Groundwater management in alluvial, coastal and hilly areas

Groundwater plays a major role in the modern world being used for drinking, irrigation and industrial development. The increasing population and developments in agricultural and industrial sectors depends on groundwater as it is a reliable source, and so it leads to overexploitation of groundwater without due regard to the recharging capacity of the aquifers. Groundwater extraction from most of the aquifers around the world has exceeded its recharge capacity, and hence the water table has gone down drastically leading to adverse environmental consequences like land subsidence and water quality deterioration. A proper assessment of groundwater resource should be undertaken to ensure sustainable management of groundwater. Hence, the present study proposes empirical methods for the sustainable groundwater resource management in alluvial, coastal and hilly regions.