Your search found 24 records
1 Chinnasamy, Pennan; Hubbart, J. A. 2014. Potential of MODFLOW to model hydrological interactions in a Semikarst floodplain of the Ozark Border Forest in the Central United States. Earth Interactions, 18(20):1-24. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1175/EI-D-14-0015.1]
Hydrology ; Models ; Surface water ; Groundwater flow ; Nitrates ; Precipitation ; Floodplains ; Stream flow ; Forests ; Riparian zones / Central USA / Missouri / Ozark Forest
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H046708)
http://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/pdf/10.1175/EI-D-14-0015.1
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H046708.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H046708.pdf
(1.81 MB) (1.81 MB)
Riparian shallow groundwater and nutrient movement is important for aquatic and forest ecosystem health. Understanding stream water (SW)–shallow groundwater (GW) interactions is necessary for proper management of floodplain biodiversity, but it is particularly confounding in underrepresented semikarst hydrogeological systems. The Modular Three-Dimensional Finite-Difference Ground-Water Flow Model (MODFLOW) was used to simulate shallow groundwater flow and nutrient transport processes in a second-growth Ozark border forest for the 2011 water year. MODFLOW provided approximations of hydrologic head that were statistically comparable to observed data (Nash–Sutcliffe = 0.47, r2 = 0.77, root-mean-square error = 0.61 cm, and mean difference = 0.46 cm). Average annual flow estimates indicated that 82% of the reach length was a losing stream, while the remaining 18% was gaining. The reach lost more water to the GW during summer (2405 m3 day-1) relative to fall (2184 m3 day-1), spring (2102 m3 day-1), and winter (1549 m3 day-1) seasons. Model results showed that the shallow aquifer had the highest nitrate loading during the winter season (707 kg day-1). A Particle-Tracking Model for MODFLOW (MODPATH) revealed significant spatial variations between piezometer sites (p = 0.089) in subsurface flow path and travel time, ranging from 213 m and 3.6 yr to 197 m and 11.6 yr. The current study approach is novel with regard to the use of transient flow conditions (as opposed to steady state conditions) in underrepresented semikarst geological systems of the U.S. Midwest. This study emphasizes the significance of semikarst geology in regulating SW–GW hydrologic and nutrient interactions and provides baseline information and modeling predictions that will facilitate future studies and management plans.
2 Maheshwari, B.; Varua, M.; Ward, J.; Packham, R.; Chinnasamy, Pennan; Dashora, Y.; Dave, S.; Soni, P.; Dillon, P.; Purohit, R.; Hakimuddin; Shah, Tushaar; Oza, S.; Singh, P.; Prathapar, Sanmugam; Patel, A.; Jadeja, Y.; Thaker, B.; Kookana, R.; Grewal, H.; Yadav, K.; Mittal, H.; Chew, M.; Rao, P. 2014. The role of transdisciplinary approach and community participation in village scale groundwater management: insights from Gujarat and Rajasthan, India. Water, 6(11):3386-3408. [doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/w6113386]
Community involvement ; Groundwater management ; Groundwater recharge ; Water table ; Water use ; Sustainability ; Watersheds ; Rain ; Villages ; Farmers ; Households ; Living standards ; Socioeconomic environment ; Gender / India / Gujarat / Rajasthan / Meghraj watershed / Dharta watershed
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H046716)
(1.38 MB) (1.39 MB)
Sustainable use of groundwater is becoming critical in India and requires effective participation from local communities along with technical, social, economic, policy and political inputs. Access to groundwater for farming communities is also an emotional and complex issue as their livelihood and survival depends on it. In this article, we report on transdisciplinary approaches to understanding the issues, challenges and options for improving sustainability of groundwater use in States of Gujarat and Rajasthan, India. In this project, called Managed Aquifer Recharge through Village level Intervention (MARVI), the research is focused on developing a suitable participatory approach and methodology with associated tools that will assist in improving supply and demand management of groundwater. The study was conducted in the Meghraj watershed in Aravalli district, Gujarat, and the Dharta watershed in Udaipur district, Rajasthan, India. The study involved the collection of hydrologic, agronomic and socio-economic data and engagement of local village and school communities through their role in groundwater monitoring, field trials, photovoice activities and education campaigns. The study revealed that availability of relevant and reliable data related to the various aspects of groundwater and developing trust and support between local communities, NGOs and government agencies are the key to moving towards a dialogue to decide on what to do to achieve sustainable use of groundwater. The analysis of long-term water table data indicated considerable fluctuation in groundwater levels from year to year or a net lowering of the water table, but the levels tend to recover during wet years. This provides hope that by improving management of recharge structures and groundwater pumping, we can assist in stabilizing the local water table. Our interventions through Bhujal Jankaars (BJs), (a Hindi word meaning “groundwater informed” volunteers), schools, photovoice workshops and newsletters have resulted in dialogue within the communities about the seriousness of the groundwater issue and ways to explore options for situation improvement. The BJs are now trained to understand how local recharge and discharge patterns are influenced by local rainfall patterns and pumping patterns and they are now becoming local champions of groundwater and an important link between farmers and project team. This study has further strengthened the belief that traditional research approaches to improve the groundwater situation are unlikely to be suitable for complex groundwater issues in the study areas. The experience from the study indicates that a transdisciplinary approach is likely to be more effective in enabling farmers, other village community members and NGOs to work together with researchers and government agencies to understand the groundwater situation and design interventions that are holistic and have wider ownership. Also, such an approach is expected to deliver longer-term sustainability of groundwater at a regional level.
