Geographic information system and analytical hierarchical process approach for groundwater potential zone of lower Kulsi basin, India

Groundwater is a natural resource that performs human needs for drinking and other domestic purposes, agricultural productivity, and manufacturing activities. The potentiality of groundwater is the foremost aspect of sustainable land and water resource development in a region where surface water is insufficient to fulfil demand. This study aims to demarcate potential groundwater zones using the Analytical Hierarchical Process and Geographic Information System techniques based on geomorphology, soil, geology, lineament density, slope, drainage density, land use/land cover, rainfall, and surface water. Data were collected from authentic governmental organizations, mainly daily gauge rainfall from 2009 to 2018, high spatial resolution satellite images for land use land cover, the Survey of India topographical map with 20 m contour interval for elevation and slope, and the National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land-use Planning, India soil map was utilized in the case of the lower Kulsi basin, India. The input thematic layers were integrated using ArcGIS 10.6 software. Assigned weight to each category of input layers according to Saaty’s rating scale based on their character and influence on the potentiality using AHP. The resultant groundwater potential map derives five different grades of potentiality, very high, high, moderate, low, and very low. A high and very high probability of groundwater occurs within the alluvial plain. About 57.77% of the total area is under the category of moderate to very low-graded groundwater potentiality. After being validated successfully, the resultant map will contribute to determining potential groundwater reserves and land–water resource management plans.