Evaluation of Groundwater Resource Potential using GIS in Kurmapalli Watershed of Andhra Pradesh

Groundwater resources potential has been evaluated in Kurmapalli watershed, Andhra Pradesh, India using Geographic Information System (GIS) technique. It allows manipulation and analysis of individual layer of spatial data. It is used for analyzing and modeling the interrelationship between the layers. Various thematic maps have been prepared for geology, geomorphology, slope, drainage-density and lineaments of the study area using GIS technique. These thematic maps have been integrated with the help of GIS. Appropriate weightage has been assigned to various factors controlling occurrence of groundwater to assess the total groundwater potential in each segment of the study area. The results show that there are five categories of groundwater potential ranging from very good to poor. The categorizations of groundwater potential zones are in general agreement with the available yield data of the 438 existing dug wells, bore wells and tube wells. This depicts the favourable prospective zones in the study area for evaluation of groundwater potential.