3 Chinnasamy, Pennan; Hubbart, J. A. 2015. Stream and shallow groundwater nutrient concentrations in an Ozark forested riparian zone of the central USA. Environmental Earth Sciences, 73(10):6577-6590. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-014-3880-7]
Groundwater ; Surface water ; Stream flow ; Nutrients ; Nitrates ; Phosphorus ; Potassium ; Ammonium ; Hydrology ; Riparian zones ; Case studies / Central USA / Ozark Forest
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H046717)
(1.12 MB)
Characterizing spatiotemporal variations in surface water (SW)–shallow groundwater (GW) nutrient concentrations is important to predict stream ecosystem responses to disturbance. Unfortunately, there is a lack of such information from mixed-deciduous semi-karst hydro-geological regions. Nitrate (NO3 -), total phosphorous (P), potassium (K) and ammonium (NH4 +) concentrations were monitored in a case study between an Ozark stream and riparian hardwood forest GW over the 2011 water year in the central USA. Average SW NO3 -, P, K and NH4 + concentrations were 0.53, 0.13, 3.29 and 0.06 mg L-1, respectively. Nine meters from the streambank, average GW NO3 -concentration was 0.01 mg L-1, while P, K and NH4 + concentrations were 0.03, 1.7 and 0.04 mg L-1, respectively. Hyperbolic dilution model results indicated that NO3 - and K exhibited dilution behavior, while NH4 + had a concentration effect and P was hydrologically constant. Observed seasonal NO3 - concentration patterns of winter maxima and summer minima in SW (1.164 and 0.133 mg L-1) and GW (0.019 and 0.011 mg L-1) were supported by previous studies yet exhibited distinct semi-karst characteristics. Results indicate that in addition to relatively low residence time, lower nutrient concentrations in GW (relative to SW) may suggest that shallow GW flow processes are important for vegetation removal and retention of nutrients from streams in semi-karst shallow groundwater systems of the central USA.
4 Chinnasamy, Pennan; Agoramoorthy, G. 2015. Groundwater storage and depletion trends in Tamil Nadu State, India. Water Resources Management, 29(7):2139-2152. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11269-015-0932-z]
Groundwater depletion ; Groundwater recharge ; Water storage ; Water resources ; Irrigation water ; Rain ; Dams ; Agriculture ; Green revolution ; Soil moisture ; Remote sensing ; Satellite surveys ; Sustainability ; Models / India / Tamil Nadu
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H046818)
(0.70 MB)
Groundwater irrigation is the most predominant method used across India. The south Indian state of Tamil Nadu is one of the largest producers of agricultural products, and is largely dependent on groundwater for irrigation. The impact of increased irrigation due to intensification of agricultural activities on groundwater levels has not been well researched, both spatially and temporally. Hence this study has used remote sensing data from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment and the Global Land Data Assimilation Systems to assess the total change in groundwater storage across the state of Tamil Nadu over a period of 11 years, from 2002 to 2012. The results show groundwater depletion at the rate of 21.4 km3 yr-1, which is 8% more than the annual recharge rate (19.81 km3 yr-1) owing to the total rainfall of 1016 mm yr1. Maximum depletion was observed in 2008, while the least depletion was observed in 2002 with rates of 41.15 and 0.32 cm yr-1, respectively. Districts such as Dharmapuri, Vellore and Thiruvannamali encountered intense groundwater depletion. Observed spatiotemporal groundwater storage will benefit India’s water resource managers and policymakers for the future management of groundwater resources to enhance food and water security.
