CAUSES OF GROUNDWATER DEPLETION-

1. Groundwater depletion most commonly occurs because of the frequent pumping of water from
the ground. We pump the water more quickly than it can renew itself, leading to a dangerous shortage
in the groundwater supply. As a growing world with population that continues to rise, the more we
pump water from the ground at a rapid rate, the more difficult it is for the groundwater to provide us
with the amount of water that we need.

2. We continuously pump groundwater from aquifers and it does not have enough time to replenish
itself. Water flows freely through the saturated rocks known as aquifers. There are large and small
aquifers, and they are the underground water reserves that absorb water and hold it, enabling us to
pump it for use.

The amount of water that aquifers hold is beyond impressive and can provide us with billions of gallons
of water per day. While this amount of water seems plentiful, groundwater is a major contributor to
the Earth’s freshwater supply and is responsible for providing up to 40% of freshwater in the world.
Therefore, it doesn’t have the ability to recollect quickly enough to be continually sourced for our use.

3. Agricultural needs require a large amount of groundwater. It’s frightening to think that there isn’t
very much groundwater left when you consider how much water we use on a daily basis to support
our population of billions and our personal lifestyles. A large amount of groundwater goes to farming,
but the availability of groundwater is steadily declining.

Without it, it will be extremely difficult to provide drinking water and water for crops and animals that
would help communities during times of drought. The less water that is available, the less food we
have and we will be faced with the issue of great demand and very little supply.

4. Groundwater depletion can also occur naturally. The problems we would face with freshwater
shortage is sure to cause problems in every aspect of our lives. The activities that lead to groundwater
depletion come mostly from humans, but a portion of it also comes from changes in our climate and
can speed up the process.

EFFECTS OF GROUND WATER DEPLETION-

Lowering of the water table

The most severe consequence of excessive groundwater pumping is that the water table, below which
the ground is saturated with water, can be lowered. For water to be withdrawn from the ground,
water must be pumped from a well that reaches below the water table. If groundwater levels decline
too far, then the well owner might have to deepen the well, drill a new well, or, at least, attempt to
lower the pump. Also, as water levels decline, the rate of water the well can yield may decline.

Increased costs for the user

As the depth to water increases, the water must be lifted higher to reach the land surface which
increase the cost.

Reduction of water in streams and lakes

There is more of an interaction between the water in lakes and rivers and groundwater. Water flowing
in rivers comes from seepage of groundwater into the streambed and thus reductiomn of water in
streams and lakes take place.
Groundwater pumping can alter how water moves between an aquifer and a stream, lake, or wetland
by either intercepting groundwater flow that discharges into the surface-water body under natural
conditions, or by increasing the rate of water movement from the surface-water body into an aquifer.
A related effect of groundwater pumping is the lowering of groundwater levels below the depth that
streamside or wetland vegetation needs to survive. The overall effect is a loss of riparian vegetation
and wildlife habitat.

Land subsidence

The basic cause of land subsidence is a loss of support below ground. In other words, sometimes when
water is taken out of the soil, the soil collapses, compacts, and drops. This depends on a number of
factors, such as the type of soil and rock below the surface. Land subsidence is most often caused by
human activities, mainly from the removal of subsurface water.

Deterioration of water quality

One water-quality threat to fresh groundwater supplies is contamination from saltwater intrusion. All
of the water in the ground is not fresh water; much of the very deep groundwater and water below
oceans is saline. In fact, an estimated 3.1 million cubic miles (12.9 cubic kilometers) of saline
groundwater exists compared to about 2.6 million cubic miles (10.5 million cubic kilometers) of fresh
groundwater Under natural conditions the boundary between the freshwater and saltwater tends to
be relatively stable, but pumping can cause salt water to migrate inland and upward, resulting in
saltwater contamination of the water supply.

PRESENT SCENARIO IN INDIA

The groundwater assessment in India is carried out on Watershed
basis where a watershed is a hydrological entity with a single
outlet with average area ranges between 200-300 km2. Table 1
shows Statewise groundwater situation in terms of groundwater
availability utilization and categorization of assessment units
(watershed) in India. The table indicates that the annual
groundwater recharge in the Country is 433.02 bcm and the
present utilization for all purposes is 230.62 bcm, while the
availability of groundwater is 399.25 bcm. The groundwater needs
are catered through 9.2 million dug wells, 11 million bore wells
(mainly used for drinking water purposes) and 9.10 shallow tube
wells. Groundwater extraction (annual draft) is worth 230 bcm,
with 58 % of stage of development i.e. ratio of annual draft with
annual availability. The water levels in the phreatic zones range
between 4-10 m below ground level for the major part of the
Country, however the water table ranges between 15- 20 m (bgl)
in the western part of the Country, particularly in the states of
Rajasthan and Gujarat. The average seasonal fluctuation of
phreatic aquifers is between 4-6 m. The annual yield of the
abstraction structures i.e. dug wells with depth range varying
between 12-15 m ranges between 0.01 to 0.015 mcm in general.
However, the yield of the bore well is around 0.02 mcm since the
depth of the bore well is more i.e. in the range of 60-90 m in
promising aquifers.
 SPREADING METHODS FOR ARTIFICIAL RECHARGE OF GROUNDWATER
The term water spreading refers to the releasing of water over the ground surface in order to
increase the quantity of water infiltrating into the ground and percolating to the water table.

