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Participatory Groundwater Management
A case of Takarwan village of Beed district
Uma Aslekar
Dhaval Joshi
Viraj Rajguru
Rucha Deshmukh
Technical Report: ACWA/Hydro/2016/ H43
Advanced Center for Water Resources Development and Management
March 2016
Executive Summary
Advanced Center for Water Resources
Development and Management (ACWADAM)
and Maharashtra Knowledge Foundation
(MKF) initiated work on Participatory
Groundwater Management in Takarwan. The
project was initiated with the support from
Maharashtra Knowledge Foundation in
December 2013. The main objective of the
project was to create awareness among the
community about the groundwater and create
some data base about his scarce resource at the
village level. This data was used for preparation
of groundwater management plan for the
village.
Takarwan village is a typical village of Marathwada region of Maharashtra, facing water
scarcity especially; drinking water scarcity due to various factors including climate vagaries.
Although this village is located close to Godavari River, it is completely dependent on
groundwater. It has more than 350 dug wells and bore wells. The village faces problems
related to water availability and water quality. This report tries to address some of these
issues and seek a solution to those problems. Today, there is a dearth of scientific data
available at the village level. During the project period, some hydrogeological data was
collected in Takarwan by the community which was analyzed by ACWADAM team. This
data is presented in this report.
There is not much information available about ‘aquifers’ at the village level for Marathwada
region. ACWADAM has attempted to prepare an aquifer based groundwater management
plan for Takarwan. The report also showcases the process of Participatory groundwater
management in the village. Overall, this report gives glimpses of groundwater problems and
it’s solutions in a ‘typical’ village of Marathwada.
Contents
Executive Summary ......................................................... …
Introduction .................................................................... 1
Methodology ................................................................... 4
Background information .................................................. 6
Hydrogeological monitoring ............................................ 9
Aquifers ......................................................................... 18
Water quality ................................................................. 22
Socio-Hydrological situation .......................................... 27
Recommendations ......................................................... 33
1
Introduction
Takarwan village is located in Majalgaon taluka of Beed district of Maharashtra. It falls in
Marathwada region of Maharashtra. Marathwada region coincides with the Aurangabad
administrative division of Maharashtra which consists of eight districts viz. Aurangabad,
Jalna, Beed, Hingoli, Latur, Osmanabad, Parbhani and Nanded. Most of the division falls
under the drought prone area receiving rainfall in the range of 400 to 700 mm annually. The
eastern part of the division receives rainfall in the range of 800-1200 mm annually. The
entire region is underlain by the Deccan basalt geology which is predominant in the state of
Maharashtra.
The total area of Marathwada region is around 64813 km2 covering 21% of the total
geographic area of the district. The total population of Marathwada region is 1,87,31,872
which is 19% of the total population of the state. (Registrar General of India & Directorate of
Economics & Statistics, GoM) More than 72% population of Marathwada region is rural while
only 27% population is urban. Area wise Beed is the largest district with the area of approx.
10689 km2 and population of 25, 85,049 as per 2011 census. Figure 1 shows location of Beed
district in Maharashtra.
Figure 1: Location of Beed District in Marathwada region of Maharashtra
2
Beed district
Beed district consists of 11 taluka’s namely Ambejogai, Ashti, Beed, Dharur, Gevrai, Kej,
Shirur-Kasar, Parali, Patoda, Wadavani and Majalgaon. Village Takarwan is part of
Majalgaon taluka. As per 2011 census, there are 1360 villages in Beed district. Godavari is the
most important river flowing in the northern part of the district. There are other important
rivers like Manjara, Sindhphana, Van and Bindusara. The entire district is underlain by
Deccan basalts. The soil is dominantly black cotton soil of varied thickness. Deep and
medium black soils are found in the area closer to Godavari River. The average annual
rainfall of Beed district is 674 mm. The rainfall increase from east to west. In Majalgaon,
Parali and Ambejogai the average annual rainfall is above 720 mm. Figure 2 shows taluka’s of
Beed district.
Source: trimbakeshwar.in
Figure 2: Taluka of Beed district (
map not to scale
)
Out of the total area of 10689 km2, 10190 km2 area is cultivable (Agriculture Statistical
Information Maharashtra State 2005- 2006). The net sown area is 876000 Ha while 137700 Ha
area is under irrigation which is around 16% of the total agricultural area. The major crops
grown in Beed district are pearl millet, cotton, sorghum, pigeon pea and soybean. All these
are kharif non-irrigated crops. The main rabi irrigated crops are wheat, gram and safflower.
Sugarcane, an annual crop is also cultivated in Beed District.
The major source of irrigation is dug wells. There are 52082 dug wells and 2133 bore wells in
Beed district (Strategic Research and Extension Plan of Beed District). As per the GSDA, the stage
of groundwater development in Beed district is 50%, which is safe.
1
1
Over-exploited: groundwater utilization > 100%; critical: 90-100% semi-critical: 70-90%; safe: <
70%
3
Majalgaon taluka
Majalgaon taluka is located in the north western part of Beed district. It is located 59 km
from Beed towards east. There are 122 villages in Majalgaon taluka (Beed district Socio-economic
report, 2012). The project village, Takarwan, is located in this taluka. The total geographic
area of the taluka is 92246 Ha. Out of this, command area is 34151 Ha (37%) while non-
command area is 57945 Ha (63%). The average annual rainfall of the taluka is 648 mm.
The total land under agriculture is 63696 Ha. Out of which 1708 Ha is under irrigation.
There is no actual data available for the number of wells and bore wells in Majalgaon taluka.
However, as per the estimation on the basis of survey in 3-4 villages in Majalgaon taluka,
there are more than 10000 wells (ACWADAM estimate). There is also an increasing tendency
observed towards drilling of deep bore wells. Figure 3 shows the google earth image of
Majalgaon taluka.
Figure 3: Google earth image of Majalgaon taluka
ACWADAM and MKF jointly worked in a couple of villages under Participatory
Groundwater Management initiative in Majalgaon taluka. Takarwan is one of the project
villages where the project was implemented since December, 2013. The process and
methodology followed under PGWM is discussed below.
