PRESENT SCENARIO OF GROUNDWATER TABLE IN SALINE PRONE AREAS OF PURBA MEDINIPUR IN WEST BENGAL, INDIA

Received 26 October 2020 Accepted 27 November 2020 Available online 03 December 2020 Accurate estimate of groundwater budgeting requires accurate identification of the locations containing freshwater especially if the concerned area is saline prone. Current trends everywhere show that surface water available is low due to low amount of rainfall and other reasons. People are more inclined to use groundwater for irrigation use, domestic use and industrial purpose. According to Ghyben-Herzberg principle, if the groundwater level declines one unit then the seawater intrusion will intrude around forty units towards the inland areas. Therefore the depth interface between the freshwater and saline water will also be shifted towards the inland. For this reason, it is really challenging to determine the present groundwater scenario and predicting groundwater potentials (GWPs) in coastal areas of Purba Medinipur. Here groundwater level is declining day-by-day. But the natural replenishment of groundwater is very low. Nearest rivers Haldi and Rupnarayanpur are less contaminated with seawater intrusion as these rivers are located at eastern coastal parts. Gross drafts from these rivers are becoming very low. Contemporary gross draft from groundwater is enhanced. So it is necessary to determine GWP of study area. Various equations and numerical modelling techniques are available to determine groundwater flux. In this study an attempt has been made to assess the present scenario of groundwater tables in saline prone areas alongwith identification of best method to estimate GWP.