Palakkad District, Kerala
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क� द्र�यू�म भ जल बोड셍 जल संसाधन, नद� �वकास और गंगा संर�ण मंत्रालय भारत सरकार Central Ground Water Board Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Government of India Report on MAPPING OF HARD ROCK AQUIFER SYSTEM AND AQUIFER MANAGEMENT PLAN Palakkad District, Kerala के र ल �ेत्र, �त्रवेꅍ饍गम Kerala Region, Thiruvananthapuram भारत सरकार GOVERNMENT OF INDIA , MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION के न्द्रीय भूमिजल बो셍 ड CENTRAL GROUND WATER BOARD MAPPING OF HARD ROCK AQUIFER SYSTEM AND AQUIFER MANAGEMENT PLAN IN CHITTUR & MALAMPUZHA BLOCKS OF PALAKKAD DISTRICT, KERALA PREFACE The State of Kerala, located in the South-western tip of India, accounts for only 1.2 percent of its geographical area but is home to about 3 percent of its population. Although bestowed with copious average annual rainfall of more than 3000 mm and also endowed with large surface water resources, only a small portion of the available resources is being utilized. To overcome the paradoxical situation, a proper understanding of the disposition, extents, characteristics, status of resource and quality aspects of the water-bearing formations, is required to ensure judicious and planned utilization of this precious natural resource and its long-term sustainability. Detailed aquifer mapping studies in Kerala State were taken up with this objective, prioritizing study of the Over exploited and Critical blocks along with Coastal aquifers during the Twelfth plan. The report titled “Mapping of hard rock aquifers systems in Chittur and Malampuzha Blocks of Palakkad district, Kerala” gives a complete and detailed scientific account of the various aspects of the hard rock aquifers in the area including its vertical and horizontal dimensions, flow directions, quantum and quality of the resources, of both - the shallow and deeper zones of the hard rock aquifers in Chittur and Malampuzha blocks. Voluminous data were generated consequent to hydrogeological studies, ground water regime monitoring studies, exploratory drilling, geophysical studies etc carried out in the area, are incorporated in the report. The information is further supplemented by documenting all the relevant available data collected from concerned state department. It portrays the various ground water issues pertaining to the area alongwith recommendation for suitable interventions and remedial measures. Thus it provides a total and holistic solution to the water security problems in the over exploited and critical blocks of Palakkad district. This document has been prepared under the guidance of Dr. N.Vinayachandran,Scientist D & Nodal Officer, National Aquifer Mapping Studies in Kerala, Central Ground Water Board and through the sincere and painstaking efforts of Sh.S.Singathurai, Scientist B, Dr. S.Shakti Murugan, Assistant Hydrogeologist, of the Central Ground Water Board, Kerala Region, Trivandrum. I take this opportunity to thank all of them for their help and cooperation in the preparation of this report. I am also thankful to the Chairman, Members and officers of CGWB, Faridabad for their valuable guidance in finalizing this document. Thanks are also due to various organizations of Government of Kerala and Government of India for providing data required for the compilation of this document. I hope this compilation will be of help to the planners, administrators and stakeholders in the water sector in Kerala and will serve as a useful guide for the optimal and sustainable management of limited ground water resources in Chittur and Malampuzha Blocks. Trivandrum May 2016 (V.Kunhambu) Regional Director Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Objectives ..................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Approach and Methodology ........................................................................................................... 1 1.3 About the area ............................................................................................................................... 2 1.4 Climate.......................................................................................................................................... 2 1.5 Soil ............................................................................................................................................... 3 1.6 Cropping Pattern ........................................................................................................................... 3 1.7 Drainage ........................................................................................................................................ 3 1.8 Previous work ............................................................................................................................... 4 1.9 Geology of the area ....................................................................................................................... 5 1.10 Structures .................................................................................................................................... 6 2.0 DATA COLLECTION, GENERATION AND INTEGRATION ................................................ 7 2.1 Data collection and data gap analysis ............................................................................................. 7 2.1.1 Water Level Monitoring ......................................................................................................... 7 2.1.2 Exploration ............................................................................................................................. 8 2.1.3 VES and Profiling .................................................................................................................. 8 2.1.4 Water Quality Monitoring....................................................................................................... 8 2.2 Data Generation and Integration .................................................................................................... 9 2.2.1 Groundwater Exploration ....................................................................................................... 9 2.2.2 Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) and Profiling ................................................................. 10 2.2.3 Water levels and piezometric heads ...................................................................................... 11 2.3 Water quality monitoring ............................................................................................................. 12 3.0 DATA INTERPRETATION AND AQUIFER MAPPING .......................................................... 16 3.1 Rainfall ....................................................................................................................................... 16 3.2 Soil Characteristics ...................................................................................................................... 19 3.3 Geomorphology ........................................................................................................................... 19 3.4 Drainage characteristics ............................................................................................................... 20 3.5 The aquifer systems ..................................................................................................................... 22 3.5.1 Thickness of weathered zone ................................................................................................ 23 3.5.2 Water levels ......................................................................................................................... 23 3.5.3 Saturated thickness of the weathered zone ............................................................................ 29 3.5.4 Water level trend .................................................................................................................. 30 3.5.5 Quality of water in the weathered zone ................................................................................. 32 3.5.6 Groundwater potential of weathered zone ............................................................................. 35 3.5.7 Fracture Aquifer Geometry ................................................................................................... 37 3.5.8 Geophysical Investigations ................................................................................................... 39 3.5.9 Piezometric head in the fracture zone .................................................................................... 43 3.5.10 Groundwater and its relation to Geological Structures ......................................................... 46 3.5.11 Aquifer characteristics ........................................................................................................ 49 3.5.12 Groundwater potential of fracture aquifer system ................................................................ 51 3.5.13 Water quality in fracture aquifer system .............................................................................. 52 4. GROUNDWATER RESOURCES .................................................................................................. 56 4.1 Dynamic groundwater Resources in the weathered zone .............................................................. 56 4.2 Groundwater resources