4
Methodology
Groundwater is the most important source for drinking water in India. Nearly 90% of the
villages in India are dependent on groundwater for drinking water supply. In Beed district,
97% of the public drinking water sources are groundwater based (NRDWP, 2015). More
than 60% agriculture in India is dependent on groundwater (Planning Commission report, 2009).
Groundwater is ubiquitous and can be tapped everywhere and unlike surface water it can be
developed by an individual farmer in his own backyard with small investments. This has
created a boom in digging and drilling of wells and bore wells in Maharashtra and India. In
Maharashtra, there are 1855342 dug wells, 113358 deep bore wells and 85000 shallow bore
wells (Minor Irrigation census, 2006). This rampant development of groundwater has created
serious problems related to availability and quality of groundwater across the country and
state. Therefore, management of groundwater is the only rational option left wherein,
groundwater can be judiciously and sustainably used.
Many people in different parts of India are trying to manage their groundwater by using
different methods like managed aquifer recharge, rainwater harvesting, bore well recharging,
augmenting groundwater with wastewater etc. However, there is a need of a collective effort
involving the community. Participatory Groundwater Management is one such effort
wherein ACWADAM with the help of MKF and community has prepared the aquifer based
groundwater management plan for Takarwan. In India, most recharge-augmentation has
piggybacked on programs like watershed development or conservation of water supply
sources, where the onus is on ‘treatment’ of watersheds, rather than a close consideration to
aquifers - the units in which groundwater resides. In Takarwan, under PGWM program,
initially, sensitization and awareness generation activities were undertaken which were
followed by hydrogeological monitoring for two hydrological cycles. Based on the data
generated at the village level, aquifers were delineated and groundwater balance was
prepared. In the end, groundwater management plan was developed for Takarwan.
The methodology for implementation of PGWM involves scientific understanding of
groundwater and understanding of social structure of the village. It is an interdisciplinary
process involving hydrogeological and social science to decipher and address the
groundwater problems. This process of PGWM followed in Takarwan is shown below.
5
Figure 4: Process of Participatory Groundwater Management
Community
sensitization and
capacity building
Collection of base line
information
( toposheet, cadastral
maps, DPR etc.)
Geological mapping &
preparation of
geological map
Establishing
monitoring network
(Rain gauge, well
inventory, water level
data, ‘V’ notch)
Aquifer delineation and
preparation of aquifer
maps
Conducting pumping
tests
Water quality analysis Socio-hydrological
survey Groundwater balance
Groundwater
management plan
6
Background information
Takarwan is located at around 22 km NW of Majalgaon. The watershed of Takarwan falls in
three toposheets of Geological Survey of India which is 56 A-4, 56 A-3, 47 M-16. The
geographical extent of the Takarwan watershed is 19o12‘N to 19o 17‘N and 75o59‘E to76o
2‘E. The total geographical area of the watershed is 18.72 km2. The maximum elevation in
this village is 480 m. while minimum elevation is 419 m. It is a relatively flat terrain with the
slopes towards northern direction. As per 2011 census, the total population of Takarwan is
5983 with 1249 households. There are 5 wards in the village and the village is largely
dependent on groundwater for drinking, domestic and agriculture use. There are 250 dug
wells and 100 bore wells in the village.
Figure 5: Base map for Takarwan watershed
7
Drainage analysis
The study of the geometry of drainage network of an area gives information about the
relationship between the surface runoff, the infiltration of rain water and relative
permeability of rocks exposed in a watershed. (Pakhmode, 2003) ACWADAM team has used
toposheets as base map to prepare the watershed map, topographic map, Geological map
etc. Drainage analysis helps in understanding the stream frequency and drainage density of
the area. Survey of India toposheets of 1: 50000 scale were used as base maps for the
drainage analysis.
Takarwan watershed is a fourth order basin draining directly into Godavari River. There are
51 first order streams, 13 second order, 3 third order streams. The bifurcation ration is less
than 5 indicating little or no structural control. The drainage pattern is dendritic, typical for
hard rock areas. The stream frequency is 3.63 streams per km2 while drainage density is 2.57
km/km2 indicating relatively flat terrain and moderate to good permeability.
Stream Order
Number
of Stream
Stream
Frequency
(no./km2)
Drainage
Density
(km/km2)
Takarwan
68
3.63
2.57
Geology
The study area is a part of Deccan Volcanic Province. It is underlain by Deccan basalts
formed from the eruption of lava around 65 million years ago. These basalts form step like
pattern hence are also called as Deccan Traps. These basalt lava ‘flows’ vary in thickness
from a few meters up to 10s or even 100s of meters. The Deccan basalts are quite
inhomogeneous in nature with highly variable conditions controlling groundwater
occurrence and movement.
These basalts are divided into three main components, compact basalt,
vesicular amygdaloidal basalt and contact between them which is
crudely called as red or green layer. In
Takarwan, the geological mapping is done
considering these three components. The
geology consists of 7 alternating layers of
Vesicular Amygdaloidal basalt and Compact
basalt. The compact basalt is massive in the
upper part of the watershed (above 464 m.).
Below that between 460m and 464 m. is the vesicular amygdaloidal
basalt unit which is weathered. Below is compact basalt unit which
is 17 m. thick. The upper 4 m. is highly weathered and below that is massive compact basalt.
8
The underlying vesicular amygdaloidal basalt unit and compact basalt unit is highly
weathered and is around 11 m. in thickness. In the lower part at the elevation between 410
m to 423 m. there is spheroidal weathering as well as sheet jointing observed in the compact
basalt. The vesicular amygdaloidal basalt is dominantly green in colour indicating presence of
Phyllosilicates (??)
Figure 6 shows geological map of Takarwan watershed.
