that crops out around the Chur peak in the Himachal Himalaya is one of the more famous of these granites. Several lines of evidence have been adduced to show that the Chur granite has a thrust (the Chur thrust) contact with the underlying metasedimentary sequence (locally called the Jutogh Group). The Chur granite with restricted occurrence at the highest topographic and structural levels represents an erosional remnant of a much larger sub-horizontal thrust sheet. The contact relations between the country rocks and many of the other granite and granitic augen gneisses in the Lesser Himalaya belt are apparently similar to that of the Chur granite suggesting that at least some of them may also represent thrust sheets.     

Glacial meltwater impounding: Evidence from the late Quaternary glaciogenic sediments in the Sangla valley, district Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh, India

Sangla valley is situated at an altitude of ~ 3500 m above mean sea level and lies in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. It is fed by river Baspa, a tributary of river Sutlej, that entrenches through the Quaternary glaciogenic deposits before emerging out of the valley and joining the river Sutlej at Karcham. The unstratified to stratified glaciogenic deposits consist of large boulders to fine silt and are classified into four major depositional facies on the basis of sedimentary texture and depositional environment. The facies — basal conglomerates, debris flow, water/sheet flow and laminites — represents the change in the environment of deposition from glaciofluvial to lacustrine and also the extent of the glacier to the valley floor during late Quaternary.     

Seasonal variation of groundwater quality in a part of Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh, India

The area in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh, India, is selected to discuss the impact of seasonal variation of groundwater quality on irrigation and human health, where the agriculture is the main livelihood of rural people and the groundwater is the main source for irrigation and drinking. Granite gneisses associated with schists and charnockites of the Precambrian Eastern Ghats underlie the area. Groundwater samples collected seasonally, pre- and post-monsoons, during three years from forty wells in the area were analyzed for pH, EC, TDS, TA, TH, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺, CO₃²⁻, HCO₃⁻, Cl⁻, SO₄²⁻, NO₃⁻and F⁻. The chemical relationships in Piper’s diagram, Chebotarev’s genetic classification and Gibbs’s diagram suggest that the groundwaters mainly belong to non-carbonate alkali type and Cl⁻ group, and are controlled by evaporation-dominance, respectively, due to the influence of semi-arid climate, gentle slope, sluggish drainage conditions, greater water–rock interaction, and anthropogenic activities. A comparison of the groundwater quality in relation to drinking water quality standards proves that most of the water samples are not suitable for drinking, especially in post-monsoon period. US Salinity Laboratory’s and Wilcox’s diagrams, and %Na⁺ used for evaluating the water quality for irrigation suggest that the majority of the groundwater samples are not good for irrigation in post-monsoon compared to that in pre-monsoon. These conditions are caused due to leaching of salts from the overlying materials by infiltrating recharge waters. A management plan is suggested for sustainable development of the area.     

Grain size analysis and depositional pattern of upper Gondwana sediments (Early Cretaceous) of Salbardi area,districts Amravati,Maharashtra and Betul,Madhya Pradesh

A detailed grain-size analysis of twenty-two sandstone samples from the uppermost Gondwana succession of Salbardi area has been carried out to interpret the depositional pattern. The sandstones are mainly medium to coarse grained, moderately sorted, near-symmetrical to fine-skewed and mesokurtic in nature. Inter-relationship of various parameters shows bimodal nature of sediments having dominance of medium sand. Based on the granulometric analysis, a fluvial environment of deposition is interpreted for the succession.     

Aquifer modelling of the Ganga–Mahawa sub‐basin,a part of the Central Ganga Plain,Uttar Pradesh,India

The Ganga–Mahawa sub‐basin, which has an area of 1280 km² forms the western part of the Central Ganga Plain in the Moradabad and Badaun districts of western Uttar Pradesh, India. The Bundelkhand granite forms the basement complex, overlain unconformably by the upper Vindhyan sequence, which is further overlain by the Neogene (Middle and Upper) Siwaliks and finally by Quaternary alluvium. Four geomorphological units, the Varanasi older alluvial plain, Aligarh older alluvial plain, terrace zones and the Ganga recent floodplain, abandoned channels, channel scars and meander scars represent various landforms. The hydrogeological cross‐sections indicate the occurrence of a single aquifer down to 120 m. Some influent seepage from the River Ganga could be seen around Gangeswari, but the rest of the River Ganga is effluent. Groundwater‐flow modelling was carried out to assess the degree of Ganga river and aquifer interaction. The River Ganga marks the western boundary; boundaries to the northeast and southeast are set as fixed heads to simulate lateral inflow into and outflow from the sub‐basin respectively. The eastern boundary is simulated as a no‐flow condition. The Mahawa and Badmar rivers are considered to be effluent. The area modelled is covered by a grid of 34 rows×46 columns with three layers, viz., an unconfined aquifer, an aquitard which is underlain by a semi‐confined to confined aquifer. The permeability distribution was inferred from morphometric analysis and pumping tests. Natural recharge due to monsoon rainfall forms the main input. The River Ganga stage data at Ahar, Naora and Ramghat has been used for assigning surface water levels and river bed elevations in the model. Abstraction from all existing deep and shallow tube wells has been assigned as output at various cells. A steady state flow simulation was carried out and calibrated against the June 1986 water level; subsequent transient conditions were calibrated up to May 1995. The computed groundwater balance was comparable to that estimated from field investigations. The aquifer modelling study has attempted to integrate all available information and provided a tool that could be used for predictive simulation. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.