Abstract
Groundwater vulnerability was assessed through the SINTACS-LU model to explore the aquifers which are more susceptible to contamination. The aquifers of the Palayamkottai taluk are at risk due to the uncontrolled agricultural practice and urbanization. As these aquifers are the source of water to most of the population, mitigation of the risk to the aquifer is essential. This proposed model uses eight parameters like water table depth, effective recharge, depth to unsaturated zone, soil media, aquifer media, hydraulic conductivity, topography, and land use to assess the vulnerability through index measurements. The index in the vulnerability map was reclassified through the cumulative score index (CSI) technique. Sensitivity investigation was done to survey the effect of each parameter over the vulnerability. Agricultural regions (185 km2) and built-up regions (50 km2) covering more than 50% of the land use exert pressure on the intrinsic resistance of the aquifers and put them at risk. The classified map has four classes according to vulnerability such as very high vulnerable zone (53.3 km2), high vulnerable zone (81.95 km2), moderate vulnerable zone (125.22 km2), and low vulnerable zone (39.8 km2). The vulnerability assessment made by the inclusion of land use in the intrinsic vulnerability can help in sustainable development of sub-urban regions.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Achu AL, Reghunath R, Thomas J (2020) Mapping of groundwater recharge potential zones and identification of suitable site-specific recharge mechanisms in a tropical river basin. Earth Syst Environ 4:131–145. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41748-019-00138-5
Ahirwar R, Malik MS, Shukla JP (2020) Groundwater vulnerability assessment of Hoshangabad and Budni industrial area, Madhya Pradesh, India, using geospatial techniques. Appl Water Sci 10:1–14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13201-020-1172-9
Al Kuisi M, El-Naqa A, Hammouri N (2006) Vulnerability mapping of shallow groundwater aquifer using SINTACS model in the Jordan Valley area, Jordan. Environ Geol 50:651–667. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-006-0239-8
Alam F, Umar R, Ahmed S, Dar FA (2014) A new model (DRASTIC-LU) for evaluating groundwater vulnerability in parts of central Ganga Plain, India. Arab J Geosci 7:927–937. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-012-0796-y
Aller L, Bennett T, Lehr JH, Petty RJ, Hackett G (1987) DRASTIC : a standardized system for evaluating ground water pollution potential using hydrogeologic settings. Environmental Production Agency, U.S.
American Public Health Association (2012) Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater. Washington, DC
Anim GM, Anornu GK, Agodzo SK, Applah-Adjel EK (2019) Groundwater risk assessment of shallow aquifers within the Atankwidi Basin of Northeastern Ghana. Earth Syst Environ 3:59–72. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41748-018-0077-3
Anand B, Karunanidhi D, Subramani T, Srinivasamoorthy K, Suresh M (2020) Long-term trend detection and spatiotemporal analysis of groundwater levels using GIS techniques in Lower Bhavani River basin, Tamil Nadu, India. Environ Dev Sustain 22:2779–2800. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-019-00318-3
Anand B, Karunanidhi D, Subramani T, Srinivasamoorthy K, Raneesh Kolladi Y (2017) Prioritization of subwatersheds based on quantitative morphometric analysis in lower Bhavani basin, Tamil Nadu, India using DEM and GIS techniques. Arab J Geosci 10(24). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-017-3312-6
Ashokraj C, Kirubakaran M, Colins Johnny J (2015) Estimation of groundwater vulnerability using remote sensing and GIS techniques. Int J Innov Res Sci Technol 1(9):118–125
Babiker IS, Mohamed AAM, Tetsuya H, Kikuo K (2005) A GIS-based DRASTIC model for assessing aquifer vulnerability in Kakamigahara Heights, Gifu Prefecture, central Japan. Sci Total Environ 345:127–140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2004.11.005
Balamurugan P, Kumar PS, Shankar K (2020a) Dataset on the suitability of groundwater for drinking and irrigation purposes in the Sarabanga River region, Tamil Nadu, India. Data Br 29:105255. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2020.105255
Balamurugan P, Kumar PS, Shankar K, Nagavinothini R, Vijayasurya K (2020b) Non-carcinogenic risk assessment of groundwater in southern part of Salem district in Tamilnadu, India. J Chil Chem Soc 65:4697–4707. https://doi.org/10.4067/S0717-97072020000104697
CGWB (2009) Technical Report Series District Groundwater Brochure Tirunelveli District. Tamil Nadu, Tirunelveli
Chamanehpour E, Hossein SM, Yousefi E (2020) The potential evaluation of groundwater pollution based on the intrinsic and the specific vulnerability index. Groundw Sustain Dev 10:100313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsd.2019.100313