Figure 6: Geological map and vertical cross section of Takarwan village
9
Hydrogeological monitoring
A basic monitoring network was established in Takarwan wherein, rainfall, well water level
and surface runoff were measured. A manual rain gauge was installed and the rainfall was
measured for every rainy day. There are more than 250 dug wells in the village. Out of
which, 30 wells were monitored on fortnightly basis. The surface run off was measured using
staff gauge as it was not possible to install a ‘V’ notch on any stream due to the width of the
stream. The streams are pretty wide and after rains it has water only for a few days. When it
rains, the streams overflow and within hours all the water drains in to Godavari. Later there
is very little water available in the stream. Therefore, the surface run off was measured using
staff gauge. This data was collected for two hydrological cycles (between Dec. 2013 and May
2015). The MKF team compiled this data on monthly basis and sent it to ACWADAM for
analysis. The data collected during the project is presented below.
Rainfall
In 2013, the rainfall in Takarwan was 608 mm.
There were 39 rainy days where rainfall was more
than 1 mm. The maximum rainfall of 35 mm.
occurred on 13th June 2013. July was the wettest
month with 240 mm. rainfall followed by September
receiving 210 mm rainfall. August was almost dry
with only 28 mm rainfall. In October 13 mm rainfall
was received which was mainly from the retreating
monsoon. 2012 was a drought year and so more
than 600 mm rainfall was closer to the long term
average for the district.
However, in 2014, the rainfall was well below
average. The total rainfall in 2014 was 294 mm
which is well below average annual rainfall.
There were only 27 rainy days where rainfall
was more than 1 mm. In June, the rainfall was
53 mm which was good enough for sowing.
But later the rainfall was pretty low and
farmers faced water scarcity during the kharif
season. The maximum rainfall of 143 mm was
received in the month of August followed by
79 mm in July. Figure 7 shows the rainfall for
Takarwan between June to September 2014.
10
In 2015 till October, the rainfall was 451 mm
which is also well below average annual
rainfall. Initially, in June the rainfall was
good. The rainfall in June was 116 mm.
However, the entire July was almost dry with
only 5 mm rainfall resulting in drought like
condition for crops. The major rainfall
occurred in August and September with 116
and 81.5 mm respectively. There were only
27 rainy days. Farmers had sown seeds with good rainfall in June. However, there was
absolutely no rainfall in July which resulted in second sowing for the farmers.
The comparison of rainfall for two years for Takarwan shows that there is a change in
rainfall pattern. There is no village level rainfall data available prior to 2013. The long term
average annual rainfall for Beed is 674 mm. Takarwan receives around 700 mm rainfall per
anum. However, in the last three years the rainfall was below average. There is also lot of
variation observed in the pattern. The rainfall commences in June with around 50 to 100
mm in the last three years. However, there is no consistency in the rainfall in the later three
months which are critical for the farmer. In 2013, August received very low rainfall while in
2014, September was almost dry. In 2015, in July and there were 38 days without major
rainfall. The rainy days have also significantly reduced in the last five years. Out of 120 days,
it rained for less than 40 days in the last three years resulting in crop failure. Figure 7 shows
comparative rainfall for three years.
Figure 7: Rainfall for three years in Takarwan
11
Water level data
The water level data is another important parameter in hydrogeological monitoring. The
water levels in all the wells in Takarwan were monitored by the community. Thirty wells
were monitored on monthly basis. A detailed well inventory was prepared for each of these
30 wells. The MKF team compiled this data and ACWADAM team has done the data
analysis. Figure 8 shows the map showing monitoring wells in Takarwan.
Figure 8: Monitoring wells in Takarwan.
All these 30 monitoring wells were dug wells and were used for irrigation. The average depth
of the monitored wells is 11.9 m. while average diameter is 5.6 m. Out of 30 wells, 17 wells
are private wells while 12 are shared wells. Almost 27 wells have 3 HP pumps and only two
wells have 5 HP and one well has 1 HP pump. Cotton is the main crop grown by the 30 well
owners. The details of each well are given in the table below.
12
The well water level data was collected on monthly basis. This data was plotted on a hydrograph which is shown in figure 9.
13
Figure 9: Well hydrograph for monitored wells in Takarwan
The well hydrograph shows lot of variation indicating well use irrespective of season. Many
wells show sharp decline and recovery in consecutive months indicating pumped water level.
Around 35% monitored wells are shared and are pumped every day during peak irrigation
season (Dec-Jan) and hence there are fluctuations observed in the well water level.
The water level data between June 2013 to May-2014 shows that the first rise in the water
level is observed after 90 mm of rainfall. The water levels in this village are at its peak in July
as almost half of the seasonal rainfall had occurred in June and July. There was a lean period
in August where there was very little rainfall which had a direct impact on the well water
levels. The second increase in the water level was observed in September after 200 mm of
rainfall in a month. In rabi season, almost all the wells show lot of fluctuations which could
be due to pumping provided for rabi crops. There are a couple of wells like T16 and T17
which do not show fluctuations as these wells were not used for irrigation.
The well hydrograph for 2014-2015 shows that the water level was at the lowest level by the
end of June 2014 even after 53 mm of rainfall. The first significant rise in the water level
occurred in July after almost 120 mm of rainfall. Water levels in Takarwan show lot of
fluctuations even during monsoon. This can be attributed to the pumping for protective
irrigation. The water levels show the maximum level in late August after 270 mm of rainfall.
Figure 8 shows well hydrograph for Takarwan.
ACWADAM has plotted the water table contours for two seasons for Takarwan. The
groundwater table contours help in identifying the direction of flow as well as identification
of recharge and discharge areas. In Takarwan, the groundwater flow follows the general
14
topography. It is observed that there is an increase in the water level by 10 m. in the post
monsoon season. The area around T1 and T24 appears to be the recharge area while area
around T24 is the discharge area for Takarwan. Figure 10 shows water table contour map for
Takarwan.
Figure 10: Water table contour map for Takarwan
Pumping test analysis
Pumping test
2
is conducted to determine the hydraulic parameters of the aquifer and to
determine performance characteristics of a well. This test is also called as Aquifer test
because it is primarily the aquifer characteristics that are determined along with the specific
capacity
3
of the well.