5 Chinnasamy, Pennan; Misra, Gourav; Shah, Tushaar; Maheshwari, B.; Prathapar, Sanmugam. 2015. Evaluating the effectiveness of water infrastructures for increasing groundwater recharge and agricultural production – a case study of Gujarat, India. Agricultural Water Management, 158:179-188. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2015.05.009]
Groundwater recharge ; Agricultural production ; Water storage ; Water availability ; Watersheds ; Remote sensing ; Investment ; Soil moisture ; Farmland ; Seasonal cropping ; Monsoon climate ; Rain ; Vegetation ; Case studies / India / Gujarat
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047012)
(2.38 MB)
Groundwater for agricultural purposes is of utmost importance in the Indian state of Gujarat. To augment existing agricultural water resources, the Gujarat Government invested in many large-scale and smallscale water infrastructures (WI). In order to increase water storage and groundwater recharge and to justify further investments in WI, a better understanding on the impacts of past WIs is needed. This study uses data from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), along with soil moisture data from the Global Land Data Assimilation Systems, to estimate water storage before and after the intensification in the investment in WIs. In addition, Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) sensor was used to show changes in seasonal cropped areas during the same period. The analysis of data showed that the water storage in the state was estimated to be 24 BCM in 2003–2004 and 30 BCM in 2010–2011, an increase of 29% pre and post WI intensification. The Pixel Crop Duration Index (PCDI) indicated an increase in cropped area (at district level) in 2010–2011 when compared with 2003–2004 period, by 30% on yearly basis and about 80% during non-monsoon period. Results also indicates a significant net increase in water storage (by 5890 M m3 after water used for crop intensification) and increase in agricultural crop area (by 63,862 km2) in Gujarat during the period of intensification in infrastructures for water storage and groundwater recharge. Results also indicate that some districts have higher net water storage (compared to 2003), however the cropped area duration - PCDI has not increased much (e.g., Valsad and Navsari). The findings of this study can increase the understanding of the potential of WIs and provide valuable guidance for increasing cropped area in high water storage regions of Gujarat.
6 Bharati, Luna; Chinnasamy, Pennan; Khadka,Ambika; Okwany, Romulus. 2015. Watershed hydrology impact monitoring research. Inception Report. [Project report of the Building Climate Resilient Watersheds in Mountain Eco-Regions (BCRWME)] Kathmandu: Nepal: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 73p.
Mountains ; Water resources ; Knowledge management ; Land cover ; Water use ; Water storage ; Springs ; Catchment areas ; Meteorological stations ; Soil conservation / India / Himalayan Region
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047153)
(2.94 MB)
7 Chinnasamy, Pennan; Sunde, M. G. 2016. Improving spatiotemporal groundwater estimates after natural disasters using remotely sensed data: a case study of the Indian Ocean Tsunami. Earth Science Informatics, 9(1):101-111. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12145-015-0238-y]
Groundwater ; Water levels ; Water storage ; Natural disasters ; Disaster risk management ; Tsunamis ; Rain ; Flooding ; Salt water intrusion ; Remote sensing ; Coastal area ; Soil moisture ; Ecosystems ; Case studies / South Asia / India / Tamil Nadu / Indian Ocean
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047186)
(1.32 MB)
The Indian Ocean Tsunami of December 26, 2004 devastated coastal ecosystems across South Asia. Along the coastal regions of South India, increased groundwater levels (GWL), largely caused by saltwater intrusion, infiltration from inundated land, and disturbance of freshwater lenses, were reported. Many agencies allocated funding for restoration and rehabilitation projects. However, to streamline funding allocation efforts, district-level groundwater inundation/recession data would have been a useful tool for planners. Thus, to ensure better preparedness for future disaster relief operations, it is crucial to quantify pre- and post-tsunami groundwater levels across coastal districts in India. Since regional scale GWL field observations are not often available, this study instead used space gravimetry data from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE), along with soil moisture data from the Global Land Data Assimilation Systems (GLDAS), to quantify GWL fluctuations caused by the tsunami. A time-series analysis of equivalent groundwater thickness was developed for February 2004–December 2005 and the results indicated a net increase of 274 % in GWLs along coastal regions in Tamil Nadu following the tsunami. The net recharge volume of groundwater due to the tsunami was 16.8 km3, just 15 % lower than the total annual groundwater recharge (19.8 km3) for the state of Tamil Nadu. Additionally, GWLs returned to average within 3 months following the tsunami. The analysis demonstrated the utility of remotely sensed data in predicting and assessing the impacts of natural disasters.
