Identification of Groundwater Potential Zones in the Akole Taluka Watershed Using Geospatial Techniques and AHP

This study focuses on identifying groundwater potential zones in the Akole taluka watershed, Ahmednagar District, Maharashtra, India, using an integrated approach combining Remote Sensing (RS), Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Key thematic layers such as slope, drainage density, lithology, lineament density, geomorphology, rainfall, soil, and land use/land cover, were derived using SRTM DEM (30 m resolution) and conventional datasets. Each layer was assigned weights based on its influence on groundwater potential, calculated and normalized using AHP. The layers were integrated using the "weighted sum" tool in Arc GIS to create a comprehensive groundwater potential map. The study area was classified into five groundwater potential zones: very poor, poor, moderate, good, and very good, covering 6.47%, 19.91%, 32.11%, 25.67%, and 15.85% of the area, respectively. The findings highlight that a significant portion of the region has moderate to very good groundwater potential, providing critical insights for sustainable water resource development and management.