Transmissivity and storativity are the two characteristics of the aquifer which in turn
determines how good an aquifer is. The transmissivity is the capacity of the aquifer to allow
flow of groundwater across a unit cross sectional area of the aquifer. A high transmissivity
allows water move quickly towards the well while a low T means water moves very slowly to
the well. The capacity of the aquifer to allow a certain volume of groundwater storage within
the limits of the aquifer is its storage coefficient or Storativity (S). A larger storativity of the
2
In pumping test, a well is pumped for specific time. While pumping the drawdown is measured at
specific interval. Once the pumping stops the recovery of the well is measured. These observations
are made for the pumping well and the nearby observation well.
3
Specific capacity of the aquifer is quantity water the well can produce per unit of drawdown.
15
aquifer allows water to be available to the well over a longer period of time. The
performance of the well depends upon the T & S values.
Four Pump tests were carried out by ACWADAM team between February 2014 and
September 2015. Results from both the pump tests are given in table below.
T7
T9
T13
T30
Transmissivity
18 m2/day
28 m2/day
17
m2/day
17 m2/day
Storativity
0.0012
0.017
0.002
0.011
The transmissivity in Takarwan ranges from 10 m2/day to 30 m2/day while storativity ranges
from 0.011 to 0.0025.
The drawdown and recovery plots for each of the four wells which is shown in figure 11.
Graph representing drawdown data for T7
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
110 100 1000
T7_Drawdown-Recovery Graph
16
Graph representing drawdown data for T9
Graph representing drawdown data for T13
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
110 100 1000
T13_Drawdown-Recovery Graph
17
Graph representing drawdown data for T30
Figure 11: Drawdown and recovery plot for T7, T9, T13 and T30
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.8
2
110 100 1000
T30_Drawdown Recovery Graph
18
Aquifers
Groundwater bearing formation which can transmit and yield water in usable quantity is
called aquifer. To be an aquifer the geologic formation must contain pores or open spaces
though which water may be transmitted towards wells at a useful rate. The yield of a well
depends upon the aquifer properties and availability of water in the aquifer. Many of the
wells do not completely penetrate the aquifer system which results in limited yield for wells.
Therefore, exact delineation of aquifers is important which helps in understanding the extent
of the aquifer.
Understanding of geology and measurement of well water level is a key to aquifer mapping.
ACWADAM has delineated the aquifers on the basis of hydrogeological factors such as
basalt geometry, weathering & fracture patterns and water level data. Generally, the vesicular
amygdaloidal basalt along with the upper weathered compact basalt is considered as good
aquifers in this area. In Takarwan, there are three vesicular amygdaloidal basalts found at
elevation 427 m, 438 m and 460 m. The compact basalt present underneath is weathered
showing horizontal and at times vertical joints and fractures. This unit of VAB and
weathered compact basalt forms the aquifer system in Takarwan.
There are three aquifer systems in Takarwan. Aquifer 1 is top most aquifer of the village with
thickness of 8 m. There are not many wells located in this aquifer and the aquifer falls
outside the village administrative boundary. Most of the wells in Takarwan are located in
aquifer 2 and 3 having thickness of 7 and 11 m respectively. Figure 12 shows conceptual
diagram depicting three aquifer systems in Takarwan.
Figure 12: Conceptual diagram showing two aquifers in Takarwan
As the hydrogeological data was collected for the aquifer II and III, the storage capacity of
the aquifer was calculated for these two systems using the formula:
Storage capacity of aquifer = area of aquifer * thickness of aquifer * specific yield of
aquifer
19
The area of aquifer was calculated using topo sheet while thickness was calculated using
geological mapping. The specific yield of aquifer was calculated using pump test data. The
storage capacity of aquifer II and III is shown in the table below.
Aquifer
Aquifer
Area (km²)
Aquifer
Thickness
(m)
Sp. Yield
Storage capacity of aquifer
(m3)
Aquifer 2
1.385
7
0.002
19390
Aquifer 3
4.711
11
0.002
103642
The total storage capacity of aquifer II is 19390 m3 where there are around 35% dug wells
located while aquifer III has a storage capacity of 103642 m3 having more than 55% dug
wells of Takarwan. Based on the water level data recharge and discharge was calculated for
the two aquifer systems in Takarwan. The aquifer water balance was calculated for 2013-
2014 and 2014-2015.
Aquifer recharge
The water balance for Takarwan is derived on the basis of aquifer area, specific yield and the
water level fluctuation in the aquifer. The water level fluctuation was calculated using water
level data for pre monsoon and post monsoon season. The water levels are lowest in the
summer (May-June). This level is considered as the pre monsoon water level. The water level
rises after the monsoon and is at its peak in September-October. It is considered as the post
monsoon level. On the basis of the pre and post monsoon water level, recharge is calculated
using the formula:
Aquifer recharge = Aquifer area*specific yield* WL fluctuation (post monsoon level-pre
monsoon level)
ACWADAM monitored 5 wells from aquifer II and 25 wells from aquifer III. All the wells
in aquifer 2 tap both the aquifers II and III. The average value of water level rise is
considered in the recharge calculations for aquifer II. Additionally, since wells in this aquifer
are tapping multiple aquifers (aquifer II and III) the recharge is calculated using the rise and
the specific yield of that particular aquifer. The specific yield of aquifer II is 0.002 while the
specific yield of aquifer III which is confined aquifer for these 5 wells is considered as
0.0001. Based on this the aquifer recharge is calculated for aquifer II.
In case of aquifer III, all wells are tapping single aquifer system hence the specific yield is
considered as 0.002. Using the water level rise for the two seasons, the recharge is calculated
for aquifer III. The calculated recharge for the two aquifer systems for 2013-14 and 2014-15
is given in the following table.
