Gokulnath T. and Suresh Gandhi M.*

Department of Geology, University of Madras, Chennai- 600025(TN), India

(*Corresponding Author, E-mail: msureshgandhi@gmail.com)

Abstract

Groundwater depletion in hard rock terrains necessitates scientifically validated approaches for identifying suitable aquifer replenishment sites. This study integrates geophysical resistivity surveys with geospatial multi criteria analysis to delineate recharge potential zones in the Kiliyar Sub-Basin of the Palar River Basin, Tamil Nadu. Seven thematic layers, geomorphology, land use/land cover (LULC), lineament density, drainage density, slope, resistivity layer properties, and depth were generated using Landsat ETM+, SRTM DEM, and 32 Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) points. These parameters are converted to raster format and assigned rank and weights then computed from the Normalized Weight Method (NWM). All the layers have been integrated to generate final layer to assess the artificial recharge structures in the Kiliyar Sub-Basin. The final output zones are classified into five suitability categories: least suitable (5.66%), poorly suitable (22.91%), moderately suitable (29.25%), highly suitable (30.19%), and very highly suitable (12%), and the resulting recharge zonation map groups the basin into the same five classes from least to very highly suitable. The study area boundaries and drainage framework provide important spatial context for interpreting recharge behavior. This aquifer replenishment zone map will be useful for extraction and management of groundwater in the study area.

Keywords: Aquifer Replenishment, GIS, Resistivity Survey, Multi-criteria Analysis, Kiliyar Sub-Basin, Remote Sensing