An integrated multi-criteria decision analysis and geographic information system-based assessment of groundwater potentiality and stress zones for sustainable agricultural practices: a case study of agriculture-dominating Koch Bihar District, West Bengal

Groundwater is considered an essential natural resource due to its greater resilience to natural catastrophes than surface water. A systematic strategy for groundwater exploration using modern technologies is necessary for the long-term sustainability of this vital resource. Overexploitation of groundwater for paddy cultivation has had a long-term, detrimental impact on groundwater levels in the Koch Bihar district. Previously, the scope of groundwater potential zones was not extensively evaluated, specifically focusing on groundwater stress zones. The primary objective of this present work is to assess the groundwater potential zones and groundwater stress zones of the Koch Bihar district. For this, 18 parameters for groundwater potential and 12 for groundwater stress zones were chosen after a multicollinearity analysis with a tolerance value of more than 0.1 and a variance inflation factor value of less than 10 for each parameter at p < 0.05. Three systematic and comprehensive Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis methods (Vise Kriterijumska Optimizacijaik Ompromisno Resenje, Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution and Evaluation Based on Distance from Average Solution) have been used in the present study to evaluate the groundwater condition. The Receiver-Operating Characteristic curve has been used to validate the groundwater potential zone maps produced by the three models. The result shows that all three models have considerable discrimination ability. Among the three models, Vise Kriterijumska Optimizacijaik Ompromisno Resenje has manifested an excellent outcome with an acceptable level of discrimination determined by the area under curve value of 0.844. The study area’s riverine regions have been found to have greater groundwater potentiality, while urbanised areas have lower potentiality. Furthermore, the results indicate that increased agricultural and irrigation intensities have put Sitai, Haldibari, Mekhliganj, Dinhata-II, Sitalkuchi, Mathabhanga-I, and Tufanganj-II blocks under significant stress. The findings are significant, and decision-makers and local authorities might utilise the resulting maps to develop a proper groundwater extraction and management plan.