Sustainable management of urban groundwater in Lahore central business district: Trends, challenges, and economic implications

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This study assesses the groundwater status in Lahore's newly developed Central Business District, examining both shallow and deep groundwater supplies, and emphasizes the need for alternative water sources to preserve deep aquifers for future use. Data was collected from different authorities from 2003 to 2022 and analyzed using GIS software to map groundwater variations across Lahore. The study found consistent fluctuations in groundwater levels, with significant decreases in areas of Gulberg and Shadman. In 2003, Shadman had the lowest groundwater level at 34.74 m, while Gunj Kalan was 6.78 m. By 2022, Gunj Kalan's groundwater level had risen to 12.84 m, while those in Muslim Town and Shadman had dropped to 51.82 m. The average annual groundwater depletion was 1.13 m. The economic analysis highlighted the capital-intensive nature of conjunctive deep and shallow water supply systems but noted their lower operational and maintenance costs. Using deep aquifers for drinking water and shallow aquifers for other needs optimizes groundwater usage, potentially conserving over 90% of deep aquifer volume. Increasing groundwater pumping by 18% could further deplete resources by 0.4 m per year, while an 18% decrease could raise levels by 0.19 m per year. Conjunctive use of deep and shallow aquifers could save 21,854 m 3 per day of deep aquifer water, presenting an efficient solution for managing groundwater depletion and promoting sustainable water resource practices.