Water budget study for groundwater recharge in Indus River Basin, Punjab (Pakistan)

Assessing groundwater recharge is crucial for managing and governing water resources in any region. Indus River Basin (IRB) is an area that relies heavily on canal and groundwater irrigation. The replenishment of groundwater is largely dependent on surface water supplies. The purpose of this research is to determine the amount of groundwater recharge from various sources in Rachna Doab. The study employed the water budget method to calculate seasonal groundwater recharge during the Rabi (October–March) and Kharif (April–September) (Summer) periods from 2005 to 2011. The main components of the recharge were rainfall, water conveyed through channels, and irrigation water applied to cultivated fields. Conversely, the extraction of water from private and public tube wells was the discharge component of the study. Groundwater levels increased during the Kharif season but decreased during the Rabi season. Average recharge contribution from rainfall was 45 and 14% during the Kharif and Rabi seasons, respectively. The total annual recharge from watercourses and irrigation fields was estimated to be approximately 33% of the total recharge. Rainfall was the most significant source of long-term seasonal recharge, followed by watercourses and irrigation fields. In general, the average depletion of the reservoir was 94 million cubic meters per season.