Application of lineament density and hydrogeomorphology to delineate groundwater potential zones of Baghmundi block in Purulia District, West Bengal

Groundwater being a valuable resource in today’s world needs proper evaluation and management for overall development within the region for its judicious use. The Baghmundi Block of Purulia district, West Bengal is within the hard rock terrain of Ayodhya hills and Matha Protected forest. The groundwater in this region is confined within the fracture zones and weathered residuum. Hydrogeomorphologically, the entire area is classified into following categories such as - i) Very shallow weathered pediment, ii) Moderately weathered pediment, iii) Valley fills, iv) Erosional gullies, v) Lateritic Upland and vi) Accumulation gullies. The hydrogeomorphic map of the area prepared by Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of West Bengal has been digitized for the present study. The lineament map has been prepared from the satellite imagery. The lineament map has also been digitized for the present study. From this the lineament density contour map has been prepared. An integrated remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) based methodology has been used for the delineating Groundwater potential zones in the study area. Here the Geomorphology and Lineament density maps are overlaid following the Weighted Index Overlay Method, which delineates groundwater potential zones.