An integrated approach to delineate the groundwater potential zones in Devdari watershed area of Akola district, Maharashtra, Central India

The present research work accentuates the hydrogeological evaluation for Devdari watershed of Maharashtra, Central India, using remote sensing, GIS, and multi influencing factor (MIF). The thematic layers of land use/land cover, groundwater depth, slope, drainage, flow direction, flow accumulation and geomorphology were prepared using IRS-LISS-III satellite data coupled with Shuttle Radar Topography Mission data on 23.50 and 30 m spatial resolution, respectively. The raster layers of these themes were estimated by employing ArcGIS software 10.3 and multi-influencing factor method and subsequently assigned with the relative weights as per their groundwater potential characteristics. For acknowledgement of the groundwater potential map, all the thematic layers and their respective weightage values were subjected to weighted overlay analysis (WOA) method. The evolved map demonstrates six groundwater potential zones in the study area, i.e., poor to nil (0.27 km(2)), very poor (0.95 km(2)), poor (17.67 km(2)), moderate (0.33 km(2)), good (9.51 km(2)), very good (14.665 km(2)) and excellent (1.84 km(2)). A field check survey was carried out to ascertain the validity of groundwater potential maps. The results of study area disclose that the area of watershed with poor, moderate and good-to-excellent groundwater potential zones is evaluated to allow precipitated water to infiltrate into subsurface and finally contribute to groundwater recharge in the watershed area.