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<p>The changing nature of groundwater resources is commonly associated with the urban development process around the globe. This is also evident in the different parts of NCT Delhi, which is one of the most metropolitan hubs in the Indian subcontinent. This region offers an intriguing groundwater scenario that has been rapidly evolving in recent years. While studies have attributed this groundwater evolution to anthropogenic intrusion and urban development for the entire city in general, the influence of geogenic factors such as the nature of aquifers, the impact of surface–water interactions, etc., at the local (site-specific) level has not been thoroughly investigated. In regard to this, the objective of this study is to identify the changes in groundwater dynamics of south-western parts of NCT Delhi in the last few years and assess the response of its groundwater system to urbanization with respect to other prevailing local geological factors (such as Delhi ridge, Najafgarh drain, etc.). The inferences for this study were drawn from the compilation of pre-existing researches and satellite imageries, primarily represented by LULC maps as well as remote sensing-based techniques such as NDBI and NDWI. This is supplemented by a simple evaluation of salinity enrichment over the years. This study revealed some interesting facts about the regional groundwater dynamics and groundwater quality in the south-western part of NCT Delhi, including that the rise in urban build-up area (48–71% between 2008&#xa0;and&#xa0;2021) corresponds to fluctuations in groundwater dynamics in most places, as well as that there is a clear declining influence of geology on groundwater salinity over the years. These observations were further examined and substantiated by the primary field investigation, leading to development of schematics showing local changes along major sites across the region. The major outcome drawn from all of this hint to the fact that while urbanization plays a critical role in shaping the groundwater dynamics, it does&#xa0;not completely dominate regional groundwater scenario. Moreover, the groundwater dynamics in the study also respond to a delicate network of local factors that have evolved along with urban development in this part of the city over the past two decades. Thus, it could be said that while there is a need to check urbanization to maintain the sustainability of existing groundwater resources in the south-western part of NCT Delhi for better utilization of freshwater resources for all, constant vigilance on local factors such as identifying waterlogged areas, maintaining regulated abstraction in shallow aquifers close to Najafgarh drain, proper development planning in peri-urban areas could also help in the endeavour.</p>

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Investigating the response of groundwater dynamics to urban development using remote sensing techniques

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年3月14日

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  • Saurajit Saha,
  • Alifia Ibkar,
  • Aditya Sarkar,
  • Akhilesh Kumar Yadav,
  • Shashank Shekhar

摘要

The changing nature of groundwater resources is commonly associated with the urban development process around the globe. This is also evident in the different parts of NCT Delhi, which is one of the most metropolitan hubs in the Indian subcontinent. This region offers an intriguing groundwater scenario that has been rapidly evolving in recent years. While studies have attributed this groundwater evolution to anthropogenic intrusion and urban development for the entire city in general, the influence of geogenic factors such as the nature of aquifers, the impact of surface–water interactions, etc., at the local (site-specific) level has not been thoroughly investigated. In regard to this, the objective of this study is to identify the changes in groundwater dynamics of south-western parts of NCT Delhi in the last few years and assess the response of its groundwater system to urbanization with respect to other prevailing local geological factors (such as Delhi ridge, Najafgarh drain, etc.). The inferences for this study were drawn from the compilation of pre-existing researches and satellite imageries, primarily represented by LULC maps as well as remote sensing-based techniques such as NDBI and NDWI. This is supplemented by a simple evaluation of salinity enrichment over the years. This study revealed some interesting facts about the regional groundwater dynamics and groundwater quality in the south-western part of NCT Delhi, including that the rise in urban build-up area (48–71% between 2008 and 2021) corresponds to fluctuations in groundwater dynamics in most places, as well as that there is a clear declining influence of geology on groundwater salinity over the years. These observations were further examined and substantiated by the primary field investigation, leading to development of schematics showing local changes along major sites across the region. The major outcome drawn from all of this hint to the fact that while urbanization plays a critical role in shaping the groundwater dynamics, it does not completely dominate regional groundwater scenario. Moreover, the groundwater dynamics in the study also respond to a delicate network of local factors that have evolved along with urban development in this part of the city over the past two decades. Thus, it could be said that while there is a need to check urbanization to maintain the sustainability of existing groundwater resources in the south-western part of NCT Delhi for better utilization of freshwater resources for all, constant vigilance on local factors such as identifying waterlogged areas, maintaining regulated abstraction in shallow aquifers close to Najafgarh drain, proper development planning in peri-urban areas could also help in the endeavour.