20
Aquifer
system
Year
Aquifer
area
km2
Sp. Yield
Water level rise
m. (June-Oct)
Aquifer
recharge(m3)
Aquifer II
2013-14
1.385
Unconfined
aquifer: 0.002 &
confined aquifer:
0.001
6.4
17728
2014-15
1.385
Unconfined
aquifer: 0.002 &
confined aquifer:
0.001
3.86
10692
Aquifer III
2013-14
4.711
0.002
8.21
77355
2014-15
4.711
0.002
2.06
19409
The total recharge for aquifer II in 2013-14 and 2014-15 was 17728 m3 and 10692 m3
respectively. In aquifer II, in 2013-14, the total recharge was around 91% of the total storage
capacity of the aquifer while in 2014-15, it was only 55% of the total storage capacity of the
aquifer II. In case of aquifer III, in 2013-14, the total recharge was 75% of the storage
capacity and in 2014-15, it was around 19% of the total storage capacity of the aquifer.
Aquifer discharge
Aquifer discharge is calculated using the post monsoon water levels. The water levels in the
aquifer are at the highest level in September-October and then onwards the pumping starts
for irrigation. During this period, water is pumped out for rabi and summer irrigation. The
water levels are usually lowest during May-June and therefore for calculating discharge the
peak summer water levels and the post monsoon (Sept-Oct) water levels are taken into
consideration. The aquifer discharge is calculated using the formula:
Aquifer discharge = Aquifer area*specific yield* WL fluctuation (post monsoon level-next
pre monsoon level)
In Takarwan, aquifer discharge is calculated for 2013-14 and 2014-15. The calculated
discharge for the two aquifer systems for two years is given in the table below.
21
Aquifer
system
Year
Aquifer
area
km2
Sp. Yield
Water level
drop m. (June-
Oct)
Aquifer
discharge(m3)
Aquifer II
2013-14
1.385
Unconfined
aquifer: 0.002 &
confined aquifer:
0.001
6.04
16731
2014-15
1.385
Unconfined
aquifer: 0.002 &
confined aquifer:
0.001
2.18
6039
Aquifer III
2013-14
4.711
0.002
5.64
53140
2014-15
4.711
0.002
2.5
23555
In 2013-14, the total annual discharge was 94% of the annual recharge in aquifer II while in
aquifer III it was 69% of the total annual recharge. In 2014-15, the rainfall was very low and
hence the discharge in aquifer II was limited as there was limited water available in the wells
during rabi season. The total annual discharge in aquifer II was 56% while in aquifer III the
discharge was 121% of the annual recharge.
Aquifer based water balance for two years
Takarwan received below average rainfall for three consecutive years since 2012. In 2013-14,
the total rainfall was 608 mm. The recharge in aquifer II was 91% of the total storage
capacity of the aquifer while recharge in aquifer III was 75 % of the total storage capacity of
the aquifer. Therefore, by the end of June 2014, there was very little water available in the
aquifers. There were some untimely rain spells in the month of January, February and April
which caused damage to the crops but helped in getting enough drinking water during
summer months.
The monsoon of 2014-15 was bad with only 294 mm rainfall. The total recharge in aquifer II
and III was around 12% of the storage capacity. The discharge in aquifer II was 56% of the
total recharge while it was 121% of the total recharge in aquifer III. The aquifer recharge and
discharge for the two years is shown in the table below.
Storage capacity
Recharge
Discharge
2013-14
Aquifer II
19390
17728
16731
Aquifer III
103642
77355
53140
2014-15
Aquifer II
19390
10692
6039
Aquifer III
103642
19409
23555
22
Water quality
Primary water quality test including parameters pH, TDS, Salinity and Electric conductivity
were conducted in the month of August. These tests were conducted on few drinking water
sources. The pH was found to be within limit i.e. between 6.5-8.5. The salinity and TDS in
bore wells was found to be higher than the desired limits. The salinity was found to be above
as 1000 ppm while TDS was found to be above 1500 ppm in all the three bore wells that
were tested. Figure 13 shows the graphs for TDS and salinity for bore wells in Takarwan.
Figure 13: Salinity and TDS for selected bore wells in Takarwan
The TDS and salinity in the dug wells is within desired limits except for a couple of wells.
Korde Savata Mandir in Ward no. 3 shows Salinity above 1600 mg/l and TDS above 1500
ppm. Figure 14 shows salinity and TDS for selected dug wells in Takarwan.
Figure 14: Salinity and TDS for selected dug wells in Takarwan
500
700
900
1100
1300
1500
Kailas Kajale:
Ward4
Pimplacha
Aad: Ward3
Bajrang
Garad
salinity in mg/l
Salinity for bore wells
Salinity
1700
1800
1900
2000
2100
2200
2300
2400
Kailas Kajale:
Ward4
Pimplacha
Aad: Ward3
Bajrang Garad
TDS in ppm
TDS for bore wells
TDS
0
500
1000
1500
2000
Salinity in mg/l
Salinity for dug wells
Salinity
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
TDS in ppm
TDS for dug wells
TDS
23
In Takarwan, ACWADAM team has done a detailed quality analysis of 6 samples and in-situ
water quality analysis of 30 samples. In December,
ACWADAM team had collected 6 samples for 14
parameter analysis. These samples were analysed from the
ISO certified lab in Pune. The parameters analysed are pH,
EC, Sodium, Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium, Manganese,
Sulphate, Fluoride, Nitrate, Carbonates, Bicarbonates, Iron
and Chlorides. The six samples consisted of 2 shallow
drinking water dug wells, 2 bore well, one irrigation well
and canal sample. In 3 out of 6 samples, fluoride concentration was found to be above
permissible limit of 1.5 mg/l. In TBW1 the concentration of Fluoride was found to be 2.12
mg/l followed by two drinking water shallow dug wells where the concentration is around
1.7 mg/l. TBW1 is an irrigation well and therefore not used for drinking. However, the other
two are drinking water wells where the concentration was found to be above permissible
limit.
The Piper plots for the six samples indicate that the quality of TBW1 is poor. It is 250 feet
deep bore well with higher concentration of Sodium, Chlorides, Sulphates and Iron. The
quality of this bore well is very poor. The other bore well having depth of 125 feet shows
reasonably good quality of water. The two drinking water wells show high salinity and
hardness. It has high concentration of Sodium and Chloride. However, the quality of TWA
near Gaothan seems to be good for drinking water.