Civita M, De Maio M (2004) Assessing and mapping groundwater vulnerability to contamination: the Italian “combined” approach. Geofis Int 43:513–532
Civita M, De Maio M, Ubertini L (2000) Valutazione e cartografia automatica della vulnerabilità degli acquiferi all’inquinamento con il sistema parametrico Sintacs R5: a new parametric system for the assessment and automatic mapping of ground water vulnerability to contamination. Pitagora
Colins Johnny J, Sashikkumar M, Anas P, Kirubakaran M (2016) GIS-based assessment of aquifer vulnerability using DRASTIC Model: a case study on Kodaganar basin. Earth Sci Res J 20:H1–H8. https://doi.org/10.15446/esrj.v20n1.52469
Edet AE (2004) Vulnerability evaluation of a coastal plain sand aquifer with a case example from Calabar, southeastern Nigeria. Environ Geol 45:1062–1070. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-004-0964-9
El-Zeiny AM, Elbeih SF (2019) GIS-based evaluation of groundwater quality and suitability in Dakhla Oases, Egypt. Earth Syst Environ 3:507–523. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41748-019-00112-1
Etefa G, Frankl A, Lanckreit S, Biadgilgn D, Gebreyohannes Z, Amanuel Z, Nyssen J (2018) Changes in landuse/landcover mapped over 80 years in the highlands of northern Ethiopia. J Geogr Sci 28(10):1538–1563. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11442-018-1560-3
Ghosh A, Tiwari AK, Das S (2015) A GIS based DRASTIC model for assessing groundwater vulnerability of Katri Watershed, Dhanbad, India. Model Earth Syst Environ 1:1–14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40808-015-0009-2
Masoud MH, El Osta MM (2016) Evaluation of groundwater vulnerability in El-Bahariya Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt, using modelling and GIS techniques: A case study. J Earth Syst Sci 125:1139–1155. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-016-0725-7
Hasan M, Islam MA, Aziz Hasan M, Alam MJ, Peas MH (2019) Groundwater vulnerability assessment in Savar upazila of Dhaka district, Bangladesh — a GIS-based DRASTIC modeling. Groundw Sustain Dev 9:100220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsd.2019.100220
Heath RC (2004) Basic ground-water hydrology., 10th edn. U .S. Geological Survey
Kapelj S, Loborec J, Kapelj J (2013) Assessment of aquifer intrinsic vulnerability by the SINTACS method. Geol Croat 66:119–128. https://doi.org/10.4154/gc.2013.09
Kirubakaran M, Colins Johnny J, Ashokraj C (2019) Delineating the groundwater potential zone in Tirunelveli Taluk, South Tamil Nadu, India, using remote sensing, geographical information system (GIS) and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) Techniques. Proc Natl Acad Sci India Sect A Phys Sci. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40010-019-00608-5
Kirubakaran M, Colins Johnny J, Ashokraj C, Arivazhagan S (2016) A geostatistical approach for delineating the potential groundwater recharge zones in the hard rock terrain of Tirunelveli taluk, Tamil Nadu, India. Arab J Geosci 9:382. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-016-2419-5
Kumar A, Pramod Krishna A (2019) Groundwater vulnerability and contamination risk assessment using GIS-based modified DRASTIC-LU model in hard rock aquifer system in India. Geocarto Int:6049. https://doi.org/10.1080/10106049.2018.1557259
Kumari M, Sarma K, Sharma R (2019) Using Moran’s I and GIS to study the spatial pattern of land surface temperature in relation to land use/cover around a thermal power plant in Singrauli district, Madhya Pradesh, India. Remote Sens Appl Soc Environ 15:100239. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsase.2019.100239
Machiwal D, Jha MK, Singh VP, Mohan C (2018) Assessment and mapping of groundwater vulnerability to pollution: Current status and challenges. Earth-Science Rev 185:901–927. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2018.08.009
Meiyappan P, Roy PS, Sharma Y et al (2017) Dynamics and determinants of land change in India: integrating satellite data with village socioeconomics. Reg Environ Chang 17:753–766. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-016-1068-2
Mobin Eftekhari, Mohammad Akbari (2020) Evaluation of the SINTACS-LU model capability in the analysis of aquifer vulnerability potential in semi-arid regions. J Appl Res Water Wastewater. doi:10.22126/ARWW.2020.4785.1151
MoEF&CC (2019) Annual report 2019–20: Ministry of Environment. Change, Forests and Climate
Mohamed A, Worku H (2020) Urban land cover and morphometric analysis for flash flood vulnerability mapping and riparian landscape conservation in Kebena river watershed. Addis Ababa Applied Geomatics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12518-020-00318-3
Nahin KTK, Basak R, Alam R (2020) Groundwater vulnerability assessment with DRASTIC index method in the salinity-affected southwest coastal region of Bangladesh: a case study in Bagerhat Sadar, Fakirhat and Rampal. Earth Syst Environ 4:183–195. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41748-019-00144-7
