| Abstract Submission No. | ABS-2.3-0130 |
| Title of Abstract | Evaluation of replenishable aquifers in crystalline hard rocks using multi-disciplinary approach |
| Authors | ENATULA APPALANAIDU*, SAHEBRAO SONKAMBLE |
| Organisation | 1) CSIR-NGRI, Hyderabad-500007,2) AcSIR, Ghaziabad ⿿ 201002,India |
| Address | Room No. 211, Groundwater building, CSIR-NGRI Hyderabad, TELANGANA, India Pincode: 500007 E-mail: appalanaiduenatula@gmail.com |
| Country | India |
| Presentation | Poster |
| Abstract | Groundwater availability in crystalline hard rock terrains is highly variable due to heterogeneous nature of fractured and weathered zones and over exploitation has caused declining water levels and deteriorating quality in many areas. Therefore, a comprehensive evaluation of aquifer vulnerability is essential to support judicious management, safeguarding their long-term sustainability and resilience to over use and environmental stresses. This study presents a multi-disciplinary assessment of shallow and deep aquifers in a 368 km2 crystalline hard rock watershed by integrating Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), hydrograph analysis of 84 wells across two seasons and hydro chemical assessment to evaluate aquifer heterogeneity and vulnerability. The results indicate that AHP-derived groundwater potential zones (GWPZs) and ERT surveys effectively delineated a three-layer litho structure revealing the heterogeneous nature of crystalline hard rocks. Shallow aquifers (<30 m depth) exhibited pronounced water level fluctuations (up to 5.6 m), reflecting their dynamic behaviour influenced by fractured lithology and seasonal recharge-discharge processes. In contrast, deeper wells (>30m depth) showed minimal fluctuations (R2 =0.82), indicating the relatively static nature of confined aquifers. Further hydrochemical analysis revealed that shallow aquifers subject to frequent surface water interaction are dominated by carbonate weathering whereas deeper aquifers show silicate weathering signatures consistent with longer residence times and limited surface influence. This study presents a comprehensive aquifer vulnerability map and recommends measures to mitigate over extraction supporting sustainable groundwater management and ensuring the long-term viability of replenishable aquifers in crystalline hard rock terrains |
| Keywords | Replenishable aquifers, Hydro dynamics, Geospatial, Hydrogeophysics, Hydrochemical characterization; Southern India |