1. THE “TYPOLOGY” APPROACH IN
UNDERSTANDING GROUNDWATER
Advanced Center for Water Resources Development and Management
(ACWADAM)
Plot 4, Lenyadri society, Sus road, Pashan, Pune-411021.
020-25871539
Email: acwadam@vsnl.net
Website: www.acwadam.org

2. Groundwater: work (always!) in progress…

3. SA groundwater typology: rise and fall of groundwater socio-ecologies (T. Shah, 2009)

4. Basalt aquifer: water level depletion
After Kulkarni (1987) and Macdonald, Kulkarni & others (1995)

5. Eco-zones – evolving typology of a watershed in moments of transition
(after M. Shah et al, 1998)

6. Aquifer typology – groundwater in Deccan basalt rocks of west-central India
(after Kulkarni et al, 2000)

7. Basalt:
hydrogeological typology

8. Confined and unconfined aquifers

9. Water level typology:
shallow & deep basalt aquifers
AGRAR, 2006

10. Pie diagram for BW3
Legend
Na
Ca
Water quality
Na Cl
HCO3
Ca SO4
SO4
Cl
HCO3
Shallow unconfined aquifer
Pie diagram for BW1
Legend
AGRAR, 2006 Na
Ca
Cl
Na
SO4
CO3
Cl
CO3
Deeper confined aquifer

12. “Generality” factor: a challenge in
understanding groundwater
• Scale
– Regional: planning
– Local: dynamics (e.g.
extraction patterns)
• Mappability
– Scale of mapping
– Units for groundwater
mapping
• Information
– Source
– Type
– Scale of availability

13. The classical model – regional vs local aquifers
20 m

14. Regional and local hard-rock aquifers
50 m
Regionally weathered hard-rock systems may behave like alluvial aquifers…
20 m

16. Aquifers: units for “understanding”
groundwater resources
Neemkheda watershed…
Neemkheda: Geology
Neemkheda aquifer…

17. Typology 1
Typology 3
Typology 4
Typology 2
Typology 5
Typology 6
Typologies: our work in Bagli tehsil, Dewas district, MP

18. Geospatial analysis:
understanding the
typology of
groundwater
10 km

19. Typology 1: Hydrogeological map

20. Typology 1: geology & groundwater movement

21. Typology 1: Principal areas of
natural groundwater recharge and discharge

22. Conceptual model – Typology 1
• Aquifer system 3 forms the transition between typologies 1 and 2
• Some leakage from Typology 1 to Typology 2 is expected, especially if
patterns of usage in typology 2 change…

23. Matrix of protocols and feasibility of their implementation as part of the
Groundwater Management Strategy in the Project Area (derived on the
basis of participatory planning between ACWADAM and SPS teams over a
period of a year…a continuously ongoing process)
* = ja$rI (Necessary)
= kaya-rt krnaa saMBava hO (Possible to implement)
?= kaya-rt krnao maoM AinaiScatta (Uncertainty in implementation)

24. Protocols Typology 1 Typology 2 Typology 3 Typology 4 Typology 5 Typology 6
Geohydrology in * * * * * *
WSD
Protection of * * * Land-use * *
recharge areas ? protection
?
Efficient well use * * * *
? ?
Pump capacity * * * * *
regulation ?
Distance (w.r.t * * * * * *
drinking water well) ?
regulation
Depth Regulation * * * *
(w.r.t drinking well) ? ?
Regulation of * * * * *
Agricultural water ?
use
Groundwater * User * * * User * *
management groups Patpadi groups
through sharing
Nachanbor Borkhalya

26. Typology context in ACWADAM’s work in Purandar
Deccan basalt and associated alluvial sediments – drought-prone area

27. Typology 1 & 3

28. Typology 3: Groundwater resources – not fully
developed; potential for management

29. Groundwater chemistry: major ions
Typology 2
Typology 1
Typology 3

30. Purandar: typologies
1: Overexploitation: Macro-level intervention
required; recharge-schemes, legislation(?)…
2: Groundwater quality:
provision of better quality
drinking water;
unconventional methods of
recharge...
3: Groundwater management: micro-scale
interventions enough; regulation to protect /
incentivize initiative…

31. In conclusion
• Typology at “right” scale.
• Groundwater typology
– Hydrogeological (specific to geology and problems)
– Socio-economic: stages of development
– Ecological: recognition of precise role of groundwater
on macro-ecology.
• Groundwater management
– Spatial: hydrogeological & ecological
– Temporal: sociological (and economic)
– Responses: where to do what and when…