Identification of Groundwater Recharge Potential Zones in Semi-arid region of Kalasapadu Mandal, YSR District, Andhra Pradesh using Geospatial and AHP Techniques

Abstract

The conservation and sustainable advancement of soil and water resources is one of the fundamental standards for the improvement in arid and semi-arid regions of India. The present study is underway to evaluate the artificial groundwater recharge zones (AGRZ) in the semi-arid region of Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh, India using Remote sensing (RS), Geographical information system (GIS) Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP)approaches. The comparative weights were assigned to different thematic layers with the help of the decision making approach of AHP.The set of eight thematic layers that influence the groundwater recharge potential of the area is determined for the respective weights that depend on the AHP weightages. These weights are normalized using the AHP approach to identify the AGRZs in the present study to improve policies towards the sustainable development.In thisstudy area, recharge zones are categorised into various types they are low, moderate, high and very high potentials. The AGRZ of the present study resultsreveals that 4.52% (9.77 km²) of the area was found as very good and 57.48 % (124.16 km²) of the zone fallen on good zone for artificial recharge of groundwater. Other hand 36.98% (79.88 km²), and 1.02 % (2.21 km²) of the complete zone goes under individually moderate and poor AGRZs.