Applications of GIS and Remote Sensing in Groundwater Potential Zoning of Srikakulam District in Andhra Pradesh

IJEP 46(1): 25-37 : Vol. 46 Issue. 1 (January 2026)

Full Text

Ramu Penki1*, Sai Santosh Basina2, Mahesh Kona3, G. Sambasiva Rao4 and M. Babu Rao5

1. GMR Institute of Technology, Department of Civil Engineering, Rajam – 532 127, Andhra Pradesh, India
2. Honer Homes, Hyderabad – 500 072, Telangana, India
3. CVR College of Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, Hyderabad – 501 510, Telangana, India
4. Vallurupalli Nageswara Rao Vignana Jyothi Institute of Engineering and Technology (VNRVJIET), Department of Civil Engineering, Hyderabad – 500 118, Telangana, India
5. Vignan’s Institute of Information Technology (VIIT), Department of Civil Engineering, Visakhapatnam – 530 049, Andhra Pradesh, India

Abstract

Groundwater supplies worldwide are under severe pressure due to overuse and observable climate changes over time. The need to evaluate groundwater potential and aquifer productivity increases with the global demand for drinking water for people, agriculture and industry. Since they are quick and provide firsthand knowledge for future projects, GIS-based studies have recently gained popularity in groundwater exploration. With this in mind, the present work employs remote sensing and GIS techniques to identify and characterize groundwater potential zones for assessing groundwater availability in the Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, India. This study combines an analytical hierarchical process (AHP) approach with geographic information systems. To define groundwater potential zones, 12 thematic layers were considered, including slope, rainfall, curvature, soil, drainage density, lineament density, topographic wetness index, land surface temperature, elevation, landuse and land cover, lithology and groundwater fluctuations. Based on their qualities and water potential capacity determined by the AHP technique, weights are assigned to each class across all thematic maps. Overlay analysis was then performed after mapping all layers to identify the groundwater potential zones. The resulting map, which showed a groundwater potential index of 33, classifies the zones into five categories ranging from very high to very low.

Keywords

Analytical hierarchy process, Geographic information systems, Groundwater potential zone, Weighted overlay analysis

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