Figure 15
shows Piper plot for selected
samples of Takarwan.
80
60
40
20
20
40
60
80
20
40
60
80 80
60
40
20
20
40
60
80
20
40
60
80
Ca Na+K HCO3 Cl
Mg SO4
Piper Plot for selected samples in Takarwan
I
I
I
EE
E
J
J
J
N
N
N
HH
H
C
C
C
Legend
Legend
IAad-TPa
EAad-TWA
JBW-TBW1
NBW-TBW2
HTCa
CWell-T31
24
Figure 15: Piper plot for selected samples of Takarwan
Wilcox diagram is used for analysis of water for sodium and salinity hazard. The Wilcox
diagram for Takarwan shows that TBW1 (bore well 250 ft) has medium sodium and high
salinity hazard. The remaining five except canal sample show low sodium and high salinity
hazard. Canal water shows low sodium and medium salinity hazard.
Figure 16: Wilcox diagram for selected samples for Takarwan
Based on this analysis, in-situ analysis was conducted for 26 samples in Takarwan. Eleven
samples were dug well samples while 9 were bore well samples and 6 were hand pump
samples. The average depth of well was 40 feet while the depth of hand pump and bore well
varied from 125 feet to 300 feet. The majority of the samples were collected from the
drinking water sources. The In-situ analysis included parameters like pH, EC, TDS, Salinity,
Fluoride, Nitrate and Bacterial contamination.
Figure 17
shows the distribution of samples
on the Google earth image of Takarwan.
100 1000
Salinity Hazard (Cond)
0
6
13
19
26
32
Sodium Hazard (SAR)
Wilcox Diagram for selected samples from Takarwan
250 750 2250
C1 C2 C3 C4
S1
S2
S3
S4
I
E
J
N
H
C
LegendLegend
IAad-TPa
EAad-TWA
JBW-TBW1
NBW-TBW2
HTCa
CWell-T31
Sodium (Alkali) hazard:
S1: Low
S2: Medium
S3: High
S4: Very high
Salinity hazard:
C1: Low
C2: Medium
C3: High
C4: Very high
25
Figure 17: Distribution of water quality samples on Google Earth image of Takarwan
The pH of the analysed samples was found to be between 6.5 and 8.5 which is within
permissible limits for all sources. The Electrical conductivity was found to be above 1000 µS
in 18 out of 26 samples. The highest EC (2300 µS) was found in 125 feet bore well. The
salinity is calculated using the EC value and the salinity was found to be higher in the
Gaothan area and in the northern part close to Godavari. The Fluoride concentration was
found to be higher in northern and eastern part of Takarwan. The F was found mostly in
hand pumps and bore wells having depth of 180 feet or more. It was found in one dug well
which is near Gaothan but is presently not in use.
Figure 18
shows the concentration of
salinity and Fluoride in Takarwan.
26
Figure 18: Distribution of salinity and fluoride in Takarwan
The concentration of nitrate was found to be within permissible
limits (<10 mg/l). However, it was found to be higher in two bore
wells near Gaothan and in irrigation well. The source of nitrate in the
irrigation well could be the use of fertilizers while in Gaothan the
source could be leakage from the sewage to the bore well. The
bacterial contamination was tested for 8 drinking water sources. Five
of these samples showed medium to high contamination while three
samples showed low contamination.
The laboratory and in-situ sampling
shows that quality of water
deteriorates with depth. The quality
of groundwater in the northern
part of village is poor. In this part
of the village, farmers are mixing
surface water with groundwater. In
this part, farmers are growing
sugarcane where they apply
fertilizers, which eventually gets
leached out in groundwater deteriorating its quality.
Source
Contamination
Uttam Garad well
Medium
GP well (Near Masjid)
High
Community well 1
Medium
Pimpalacha aad
Medium
Vasahat (Ward 4)
Low
Aadagale well
Low
Pattekar well
Low
Keshav Kamble
High
27
Socio-Hydrological situation
In order to understand the relation between groundwater use and drinking water situation,
and agriculture, a rapid socio-hydrogeological survey was conducted in the village in
September 2015. Prior to that, social data was also collected during various meetings, group
discussion which happened in the village during the field visits. This section provides the
details about the same. The following table provides the social structure of the village as per
the 2011 census.
(Source: Census, 2011)
Takarwan Gram Panchayat is the local governance institution with 13 members. The village
is divided into five administrative wards. Based on the quick social survey and through some
discussions in the village following information emerged:
Drinking Water Situation
Traditionally the village has relied on community wells (also known as ‘aad’ in local language)
for their drinking water situation. There are about 32 hand pumps in the village provided
through government schemes. Over the past few years the situation has changed drastically.
There is a heavy reliance on bore well for drinking water purpose and nearly every other
household in the village has a privately owned bore well. Based on the preliminary analysis of
quality of water, the quality of bore well water was found to be poorest when compared to
surface and dug well water. There is no functional water supply system of the Gram
Panchayat although in times of crisis (for example in summer of 2012) water from Godavari
was lifted and pumped into community wells for people to use. It is estimated, based on the
Particulars
Total
Male
Female
Total No. of Houses
1,249
-
-
Population
5,983
3,111
2,872
Child (0-6)
826
448
378
Schedule Caste
868
465
403
Schedule Tribe
61
31
30
Literacy
71.46 %
80.85 %
61.43 %
Total Workers
3,358
1,840
1,518
Main Worker
3,105
0
0
Marginal Worker
253
128
125
28
discussions held in the village that every other household in the village has a private bore-
well or a well, thus a rough figure of about a total 800 sources of groundwater, including dug
wells and bore wells.
Very few households have a private access to sanitation facility with open defecation
prevalent in the village. There are specific sites for openly defecating. An organization
constructed about 20 latrines in the village, but none of them is in use for lack of water.
Agricultural Situation
The total land under agriculture is about 2000 hectares (approximately 4500 acres). Out of
this exact data on land under cultivation is not available. Of this total land about 60 percent
is rain fed while the remaining 40 percent is irrigated (based on primary information).Cotton,
soybean, tur, moong and bajra with cotton are the most cultivated kharif crop. In Rabi
season, wheat, jowar and harbhara are grown. Some of the farmers also grow sugarcane.
