THE “TYPOLOGY” APPROACH IN UNDERSTANDING GROUNDWATER

Advanced Center for Water Resources Development and Management (ACWADAM)

Plot 4, Lenyadri society, Sus road, Pashan, Pune-411021. 020-25871539

Email: acwadam@vsnl.netWebsite: www.acwadam.org

Groundwater: work (always!) in progress…

SA groundwater typology: rise and fall of groundwater socio-ecologies (T. Shah, 2009)

Basalt aquifer: water level depletion

After Kulkarni (1987) and Macdonald, Kulkarni & others (1995)

Eco-zones – evolving typology of a watershed in moments of transition(after M. Shah et al, 1998)

Aquifer typology – groundwater in Deccan basalt rocks of west-central India(after Kulkarni et al, 2000)

Basalt: hydrogeological typology

Confined and unconfined aquifers

Water level typology: shallow & deep basalt aquifers

AGRAR, 2006

Pie diagram for BW1

Legend

Na

Ca

Cl

SO4

CO3

Deeper confined aquifer

Cl

Na

CO3

Pie diagram for BW3

Legend

Na

Ca

Cl

HCO3

SO4

Shallow unconfined aquifer

HCO3

Na

Ca

SO4Cl

Water quality

AGRAR, 2006

“Generality” factor: a challenge in understanding groundwater

• Scale– Regional: planning– Local: dynamics (e.g.

extraction patterns)

• Mappability– Scale of mapping– Units for groundwater

mapping

• Information– Source– Type– Scale of availability

The classical model – regional vs local aquifers

20 m

Regional and local hard-rock aquifers

Regionally weathered hard-rock systems may behave like alluvial aquifers…

20 m

50 m

Aquifers: units for “understanding”groundwater resources

Neemkheda watershed…

Neemkheda aquifer…

Neemkheda: Geology

Typologies: our work in Bagli tehsil, Dewas district, MP

Typology 1

Typology 2

Typology 3Typology 4

Typology 5

Typology 6

Geospatial analysis: understanding the typology of groundwater

10 km

Typology 1: Hydrogeological map

Typology 1: geology & groundwater movement

Typology 1: Principal areas of natural groundwater recharge and discharge

Conceptual model – Typology 1

• Aquifer system 3 forms the transition between typologies 1 and 2

• Some leakage from Typology 1 to Typology 2 is expected, especially if patterns of usage in typology 2 change…

Matrix of protocols and feasibility of their implementation as part of the Groundwater Management Strategy in the Project Area (derived on the basis of participatory planning between ACWADAM and SPS teams over a period of a year…a continuously ongoing process)

* = ja$rI (Necessary)

= kaya-rt krnaa saMBava hO (Possible to implement)

?= kaya-rt krnao maoM AinaiScatta (Uncertainty in implementation)

*** User groups

Borkhalya

* Patpadi

** User groups

Nachanbor

Groundwater management through sharing

*?

****Regulation of Agricultural water use

*?

**?

*Depth Regulation (w.r.t drinking well)

*?

*****Distance (w.r.t drinking water well) regulation

**?

***Pump capacity regulation

*?

**?

*Efficient well use

*** Land-use protection

?

*?

*Protection of recharge areas

******Geohydrology in WSD

Typology 6Typology 5Typology 4Typology 3Typology 2Typology 1Protocols

Typology context in ACWADAM’s work in Purandar

Deccan basalt and associated alluvial sediments – drought-prone area

Typology 1 & 3

Typology 3: Groundwater resources – not fully developed; potential for management

Groundwater chemistry: major ions

Typology 2

Typology 1

Typology 3

Purandar: typologies

1: Overexploitation: Macro-level interventionrequired; recharge-schemes, legislation(?)…

2: Groundwater quality:provision of better quality drinking water; unconventional methods of recharge...

3: Groundwater management: micro-scaleinterventions enough; regulation to protect / incentivize initiative…

In conclusion

• Typology at “right” scale.

• Groundwater typology– Hydrogeological (specific to geology and problems)– Socio-economic: stages of development– Ecological: recognition of precise role of groundwater

on macro-ecology.

• Groundwater management– Spatial: hydrogeological & ecological– Temporal: sociological (and economic)– Responses: where to do what and when…