8 Chinnasamy, Pennan; Maheshwari, B.; Prathapar, Sanmugam. 2015. Understanding groundwater storage changes and recharge in Rajasthan, India through remote sensing. Water, 7(10):5547-5565. [doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/w7105547]
Groundwater extraction ; Water storage ; Water use ; Water resources ; Remote sensing ; Rainwater ; Water harvesting ; Rainfall patterns ; Agroclimatic zones ; Irrigated farming ; Agriculture ; Case studies / India / Rajasthan
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047232)
(0.00 MB) (1.96 MB)
Groundwater management practices need to take hydrogeology, the agro-climate and demand for groundwater into account. Since agroclimatic zones have already been demarcated by the Government of India, it would aid policy makers to understand the status of groundwater recharge and discharge in each agroclimatic zone. However, developing effective policies to manage groundwater at agroclimatic zone and state levels is constrained due to a paucity of temporal data and information. With the launch of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission in 2002, it is now possible to obtain frequent data at broad spatial scales and use it to examine past trends in rain induced recharge and groundwater use. In this study, the GRACE data were used to estimate changes to monthly total water storage (TWS) and groundwater storage in different agroclimatic zones of Rajasthan, India. Furthermore, the long-term annual and seasonal groundwater storage trends in the state were estimated using the GRACE data and the trends were compared with those in rainfall data. The methodology based on GRACE data was found to be useful in detecting large scale trends in groundwater storage changes covering different agroclimatic zones. The analysis of data shows that groundwater storage trends depend on rainfall in previous years and, therefore, on the antecedent moisture conditions. Overall, the study indicates that if suitable groundwater recharge methods and sites are identified for the state, there is potential to achieve more groundwater recharge than what is currently occurring and, thus, enhancing the availability of water for irrigated agriculture.
9 Chinnasamy, Pennan; Bharati, Luna; Bhattarai, Utsav; Khadka, Ambika; Dahal, Vaskar; Wahid, S. 2015. Impact of planned water resource development on current and future water demand of the Koshi river basin, Nepal. Water International, 40(7):1004-1020. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/02508060.2015.1099192]
Water resources development ; Water demand ; Water power ; Electricity generation ; Water storage ; Water supply ; Irrigation water ; Domestic water ; Industrialization ; River basins ; Models / Nepal / India / Bihar / Koshi River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047251)
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/02508060.2015.1099192
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H047251.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H047251.pdf
(0.78 MB) (796 KB)
Water resources of the Koshi Basin (87,311km2) are largely untapped, and while proposals for their development exist, their impacts on current and future water demands are not quantified. The current study is the first to evaluate the impacts of 11 proposed development projects on hydropower generation and water storage. Results revealed that 29733GWh hydropower can be generated and 8382Million m3 (MCM) of water can be stored annually. This can satisfy unmet demands in current (660MCM) basin situation and future scenarios - i.e. population, agricultural and industrial growth – that are projected to have 920, 970 and 1003MCM unmet-demands, respectively by 2050.
10 Jadeja, Y.; Maheshwari, B.; Packham, R.; Hakimuddin; Purohit, R.; Thaker, B.; Goradiya, V.; Oza, S.; Dave, S.; Soni, P.; Dashora, Y.; Dashora, R.; Shah, Tushaar; Gorsiya, J.; Katara, P.; Ward, J.; Kookana, R.; Dillon, P.; Prathapar, Sanmugam; Chinnasamy, Pennan; Varua, M. 2015. Participatory groundwater management at village level in India – empowering communities with science for effective decision making. Paper Presented at the Australian Groundwater Conference 2015, Canberra, Australia, 3-5 November 2015. 20p.