Many of them lift water directly from Godavari for irrigation.
The primary source of irrigation is dug wells followed by bore wells. There are more than
200 dug wells in the village with the number of bore wells for irrigation is unknown. Sharing
of dug wells for irrigation is limited to kinship relations. Surface irrigation source is either
Godavari River (although very few rely on it). The Jayakwadi Right Canal also passes
through the village. According to primary information, the canal has been inconsistent in
supply of water. There are three water user groups in the village, but currently all are defunct.
Very few farmers practice drip and sprinkler irrigation.
Primary concerns in the village are:
1. Increasing reliance on bore wells for drinking water
2. Increasing use of bore wells for irrigation
3. Shifting cropping patterns (it was reported that last year many farmers took
sugarcane since rainfall was good).
4. Quality of water for domestic use.
In order to understand the existing situation with respect to groundwater use for domestic,
drinking and agricultural purposes, a socio-
hydrogeological survey was conducted in the village
on 23 and 24th September 2015. The NSS students
from Majalgaon College of Arts, Science and
Commerce, Majalgaon participated in the survey. A
total of 15 students from the village took part in
the survey covering about 175 households in
Takarwan. Following section discusses the results
of this survey.
29
D/B: dug well or bore well; D/H: dug well or hand pump; Gpwater: Gram panchayat water
Figure 19: Drinking water sources in Takarwan
Groundwater forms the primary source of groundwater. Use of bore well is most prevalent
followed by dug wells and hand pumps.
Drinking water quality is one of the crucial factors determining the state of public health in
any area. In order to ensure that the drinking water is safe, various treatment methods are
often used by people. In the survey, it was observed that about 64 percent of the people
perceive no problem in drinking water quality and hence do not treat it in any form. Cloth
filter is the most used method for treating drinking water followed by chlorination and
treatment using alum.
CF: cloth filter; CA: Chlorine or alum; MF: Modern filter; NP: No problem
Figure 20: Treatment of drinking water in Takarwan
22%
50%
4%
6%
2% 16%
MAIN SOURCE OF DRINKING WATER
Borewell Dugwell D/B D/H Gpwater Handpump
4%
8%
20%
1%
3%
64%
TREATMENT OF DRINKING WATER
Boiling Chlorine/Alum Cloth Filter CF/CA MF NP
30
Drinking water security over the entire year is the foremost priority for any water security
plan and programs aimed at water augmentation. It is often found that the regular sources of
water dry up during the summer months pushing people to use other sources of water. It
was observed that many people are dependent on tankers to ensure water supply while many
of them also resort to using dug wells in their or other agricultural fields to make provision
for water.
Figure 21: Source of drinking water in summer
D/B: dug well or bore well; D/B/R: dug well or bore well or river; OS: other
source
Figure 22: Source of Irrigation in Takarwan
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Dugwell Other Source Tanker
Source of Water in Summer
6%
76%
13%
1% 2%
1%
1%
MAIN SOURCE OF IRRIGATION
BOREWELL DUGWELL D/B D/B/R OS RIVER LAKE
31
There is a high dependency on groundwater in Takarwan for agriculture. Based on the
survey it was found out that about 76 percent of the respondents use dug wells as source of
irrigation followed by about 13 percent conjunctively using bore well and dug well for
irrigation. What emerges from this sample size is that groundwater forms a crucial source to
ensure agricultural economy of the village where cash crops like cotton, soybean are being
cultivated on large scale. There is also a large area under sugarcane cultivation in the village.
In order to sustain this economy, there is a haste to find ‘new’ and ‘more’ sources of
groundwater through rampant bore well drilling in the village.
Figure 23: Number of bore wells owned by individuals in Takarwan
The Deccan basaltic geology of Maharashtra which is also found in Takarwan limits the
scope for larger storages in confined state aquifers. Still the cheaper drilling technology has
made possible to search for new avenues of groundwater through bore holes. It was
observed in the survey that, about 67 percent of the respondents own a single bore well
while cases of ownership of two or more bore wells were also reported. Although most of
these bore wells today are used as drinking water source, more and more bore wells are also
being drilled with the purpose of irrigation.
67%
4%
21%
4% 2% 2%
No. of borewells owned by individuals
1B 2B 3B 4B 5B 16B
32
Figure 24: Use of pumps in Takarwan
In the survey it was found out that about 73 percent of the respondents use 3 Hp capacity
pumps for irrigation purposes with about 24 percent respondents using a 5 Hp pump.
Figure 25: Re-deepening of wells done in Takarwan
As groundwater levels go deep over time, people often resort to re-deepening the existing
well to ensure a longer duration of groundwater availability in their private wells. This
phenomenon is also prevalent in Takarwan where about 24 percent of the respondents
informed that they have re-deepened their well.
2%
73%
24%
1%
Pump Capacity
2HP 3HP 5HP 7.5HP
24%
76%
Redeepening of wells
Yes No
33
Recommendations
Takarwan, a village from Marathwada faces water problems due to anthropogenic reasons as
well as climate vagaries. The numbers of bore-well are increasing every year. Initially, these
bore wells were used only for drinking water. However, lately these bore wells are also used
for irrigation. There is a problem of drinking water security, especially during summer
months. The poor water quality is another issue. The changing rainfall pattern is having a
serious impact on the agriculture of the area. Based on the hydrogeological study, some
recommendations are made to improve the water conditions for Takarwan village. These are
as follows:
Watershed work on the basis of hydrogeological study
ACWADAM has prepared a map showing groundwater recharge worthy area. This map
is prepared on the basis of geology, water levels in the well and aquifers. In this recharge
area, activities like continuous contour trench, water absorption trench, farm bunds,
percolation tanks etc. can be constructed. This recharge area coincides with the aquifer II
and any watershed work done in this area is going to benefit this aquifer which has a
storage capacity of 19390 m3. There are more than 60 dug wells in this aquifer which will
get direct benefit. The watershed work can be undertaken through MGNREGS work or
through ‘Shramdaan’.