Spreading methods may be classified as flooding,basin,ditch or

furrow,natural channel and irrigation.

BASIN METHOD-

Water may be recharged by releasing it into basins which are formed by excavations or by
construction of dikes or levees.Silt-free water aids in preventing sealing of basin during
submergence.

ADVANTAGES-

1. Can be enforced easily parallel to natural stream channel where streamflow is being
diverted for recharge of a series of basins.
2. This method permits water contact over 75 to 90% gross area.
3. Attractiveness, efficient use of the space and ease of maintainance.
4. Efficiency and feasibility of this method is more in hard rock formation.

DISADVANTAGES-

1. Efficiency of this method decreases in soft strata.

2. Not suitable for impermeable soil.

STREAM CHANNEL METHOD-

Water spreading in a natural stream channel involves operations that will increase the time and
area over which water is recharged from a naturally losing channel. This involves both upstream
management of streamflow and channel modifications to enhance infiltration. Upstream
reservoirs enable erratic runoff to be regulated and ideally limit streamflows to rates that do not
exceed the absorptive capacity of downstream channels.

Improvements of stream channels may include widening, leveling,

scarifying, or ditching to increase infiltration. In addition, low check dams and dikes can be
constructed across a stream where a wide bottom occurs; these act as weirs and distribute the
water into shallow ponds occupying the entire streambed.

ADVANTAGES-

1. This method is useful where wide bottom occurs.

2. Simply constructed annually by bulldozer at the end of the high stream flow season.
3. This method is applicable in alluvial area as well as hard formation.
DISADVANTAGES-

1. This method is not useful where rivers are prone to flash floods.

Ditch-and-Furrow Method-

In the ditch-and-furrow method, water is distributed to a series of ditches, or furrows, that

are shallow, flat-bottomed, and closely spaced to obtain maximum water-contact area. One
of three basic layouts is generally employed: (I) contour, where the ditch follows the ground
con- tour and by means of sharp switchbacks meanders back and forth across the land; (2)
tree- shaped, where the main canal successively branches into smaller canals and ditches;
and (3) lateral, where a series of small ditches extend laterally from the main canal.

Ditch widths range from 0.3 to 1.8 m. On very steep slopes,

checks are sometimes placed in ditches to minimize erosion and to increase the wetted area

ADVANTAGES-

1. Less soil preparation is required than basin method.

2. In areas with irregular topography ditches or furrow provides maximum water
contact area.

DISADVANTAGES-

1. Less sensitive to silting.

2. Clogging effect is more as compared to other methods.

Flooding Method

In relatively flat topography, water may be diverted to spread evenly over a large area. In practice,
canals and earth-distributing gullies arc usually needed to release the water at intervals over the
upper end of the flooding area. It is desirable to form a thin sheet of water over the land, which
moves at a minimum velocity to avoid disturbing the soil.

ADVANTAGES-

1. Well suited for the flat topography.

2. This method requires least land preparation compared to other method.
3. Relatively higher rates of vertical infiltration is obtained on areas with undisturbed
vegetation.

DISADVANTAGES-

1. This method is not suitable for uneven terrain.

2. This method is not suitable where hard strata is present.

REFERENCES-

“Ground Water Hydrology” by D.K. TOOD

PARTICIPANTS DETAILS-

1. NAME- SAURABH KUMAR DEWANGAN

E-mail ID – sau.skd@gmail.com

Contact No – 9669996180,9521874694

College- Government Engineering College,Bilaspur (CHHATTISGARH)

2. NAME-ABHISHEK KUMAR DEWANGAN

E-mail ID - abhishekdewangan468@gmail.com
Contact No - 8959393620
College- Chouksey Engineering College,Bilaspur (CHHATTISGARH)

3. NAME- NEELAM SONI

E-mail ID - nickeysoni01@gmail.com
Contact No- 9691284151
College- Government Engineering College,Bilaspur(CHHATTISGARH)