Scope of Induced Recharge to River Bank Aquifers in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has a complex network of rivers, including the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Meghna, and their tributaries, which provide vital water resources for the country. Much of Bangladesh is an alluvial plain, which is a flat, low-lying area formed by the deposition of sediments, such as sand, silt, and clay by the rivers and their flood plains. The rivers are generally hydraulically well connected to the subsurface aquifersAquifers, made up of sands, in many parts of Bangladesh, which offers the scope to recharge the near bank aquifersAquifers artificially, through induced bank filtration (IBF) system. InfiltrationInfiltration galleries tapping the river bank aquifersRiver bank aquifer can also be used to harness filtered river water for potable uses. IBF systems have already been setup on the bank of Padma River at Bheramara of Kushtia district and also on the bank of Jamuna River near Bangabandhu Jamuna Bridge of Sirajganj district which are inducing recharge of river water to aquifersAquifers. It has been concluded that the availability of groundwater for different societal uses can be increased by constructing pumping wells close to the rivers or other surface water bodies in Bangladesh after proper hydrogeological studies.