Groundwater potentiality of the Kumari River Basin in drought-prone Purulia upland, Eastern India: a combined approach using quantitative geomorphology and GIS

Being the world's most precious natural and valuable resource, groundwater remains largely unexploited for agricultural development in drought-prone western region of West Bengal, India. In drought-prone areas, micro-watershed-based development strategy may be considered as the best practice for integrated development. Keeping in view the above perspective, we select the micro-watersheds of Kumari River Basin of Purulia District, the westernmost and semi-arid region of West Bengal, for better water resource management. Supply of sufficient water resource in this region may offer more food security alternative to rain-fed subsistence farming. That is why the present study has been carried out to evaluate the potential zones for groundwater targeting in the Kumari River Basin with the help of morphometric analysis using an integrated remote sensing data, Survey of India topographical sheets and field verification. The study area was divided into seven watersheds for the purpose of micro-level morphometric analysis. Based on these morphometric (linear, areal and relief) parameters of the watersheds, the groundwater potential zones were identified and the results substantiated with bore well or tube well data available for the terrain. The elongated shape, favorable drainage network, permeable geologic formation and low relief of Kumari (2A2A1) and Chaka (2A2A2) watershed makes them the promising groundwater potential zones of the Kumari River Basin. In addition, for better use and management of groundwater, we try to find artificial recharge structure and sites on the basis of groundwater potential map and groundwater fluctuation map.