Groundwater Flow Direction and Long Term Trend of Water Level of Nadia District, West Bengal : A Statistical Analysis

Groundwater utilization of Nadia district Weest Bengal has been emerging rapidly in the wake of increasing urbanization and production of agricultural commodities and it is, therefore, necessary to evaluate the existing trend and availability of groundwater in time and space for proper planning in near future Historical groundwater level records, in this respect, provide an important data base for reckoning long term changes in groundwater regime which may be an useful tool for judicious future planning of groundwater utilization In this perspective, present paper strives to analyze the long term (1984- 1998) trend of pre- and post-monsoon water table through the 53 Permanent Hydrograph Stations, maintaned by State Water Investigation Directorate, Govt of West Bengal, distributed all through Nadia district Statistical analysis shows that, although, most part of the district expenences a declining trend in water table or depletion of groundwater resources in pre-monsoon period to cope up with ongoing demand, the post-monsoon water table shows generally a nsing trend of water table ie more input of water in the underground aquifer As the influx of water primarily depends on the replenishment of the aquifer from the prime source of rain water, a correlation of yearly rainfall trend and pre- and post-monsoon water table trend has been made for the specified perlod and a positive correlation is observed for the district A composite plot of pre- and post-monsoon gradicnt contour or water table trend map offers a resultant complete scenario of the whole district which implies that the district is not in a critical condition up to the present moment as per the water table trend or input-output groundwater balance is concerned Besides, ground water flow direction has been determined from the water table contour map which demonstrates a general NW-SE flow direction of the district with the development of a local depression zone in lean period, even below mean sea level, in the southern part of the district.