Participatory approaches ; Groundwater management ; Water resources ; Watersheds ; Rural communities ; Villages ; Empowerment ; Decision making ; Drinking water ; Capacity building ; Hydrogeology ; Training ; Land resources ; Stakeholders ; Mapping / India / Gujarat / Rajasthan
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047332)
(0.68 MB)
There are many reasons behind the worsening groundwater situation that have led to a scarcity of quality water supply for sustaining lives and livelihoods in India, as well as in other parts of the world. The lack of a proper scientific understanding of this situation by the various stakeholders has been identified as one of the important gaps in the sustainable management of groundwater. This paper shares experiences from Gujarat and Rajasthan in western India where scientists, NGOs, government agencies and village leaders have worked together to explore strategies for sustainable groundwater management. The study involved a total of eleven villages in Gujarat and Rajasthan, India. The study’s main aim was to educate these communities through an intensive capacity building of (mainly) rural youth, called Bhujal Jaankars (BJs), a Hindi word meaning ‘groundwater informed’. The BJs were trained in their local settings through relevant theory and practical exercises, so that they could perform a geo-hydrological evaluation of their area, monitor groundwater and share their findings and experiences with their village community. The BJs went through a training program of a series of sessions totalling 45-days that covered mapping, land and water resource analysis, geo-hydrology, and water balance analysis, and finally groundwater management strategies. This approach has highlighted important learning that can be replicated in other parts of the two states and beyond. There are now 35 trained BJs who regularly monitor groundwater and rainfall in the two study watersheds, and provide data to both scientific and their own rural communities. This study has demonstrated that BJ capacity building has helped to provide a scientific basis for village level groundwater dialogue. This is now leading the communities and other stakeholders to improve their decision making regarding groundwater use, crop selection, agronomy, recharge strategies and other aspects of sustainable groundwater management. Although the BJ program has been successful and BJs can act as a valuable interface between local communities and other stakeholders, there still exists some challenges to the BJ programme, such as the need for mechanisms and funding sources that will sustain the BJs over the longer term; wider acceptance of BJs among scientific communities and policy makers; and the acceptance of the role and involvements of BJs in natural resources management programs of the State and Central governments in India.
11 Shah, Tushaar; Mishra, G.; Kela, Pankaj; Chinnasamy, Pennan. 2016. Har Khet Ko Pani? (Water to every farm?): emulate Madhya Pradesh's irrigation reform. IWMI-Tata Water Policy Research Highlight, 1. 8p.
Irrigation water ; Irrigation management ; Groundwater irrigation ; Farmers ; Public investment ; Irrigation canals ; Agricultural growth ; River basins ; Rainfed farming ; Crop production ; Wheat / India / Madhya Pradesh
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047423)
http://www.iwmi.cgiar.org/iwmi-tata/PDFs/iwmi-tata_water_policy_research_highlight-issue_01_2016.pdf
(1 MB)
12 Shah, Tushaar; Mishra, G.; Kela, Pankaj; Chinnasamy, Pennan. 2016. Har Khet Ko Pani?: Madhya Pradesh’s irrigation reform as a model. Economic and Political Weekly, 51(6):19-24.
Irrigation management ; Irrigation canals ; Models ; Investment ; State intervention ; Energy generation ; Agriculture ; Farmers organizations ; Water management / India / Madhya Pradesh
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047445)
(0.20 MB)
The Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana programme should concentrate on two low-hanging fruits. First, it should quickly put to use 20-40 million ha of unutilised irrigation potential created in major, medium and minor irrigation projects. Second, it should provide better quality power rations to farmers during the time of peak irrigation demand. Madhya Pradesh has done precisely this and multiplied the state’s irrigated area quickly, at small incremental cost, delivering double-digit agricultural growth.
13 Chinnasamy, Pennan; Agoramoorthy, G. 2016. India's groundwater storage trends influenced by tube well intensification. Ground Water, 6p. (Online first) [doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/gwat.12409]
Groundwater extraction ; Groundwater management ; Water storage ; Water levels ; Water resources ; Water policy ; Tube wells ; Intensification ; Sustainable agriculture ; Remote sensing ; Policy making ; Flow discharge ; Rain ; Soil moisture / India / West Bengal
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047489)
(0.57 MB)
Agriculture is a major occupation for people who inhabit the state of West Bengal in India. In order to boost irrigation, 570 tube wells per year were installed during 2002-2008, and 12,000 wells per year were installed during 2009-2013, contributing to higher groundwater (GW) withdrawal. However, the impact of tube wells on GW storage levels has not been well-studied, both spatially and temporally. Hence, this study used remote sensing data from NASA's Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment and the Global Land Data Assimilation Systems to assess change in GW storage. Results showed that GW is being depleted at 8, 5.3, and 14.7 cm (Billion Cubic Meters)/year during the study period. After tube well intensification, the state-wide average net GW recharge was 15.33 BCM/year, while the net GW discharge was at 19 BCM/year. The spatiotemporal GW storage data presented in this paper will benefit managers and policymakers in identifying suitable mitigation plans for future management of GW resources.
