Groundwater Prospect Zone Mapping: A Geospatial Investigation with Decision Making in Mahendergarh District, Haryana

Groundwater is a prime resource for anthropogenic activity as agriculture, industry, and domestic use, especially in arid and semi-arid regions like Mahendergarh District, Haryana. Unsustainable extraction practices of groundwater with limited recharge rates pose significant challenges to groundwater management. This study utilised remote sensing data, hydrological parameters, geographic information systems (GIS), analytical hierarchical process, multi-decision criterion, receiver operating charts, area under curve, consistency index and constancy ratio. The present study aims to identify areas potential for groundwater extraction. Based on the above methodology, the study area is classified under good, fair, poor and very poor classes (60.82 sq. km (3.2%), 805.10 sq. km (41.8%), 839.03 sq. km. (43.4%) and 223.05 sq. km (11.6%)). By integrating these findings into a comprehensive management strategy, policymakers and stakeholders can make informed decisions to ensure the long-term viability of groundwater resources in the region.