Groundwater

The report deals with the artificial recharging of an unconfined aquifer with injection well in the Hukkeri taluka in Ghataprabha sub-basin of Krishna river. The Ghataprabha sub-basin of Krishna like most river basins of peninsular India has been facing groundwater development problems varying in nature and severity. It has got a wide spectrum of issues such as cases of failure of wells at several places on the one hand, while some areas becoming unfertile due to waterlogging.

The study attempts to develop a conjunctive use model involving judicious use of surface and groundwater for the Habibpur region of Gandak command in Bihar. The area is characterized by insufficient surface water during rabi and summer seasons and excess surface water in the kharif season.

This report by ACWADAM describes the results of a research study conducted under the DFID funded AGRAR project at the Kolwan site in Pune district of Maharashtra state in India. The research focused on studying the usefulness of artificial recharge to augment groundwater resources through watershed development.

An important criterion of the study was also to understand the impact of artificial recharge on already changing livelihoods in areas where watershed development was conducted on a large scale.

The report emphasizes the necessity of Computer Aided Learning and presents a Learning Package on Hydrology covering various important elements of hydrology including the definitions and figures in a simple and straight forward language.

The report attempts asymptomatic estimation of runoff curve number for small hard rock watersheds from rainfall-runoff data.One of the major activities in Applied Hydrology is the estimation of storm event runoff from ungauged small watersheds. Such estimates are often required in the design of small hydraulic structures and in formulation of watershed management strategies.

The study focuses attention on the use of inverse modeling technique for estimation of rainfall-recharge in a coastal aquifer. MODINV (Modular Inverse Model), which is software for parameter optimization of 3-D groundwater flow model, MODFLOW is applied to the Central Godavari delta in Andhra Pradesh to estimate the distributed rainfall-recharge during monsoon season.

The report deals with the transportation behavior of lindane, a pesticide used commonly in the agricultural and public health sectors in India, through sandy and loamy soils. The contamination of groundwater by pesticides is a worldwide problem because of their tissue degradation and carcinogenic nature. They are bio-accumulative and relatively stable and therefore, require close monitoring.

The pesticides used for agricultural, forestry and domestic activities leach into the groundwater and therefore, it is very important to study their transportation behavior in different types of soil media.

This document by ACWADAM is a report of a rapid geohydrological assessment of some of the microwatersheds from parts of Bolangir district Orissa.

Bolangir district in Orissa forms a part of one of the hottest and backward regions of India with low land-productivity, and opportunities and technologies for agriculture in the district remain relatively unexplored.

Vagaries of rainfall and the underlying hard-rock geology further compound the problem and limit agricultural productivity to a great extent. Given such natural uncertainties, systematic implementation of a watershed management programme is the most viable avenue to overcome the problems of this region.

Bolangir district was thus selected as pilot area to conduct a pre-feasibility exercise for planning of water resources management. ACWADAM, Pune was invited, along with Samaj Pragati Sahayog, Bagli to conduct this pre-feasibility exercise.

The report attempts to provide solutions to the twin problems of waterlogging and salinity in the irrigated command area through various drainage or traditional reclamation measures viz controlling the intensity of irrigation, providing drainage system, lining, improving natural drainage, preventing seepage or adopting modern technology for application of water.

The report presents guidelines for hydrological investigations in a small watershed. A watershed is an individual entity, and is a naturally occurring unit of the landscape, which contains a complex array of interlinked and interdependent resources and activities irrespective of political boundaries. In addition, it is logical unit having readily identifiable boundaries and characteristics of water movement, which helps in coordinated planning and management.