14 Varua, M. E.; Ward, J.; Maheshwari, B.; Ozac, S.; Purohit, R.; Hakimuddin; Chinnasamy, Pennan. 2016. Assisting community management of groundwater: irrigator attitudes in two watersheds in Rajasthan and Gujarat, India. Journal of Hydrology, 537:171-186. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2016.02.003]
Community management ; Groundwater management ; Groundwater recharge ; Water use ; Watershed management ; Water availability ; Water use ; Living standards ; Aquifers ; Irrigation ; Sustainability ; Institutions ; Farming systems ; Farmers ; Households ; Income ; Poverty ; Agriculture ; Land ownership / India / Rajasthan / Gujarat / Meghraj Watershed / Dharta Watershed
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047490)
(1.82 MB)
The absence of either state regulations or markets to coordinate the operation of individual wells has focussed attention on community level institutions as the primary loci for sustainable groundwater management in Rajasthan and Gujarat, India. The reported research relied on theoretical propositions that livelihood strategies, groundwater management and the propensity to cooperate are associated with the attitudinal orientations of well owners in the Meghraj and Dharta watersheds, located in Gujarat and Rajasthan respectively. The research tested the hypothesis that attitudes to groundwater management and farming practices, household income and trust levels of assisting agencies were not consistent across the watersheds, implying that a targeted approach, in contrast to default uniform programs, would assist communities craft rules to manage groundwater across multiple hydro-geological settings. Hierarchical cluster analysis of attitudes held by survey respondents revealed four statistically significant discrete clusters, supporting acceptance of the hypothesis. Further analyses revealed significant differences in farming practices, household wealth and willingness to adapt across the four groundwater management clusters. In conclusion, the need to account for attitudinal diversity is highlighted and a framework to guide the specific design of processes to assist communities craft coordinating instruments to sustainably manage local aquifers described.
15 Chinnasamy, Pennan; Prathapar, Sanmugam A. 2016. Methods to investigate the hydrology of the Himalayan springs: a review. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 28p. (IWMI Working Paper 169) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2016.205]
Hydrology ; Freshwater ; Water storage ; Water springs ; Water resources ; Groundwater ; Watershed management ; Water rates ; Meltwater ; Pumps ; Monitoring ; Catchment areas ; Isotope analysis ; Climate change ; Rain ; Temperature ; Mountains ; Flow discharge ; Hydrogeology / South Asia / Himalayan Region
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H047579)
(1 MB)
Springs are the major source of freshwater in many small mountainous watersheds within the Himalayan region. In recent years, their flow rates have diminished, but the reasons for this are not self-evident, and hence this paper reviews the methods to investigate Himalayan springs. The review reveals that chemical and isotope analyses – mostly water dating and stable isotope (e.g., d18O) analyses – could be an appropriate entry point to commence field investigations, because of their potential to map complex spring pathways, including linkages between aquifers. This should be combined with the building of hydrogeological maps with the available data. Output from desktop analyses, field investigations and hydrogeological maps could then contribute to the establishment of a conceptual model, which could form the basis for a numerical model.
16 Chinnasamy, Pennan. 2017. Depleting groundwater – an opportunity for flood storage?: a case study from part of the Ganges River Basin, India. Hydrology Research, 48(2):431-441. [doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/nh.2016.261]
Groundwater recharge ; Groundwater depletion ; Water storage ; Water resources ; Water levels ; Flooding ; River basins ; Rain ; Monsoon climate ; Aquifers ; Soil moisture ; Runoff ; Discharges ; Case studies / India / Ganges River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H047532)
(0.37 MB)
Storing excess rainwater underground can become key in mitigating the frequency and magnitude of flood events. In this context, assessment of depleted groundwater storage that can be refilled in water surplus periods is imperative. The study uses Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) data to identify variations in groundwater storage in the monsoonal Ramganga River basin (tributary of the Ganges, with an area of 32,753 km2) in India, over the nine-year period of 2002–2010. Results indicate that basin groundwater storage is depleting at the rate of 1.6 bill. m3 yr 1 . This depleted aquifer volume can be used to store floodwater effectively – up to 76% of the rainfall on average across the Ramganga with a maximum of 94% in parts of the basin. However, the major management challenge is to find and introduce technical and policy interventions to augment recharge rates to capture excess water, at required scales.
