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Groundwater is vital for human health, agriculture, and ecological balance, making its sustainable management increasingly important amid rising demand. This study presents a geospatial and multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to identify suitable artificial recharge sites. Ten key thematic layers—drainage density, rainfall, topographic wetness index (TWI), curvature, elevation, geomorphology, topographic position index (TPI), distance from rivers, land use/land cover, and slope—were selected based on their influence on groundwater recharge potential. Each layer was weighed using AHP, and the resulting normalized weights were integrated in a GIS environment to delineate Groundwater Potential Zones (GWPZs). The novelty of this research lies in overlaying the AHP-derived GWPZ map with identified artificial recharge locations, enabling precise site selection for recharge structures. The study area was classified into high, moderate, and poor recharge zones, with 74.6% falling under moderate potential. Model validation using ground truth well locations and the area under the curve (AUC) method yielded a high prediction accuracy of 80.01%, confirming the robustness of the methodology. A total of 176 suitable sites were identified, with recommendations for constructing percolation ponds and check dams. This approach enhances targeted groundwater recharge planning and supports sustainable water resource management. This research contributes directly to sustainable development goal 6 (clean water and sanitation) by promoting sustainable groundwater management and ensuring long-term water availability.
Shekar et al. (Wed,) studied this question.