Napolitano P, Fabbri A (1996) Single parameter sensitivity analysis for aquifer vulnerability assessment using DRASTIC and SINTACS. In: Proceedings of the 2nd HydroGIS conference,. IAHS Publ Appl Geogr Inf Syst Hydrol Water Resour Manag (Proceedings Vienna Conf April 1996) 235:559–566
Neshat A, Pradhan B, Pirasteh S, Shafri HZM (2014a) Estimating groundwater vulnerability to pollution using modified DRASTIC model in the Kerman agricultural area, Iran. Environ Earth Sci 71(7):3119–3131. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-013-2690-7
Neshat A, Pradhan B, Dadras M (2014b) Groundwater vulnerability assessment using an improved DRASTIC method. Resour Conserv Recycl 86:74–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2014.02.008
Neshat A, Pradhan B (2014) An integrated DRASTIC model using probabilistic based frequency ratio and two new hybrid methods for groundwater vulnerability assessment. Nat Hazards 76(1):543–563. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-014-1503-y
Neshat A, Pradhan B (2017) Evaluation of groundwater vulnerability to pollution using DRASTIC framework and GIS. Arab J Geosci 10(22):501. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-017-3292-6
Noori R, Ghahremanzadeh H, Kløve B, Adamowski JF, Baghvand A (2019) Modified-DRASTIC, modified-SINTACS and SI methods for groundwater vulnerability assessment in the southern Tehran aquifer. J Environ Sci Heal - Part A Toxic/Hazardous Subst Environ Eng 54:89–100. https://doi.org/10.1080/10934529.2018.1537728
Piscopo G (2001) Groundwater vulnerability map explanatory notes Groundwater vulnerability map explanatory notes Castlereagh Catchment
Linsley RK, Kohler MA, Paulhus JLH (1988) Hydrology for engineers. McGraw-Hill, London
Rajamanikam M, Raj BJR, Sathiyan R, Chandra Prasath VTS, Mahendran M, Punithavathy U, Mariasusai M (2016) Coastal geomorphological mapping of Tirunelveli District, Southern Tamilnadu using GIS. Int J Eng Manag Res 6:569–572
Ramos Leal JA, Tapia Silva FO, Sandoval Montes I (2012) Analysis of aquifer vulnerability and water quality using SINTACS and geographic weighted regression. Environ Earth Sci 66:2257–2271. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-011-1447-4
Rapti-Caputo D, Sdao F, Masi S (2006) Pollution risk assessment based on hydrogeological data and management of solid waste landfills. Eng Geol 85:122–131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2005.09.033
Rimon Y, Dahan O, Nativ R, Geyer S (2007) Water percolation through the deep vadose zone and groundwater recharge: preliminary results based on a new vadose zone monitoring system. Water Resour Res 43:1–12. https://doi.org/10.1029/2006WR004855
Rosenmeier MF, Hodell DA, Brenner M, Curtis JH, Martin JB, Flavio S, Guilderson TP (2002) Influence of vegetation change on watershed hydrology: implications for paleoclimatic interpretation of lacustrine δ19O records. J Paleolimnol 27(1):117–131. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1013535930777
Samson S, Elangovan K (2015) Delineation of groundwater recharge potential zones in Namakkal District, Tamilnadu, India using remote sensing and GIS. J Indian Soc Remote Sens 43:769–778. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12524-014-0442-0
Kumar S, Thirumalaivasan D, Radhakrishnan N, Mathew S (2013) Groundwater vulnerability assessment using SINTACS model. Geomatics, Nat Hazards Risk 4:339–354. https://doi.org/10.1080/19475705.2012.732119
Sahoo SN, Sreeja P (2012) Application of geospatial technologies to determine imperviousness in periurban areas. Int J Remote Sens Appl 2(4):47–51 IJRSA10068/IJRSA10068
Seto KC (2002) Monitoring landuse change in the Pearl River Delta using Landsat TM. Int J Remote Sens 23(10):1985–2004
Srinivasamoorthy K, Vijayaraghavan K, Vasanthavigar M, Rajivgandhi R, Sarma VS (2011) Integrated techniques to identify groundwater vulnerability to pollution in a highly industrialized terrain, Tamilnadu, India. Environ Monit Assess 182:47–60. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-010-1857-x
TNT&CP (2004) Master Plan for Tirunelveli Local Planning Area. Tirunelveli
USDA (1999) Soil taxonomy: a basic system of soil classification for making and interpreting soil surveys, 2nd edn. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
WHO (2008) WHO guidelines for drinking-water quality, 3rd edn
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Responsible Editor: Biswajeet Pradhan
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Jesudhas, C.J., Chinnasamy, A., Muniraj, K. et al. Assessment of vulnerability in the aquifers of rapidly growing sub-urban: a case study with special reference to land use. Arab J Geosci 14, 60 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-020-06439-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-020-06439-8