17 Amarasinghe, Upali A.; Muthuwatta, Lal; Smakhtin, Vladimir; Surinaidu, Lagudu; Natarajan, R.; Chinnasamy, Pennan; Kakumanu, Krishna Reddy; Prathapar, Sanmugam A.; Jain, S. K.; Ghosh, N. C.; Singh, S.; Sharma, A.; Jain, S. K.; Kumar, S.; Goel, M. K. 2016. Reviving the Ganges water machine: potential and challenges to meet increasing water demand in the Ganges River Basin. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 42p. (IWMI Research Report 167) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2016.212]
Water demand ; Water resources ; Water supply ; Water use ; Water storage ; Water quality ; Water accounting ; River basin management ; Groundwater irrigation ; Groundwater depletion ; Groundwater recharge ; Domestic water ; Irrigation water ; Surface water ; Runoff water ; Industrial uses ; Climate change ; Monsoon climate ; Flooding ; Drought ; Cost benefit analysis ; Aquifers ; Solar energy ; Renewable energy ; Pumping ; Cropping systems / South East Asia / India / Nepal / Bangladesh / Tibet / Ganges River Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI Record No: H047712)
(1 MB)
Although the Ganges River Basin (GRB) has abundant water resources, the seasonal monsoon causes a mismatch in water supply and demand, which creates severe water-related challenges for the people living in the basin, the rapidly growing economy and the environment. Addressing these increasing challenges will depend on how people manage the basin’s groundwater resources, on which the reliance will increase further due to limited prospects for additional surface storage development. This report assesses the potential of the Ganges Water Machine (GWM), a concept proposed 40 years ago, to meet the increasing water demand through groundwater, and mitigate the impacts of floods and droughts. The GWM provides additional subsurface storage (SSS) through the accelerated use of groundwater prior to the onset of the monsoon season, and subsequent recharging of this SSS through monsoon surface runoff. It was identified that there is potential to enhance SSS through managed aquifer recharge during the monsoon season, and to use solar energy for groundwater pumping, which is financially more viable than using diesel as practiced in many areas at present. The report further explores the limitations associated with water quality issues for pumping and recharge in the GRB, and discusses other related challenges, including availability of land for recharge structures and people’s willingness to increase the cropping intensity beyond the present level.
18 Chinnasamy, Pennan; Muthuwatta, Lal; Eriyagama, Nishadi; Pavelic, Paul; Lagudu, S. 2018. Modeling the potential for floodwater recharge to offset groundwater depletion: a case study from the Ramganga basin, India. Sustainable Water Resources Management, 4(2):331-344. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40899-017-0168-6]
Flooding ; Flood irrigation ; Models ; Groundwater depletion ; Water demand ; Water availability ; Water storage ; Water resources ; Water levels ; River basins ; Wet season ; Dry season ; Surface water ; Aquifers ; Hydrological factors ; Soil water ; Calibration ; Case studies / India / Ramganga Basin
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048331)
The Ganges basin faces considerable spatial and temporal imbalance between water demand and availability. Lack of water storage infrastructure has led to this mismatch, wherein there are limited options to store flood water during the wet season and limited groundwater and surface water resources during the dry season. In this current study, a semi-coupled hydrological modeling framework is used to test scenarios that can help bridge this imbalance. A hydrological model (SWAT), groundwater model (MODFLOW) and flood inundation model (HEC-RAS) were applied to the Ramganga basin in India (*19,000 km2) to understand the baseline hydrologic regime and to test scenarios with distributed managed aquifer recharge (MAR) interventions, which when applied to at the basin scale to co-address flooding and groundwater depletion has come to be known as Underground Taming of Floods for Irrigation. The scenarios with MAR, which used available basin runoff to recharge groundwater, yielded favorable results in flood reduction and groundwater level improvement throughout the sub-basin. Groundwater levels improved within 5 years of introducing MAR, resulting in a groundwater elevation increase of up to 7 mwhen compared to baseline conditions. The HEC-RAS model indicated that a 20% reduction in basin outflow converted a 15-year flood peak to an 8-year flood peak, a 5-year peak to 3 years and a 2-year peak to 1 year. In addition, this resulted in a 10% reduction in the inundated area in all return periods tested. Therefore, distributed MAR practices can be effective in reducing the negative impacts from larger return period floods and increasing the groundwater levels.
