Delineation of Groundwater Potential Zones in Korayar, Varattar and Valayar Watershed Through Geo-Spatial and MIF Techniques

Dr Roobina A, Dr Reshma C U, Nazrin Begum S

Abstract: Groundwater is a critical and finite natural resource that sustains domestic, agricultural, and industrial activities, particularly in semi-arid and hard-rock regions. The present study aims to delineate groundwater potential zones in the Korayar, Varattar, and Valayar watersheds of the Chittur taluk, Palakkad district, Kerala, using an integrated Remote Sensing (RS), Geographic Information System (GIS), and Multi-Influencing Factor (MIF) approach. Seven key thematic layers-slope, geology, geomorphology, soil type, drainage density, lineament density, and land use/land cover (LULC)-were generated from Survey of India toposheets, Geological Survey of India maps, LANDSAT satellite imagery, soil survey reports, and DEM data. All layers were converted into raster format with a spatial resolution of 30 m and analyzed using a weighted overlay technique in the ArcGIS environment. The relative importance of each factor influencing groundwater occurrence was determined using the MIF technique. The resulting groundwater potential map classifies the study area into very good to good, moderate, and poor potential zones. The results reveal that approximately 24.87% of the area falls under very good to good groundwater potential zones, 60% under moderate potential zones, and 13.28% under poor potential zones, while rivers and water bodies occupy the remaining area. Favourable zones are predominantly associated with gentle slopes, pediplains, loamy soils, low drainage density, and agricultural or forest land use, whereas poor potential zones correspond to steep slopes, denudational hills, exposed rock surfaces, and impermeable lithology. The study demonstrates that the integrated RS-GIS-MIF framework is an effective, cost-efficient, and reliable tool for groundwater resource assessment and can support sustainable groundwater management and planning in data-scarce regions.

Keywords: Groundwater potential zones, Remote sensing, GIS, Multi Influencing Factor (MIF), Weighted overlay analysis

How to Cite?: Dr Roobina A, Dr Reshma C U, Nazrin Begum S, "Delineation of Groundwater Potential Zones in Korayar, Varattar and Valayar Watershed Through Geo-Spatial and MIF Techniques", Volume 15 Issue 1, January 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 814-822, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26112210650, DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26112210650