Delineation of Groundwater potential zone using Geospatial and AHP techniques in Ken River Basin (KRB) in Central India

Groundwater is the most salient and utilitarian water resource for living organisms. However, major parts of the Ken River Basin (KRB) in Central India are grappling with the overexploitation of groundwater resources, primarily due to extensive agricultural activities, raising problems in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2 and 6. This study focused on delineating groundwater potential zones (GPZ) by employing remote sensing and GIS-based thematic datasets, complemented by the application of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The thematic layers consisting of geomorphology, precipitation, geology, soil texture, lineament density, slope, LULC, and drainage density were considered and further weights were allocated with respect to their water storing capacity and characteristics to groundwater occurrences to develop GPZs. The zones were generated by classifying overlayed maps into four categories namely, very low, low, moderate, and high. The key findings indicated that 13.84%, 62.34%, 23.37%, and 45% of areas were found under high, moderate, low, and very low GPZs respectively. Furthermore, the zonation map was validated with 48 boreholes’ yield, which revealed a noteworthy 77.08% borewells in concurrence with predicted zones. Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (AUROC) curve showcased a commendable 70.1% accuracy using the ROC curve. These results were highly beneficial in formulating sustainable groundwater management plans and policies, contributing towards the attainment of targets outlined in SDGs 2 and 6, particularly in regions resembling the KRB.