19 Chinnasamy, Pennan; Maheshwari, B.; Dillon, P.; Purohit, R.; Dashora, Y.; Soni, P.; Dashora, R. 2018. Estimation of specific yield using water table fluctuations and cropped area in a hardrock aquifer system of Rajasthan, India. Agricultural Water Management, 202:146-155. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2018.02.016]
Water table ; Water balance ; Water use ; Water storage ; Water levels ; Irrigation water ; Groundwater management ; Groundwater extraction ; Aquifers ; Crop production ; Farmland ; Land use ; Semiarid zones ; Monitoring ; Wells / India / Rajasthan / Dharta
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048615)
Assessment of specific yields is important for effective groundwater management in semi-arid hardrock aquifers, especially in India with its unsustainable groundwater usage rates. The Dharta watershed in the Udaipur district of Rajasthan is one such hardrock area in India where the groundwater extraction rate is a concern. In this study, we use groundwater balance analysis to estimate the specific yield (Sy) based on crop irrigation water use and changes in water table depths, during the irrigation season, to develop an understanding of the volume of groundwater recharge from pre and post monsoon water table depths and an understanding of the spatial and temporal changes in estimates of specific yield in the study area. The analysis used here estimates values at village scale (average area 3.65 km2) and is a technique compatible with the farmers monitoring of groundwater levels to facilitate local cooperative groundwater management. Five villages in the Dharta watershed in Rajasthan were selected and 50 wells per village were monitored for water table depth, at weekly intervals, over a two-year period. This resulted in a total of 250 wells in the study area and the monitoring was carried out by local farmer volunteers - called Bhujal Jankaars (BJs), a Hindi word meaning ‘groundwater informed.’ Crop area coverage (with a total of 40 crops) was examined for two years in the study area. Estimates of Sy in the five villages were between 1.4 and 8%, resulting in values comparable with previous studies. The watershed area-weighted average Sy was 3.8%. The method used in this study enabled estimates of recharge without needing a calibrated groundwater model in an area with sparse information on aquifer hydraulic characteristics and unreliable digital elevation maps.
20 Chinnasamy, Pennan; Maheshwari, B.; Prathapar, Sanmugam. 2018. Adaptation of standardised precipitation index for understanding watertable fluctuations and groundwater resilience in hard-rock areas of India. Environmental Earth Sciences, 77(15):1-16. [doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-018-7734-6]
Groundwater management ; Groundwater recharge ; Climate change ; Drought ; Rain ; Precipitation ; Water table ; Water use ; Water supply ; Aquifers ; Rural communities / India / Rajasthan / Gujarat / Udaipur District / Aravalli District
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H048871)
Groundwater use in India, and many developing countries, is linked to livelihood and well-being of village communities. It is, therefore, important to characterise groundwater behaviour and resilience and identify strategies that will help to improve the sustainability of groundwater supplies. The concept of Standardised Precipitation Index (SPI) has been widely used for analysing rainfall drought. In this study, we adapt SPI to understand watertable fluctuations and assess resilience of groundwater supplies vis-à-vis rainfall variability from one year to the next. The modified SPI, called Groundwater Resilience Index (GRI), represents a normalized continuous watertable elevation variability function. The index is applied to two districts, viz., Udaipur and Aravalli in Rajasthan and Gujarat, India, respectively, to assess its usefulness. To evaluate the association of rainfall variability with groundwater depth fluctuation, SPI was also calculated. The study showed that GRI varies less than SPI, indicating that groundwater availability is less variable than the rainfall in both districts. This means that groundwater increases reliability of water supply for irrigation in both districts. The estimated SPI and GRI at 6-month intervals for the study period show that even though the groundwater is not stressed (normal condition in 75% of the months observed), there is variation in resilience of the aquifer system to drought and extreme events. Overall, the study indicated that the proposed GRI can be a useful tool for understanding watertable fluctuations and assessing groundwater resilience, especially to prioritise areas for groundwater recharge when funds for recharge works are limited.
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