IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF LANDUSE AND LANDCOVER ON GROUNDWATER STORAGE IN CANAL COMMAND AREA

Abstract

Assessment of effects due to land use change in groundwater storage is performed in Indira Sagar Canal Command area of 3500 km2 in Madhya Pradesh. Impact of land use change on ground water is more than surface water. Increased impervious area due to land use change has been major factor in contributing to decreased infiltration. The ground water storage is depleting due to fact that the extraction of groundwater to fulfill the demand of rapidly growth urbanization with constant surface water available and portion of the water infiltrating for groundwater storage is reduced due to increase in imperviousness. Estimating and managing groundwater resources require the integration of large amount of high quality data from a variety of sources. This study aims at assessing the effects of different strategies for groundwater recharge and storage. Therefore, several land-use change, groundwater recharge, groundwater storage equation, preparation of digital elevation model and drainage density scenarios were setup and their effects on water balance and groundwater dynamics analyzed with the help of ERDAS IMAGINE 9.2 and Arc GIS 9.3. Supervised land use classification methods were used for land use/land cover classification and showing what changes comes in canal command area. The groundwater storage of some village is found to be increasing after the canal construction (land-use change). This is due to fact that the demand of water is met by the canal supply and improved greenery results in higher the infiltration to the aquifer in many locations within the study area. This type of project is the need of the hour where there is water scarcity. The study witnessed increased socio-economic condition of people due to the irrigation system which ensures round the year cultivation. Indira sagar canal command has enhanced the food production in the district and state as a whole. Groundwater has played a major role in increasing the food production and achieving food security in India. It is an important source of water for various uses viz., agricultural, domestic and industrial needs.