Identification of potential groundwater conservation sites using RS & GIS in Raisen district, India

Groundwater resources in the Madhya Pradesh, India are under tremendous pressure due to heavy extraction for which artificial groundwater augmentation is necessary. In the present study, Remote sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) were applied to demarcate the suitable sites for artificial recharge and water conservation in the 5D4A7 watershed of the Udaipura block, Raisen district, Madhya Pradesh. Five thematic layers—drainage, geology, geomorphology, land use/land cover and soil were generated using IRS-1C LISS III satellite data, topographical sheets, and other secondary sources. Knowledge-based weightages were assigned to these layers, keeping in view their runoff and infiltration traits. Based on GIS overlay analysis, the entire watershed was classified into three distinct zones: runoff, recharge, and storage. Some specific water conservation structures were proposed for each zone, including gully plugs and check dams in runoff-dominated hilly regions, and percolation tanks, subsurface dykes, and cement bandharas in storage-prone alluvial tracts. Field validation using well-inventory data confirmed the model's accuracy; high-yield, shallow-depth wells (54,000–90,000 L/day) consistently aligned with the identified storage zones, while low-yield, deep wells (18,000–36,000 L/day) coincided with runoff zones. This spatial framework provides a cost-effective tool for policymakers to implement targeted Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) and mitigate the risk of water scarcity in the region.