Figure 26: Recharge area demarcated on Google Earth image for Takarwan
34
Desilting of percolation tank
Takarwan has 8 irrigation structures built since 1973 till 2002. These structures have not
been desilted since its construction. These 8 irrigation structures
include 5 percolation tanks and 2 irrigation tanks. The average
storage capacity of five percolation tanks is around 3.5 MCFT
(100 million liters) respectively. ACWADAM has actually
measured the siltation one of the percolation tanks. It is observed
that, 1-1.5 m thick silt has been accumulated in the structure. The
tank is presently working with 60% efficiency only. There are two
more structure located in the recharge area of Aquifer II. These
structures are not able to recharge the aquifer. If these structures
are desilted, it will directly benefit around 35-40 bore wells and 75-80 dug wells in
Takarwan.
Figure 27: Google Earth image of Takarwan showing tanks and aquifers
Drinking water source strengthening: There are 16 wells and 12 hand pumps in the
village which are used as drinking water source. Additionally, there is a 5 km long
pipeline installed from Godavari to the drinking water well in gaothan area in 2012-
13. In the drought year of 2012 the water was brought from Godavari for the village
through this scheme. However, it appears that this scheme is defunct at present and
people are using water from the private bore wells. Each house in Takarwan has
drilled one or two bore wells which are used for drinking water and domestic use.
This number of bore wells is increasing every year and still the village faces acute
water scarcity during summer. The quality of water in the bore well is also not good.
The water has high TDS and salinity. These bore wells yield water only for 8-9
months and therefore, there is a need to strengthen the existing drinking water
sources.
35
There is already a significant investment done on the pipeline from Godavari. This
scheme should be revitalized. This well is located in the gaothan area and will benefit
more that 50% population of the village. The desilting of percolation tanks and
watershed interventions will also help in the strengthening of drinking water sources
in the village.
Water for irrigation: In Takarwan, 60% of the total agricultural land is under rain fed
agriculture while only 40% land is under irrigation. Out of the 40% irrigated land,
20% land is under annual crops like sugarcane while 20% land is under rabi
irrigation. The source of irrigation is wells and bore wells. Less than 10% land is
under drip irrigation and none of the farmers are using sprinklers. The average
capacity of the pump sets is 3-5 HP. It is recommended that more and more land
should be brought under drip and sprinkler. Sugarcane is grown dominantly on
Godavari water. However, in some parts it is observed that farmers are also using
well/ bore well water to irrigate sugarcane. There is a need to put sanctions on
sugarcane crop in an area like Marathwada. There are some examples from Jalna
district where sugarcane crop was completely eradicated from 52 villages of Jalna
which helped in achieving the water security for the village. (GSDA , 2015)
There is a change in rainfall pattern observed in the last 10 years which is also
affecting the aquifer storage. The available water in the aquifer should be used more
judiciously for which there is need of community water sharing practice (at least
within family members). As kharif is the main crop for the village, some protective
irrigation schemes can be developed for the 1-2 acres of land for each land owner.
There is a high level of bacterial contamination found in the drinking water sources.
There is a need to improve the sanitation facilities in the village either through
awareness campaign or through gram panchayat funds.
ACWADAM has prepared groundwater protocols for the two aquifer systems which are
given in the table below.
36
Groundwater management protocols
Protocols
Aquifer 2
Aquifer 3
Hydrogeology in
Watershed
Programmes
As majority of recharge area falls
in this aquifer, consideration of
hydrogeology is of utmost
importance.
Maximum number of wells are
in this aquifer hence
hydrogeological understanding
of this aquifer when
implementing the watershed
program, is necessary.
Recharge area
protection (Forest
cover &
community lands)
This protocol is necessary as there
are 2-3 percolation tanks in this
aquifer which are silted up. The
maintenance of the percolation
tanks (e.g. regular desilting) will
directly benefit the aquifer and
the wells/ bore wells located in
this aquifer.
Although the recharge area is
less for this aquifer, protection
of the recharge area is
important.
Pump capacity
regulation
As the storage capacity is less of
this aquifer, rigorous pumping
will lead to over abstraction of the
aquifer very soon, hence the
pump capacity regulation is
necessary.
Though the storage capacity of
the aquifer is more than aquifer
2, increasing number of wells
with high capacity pumps will
lead to overexploitation of the
aquifer and therefore this
protocol is necessary.
Depth Regulation
(wrt drinking
well)
This protocol is very necessary, as
the drinking water wells as well as
irrigation wells are tapping
multiple aquifers. Over
abstraction from one aquifer can
lead to over exploitation of
multiple aquifer systems.
Increasing number of wells and
regular deepening of the wells is
leading to exploitation of this
aquifer, as the deepened wells
will tap deeper aquifers, heavy
pumping will thus lead to over
abstraction of the multiple
aquifer systems Therefore, this
protocol is very much necessary.
Regulation of
agricultural water
requirement (crop
water
requirement)
As currently annual pumping
from this aquifer is exceeding the
annual recharge utilizing the dead
stock of aquifer. It is necessary to
do crop water budgeting for long
term sustainability of the aquifer.
As currently annual pumping
from this aquifer is almost equal
to annual recharge. It is
necessary to do crop water
budgeting for long term
sustainability of the aquifer.
Groundwater
This protocol is very necessary
This protocol is very necessary
37
sharing through
community
participation
for groundwater sustainability and
its equitable access to small
farmers.
for groundwater sustainability
and its equitable access to small
farmers.
Drinking water
quality
monitoring
This protocol is very necessary
for this aquifer as community is
using this aquifer for drinking,
domestic use and agriculture.
This protocol is very necessary
for this aquifer as community is
using this aquifer for drinking,
domestic use and agriculture.
Groundwater
Monitoring to
understand the
GW availability
This protocol is necessary for the
groundwater understanding and
annual crop planning.
This protocol is necessary for
the groundwater understanding
and annual crop planning.