Determination of Ground Water Stressed Regions of Visakhapatnam District using ArcMap

Abstract

Water is essential for human life, which is vastly used for basic needs like drinking and other domestic, irrigational and industrial purposes etc. The main sources of water are classified as surface and sub-surface sources. The surface water resources are varied like rivers, ponds, lakes etc. but the sub-surface resources are only water bearing aquifers. Day by day the sub surface water is degrading due to many reasons like pollution, climate change etc. Therefore, studies on conservation of ground water is important. For the present study, data of ground water levels for eleven years (2007-2017) at 69 locations of various mandals (zones) in Visakhapatnam district (Andhra Pradesh, India) was obtained from the A.P. Ground Water and Water Audit Department, Visakhapatnam. By using ArcMap of ArcGIS and the spatial and temporal variations were mapped onto the base map of Visakhapatnam. The results indicated ‘water stressed areas’ in the study region. It was observed that the ground water levels dwindled drastically in the years 2016 and 2017. The results of the study highlighted the immediate necessity to scale up the ground water conservation measures and efficient design of the ground water resource systems in the area.