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Database integration of hydro geological characteristic using remote sensing & GIS

Abhishek Kumar Ayachi
A/C 213 (Asha deep), Aghaya Nagar
Bilaspur, Chattisgarh, India
Email: bharatayachi@yahoo.com


Introduction
The need for water resource management has widely been recognized as the ever-increasing population leads to pressure on the available resources, and leads to their depletion and degradation. Resources degradation through erosion of valuable layer of the earth surface, changes in flow regimes of rivers and other phenomena are frequently worst events faced by the present day world. To date, however, the management of water resources seems to have had only a limited impact in abating these adverse processes. The lack of adequate information, databases and proper documentation are few of the reasons for its limited impact. It is in relation to this that discussions on information systems to support resource management were initiated.

The role of information scheme for water resource management the perspective of the user is an ardent needs. This approach is thought to be essential, as the use of the information can bring about a sea change in the complex equations accessing demand and need, around us. In the present era of information age, new tools and technologies have emerged to collect, store, retrieve and analyze various types of information related to water resource management. Commercial GIS packages offer tremendous opportunity in this regard. However, very few attempts have been made so far to utilize their potential to the fullest. This is Primarily due to the fact that the relevant data is mostly considered as proprietary and lies with different organizations (in public sector and private sector -organized and unorganized) and therefore, considered as responsibility of respective organizations to prepare and maintain such databases. Secondly developing a GIS based water resource management requires a lot of investment in developing GIS infrastructure within the organization.

Present work is an attempt for planning water resource administration, based on generic principal of database management system supported by build-in Digital Image Processing and Geographical Information System capabilities. Water resource management deals with a comprehensive database of any area/watershed/river basin. Although it is developed based on the concept of remote sensing and GIS, it allows data updating, querying and report generation with Digital Image Processing and Geographical Information System capabilities.

Why use the word anthropogenic activities*in database
With reference to the concerns highlighted in the paper entitled “Emerging Challenges in ground water resources before Chhattsigarh State”, by Hunse. T.M. et al. The area of interference of human activities have been broadly grouped into five broad categories:

  1. Areas of Intensive ground water development
  2. Areas with high surface irrigation application
  3. Growing urban complexes
  4. The industrial establishments
  5. Areas of intensive mining activities
  1. Areas of Intensive ground water development:
    The overall stage of development of ground water is low, generally in the range of 6.29% in Bastar district to 53.99% in Dhamtari district. However there are few pockets of intensive development. Out of 146 blocks. Stage of ground water development in 4 blocks has crossed 70%. Gurur Block in Durg district has the highest stage of ground water development (84.6%). Four blocks (Balod, Saja, Baramkela, and Belha) have stages of ground water development between 60 and 70%. All other blocks have stage of development less than 60%. It is well known that as a consequence of significant development, ground water levels will initially decline. However, if the withdrawal is restricted within annual replenishable recharge limits, the system shall in due coarse attain a new equilibrium at lower level. When the withdrawal exceeds the latter, a declining trend in water levels will set in. Analyze of long term-term data (more than 15 years) shows declining ground water level trend in few monitoring stations. These stations are Saraipali (Raipur) Kondagaon, & Charama (Bastar). Infew blocks of Raigarh, Bilaspur, Durg, Rajnandgaon, Raipur and Dhamtari Districts the depth to water level in pre monsoon ranges between 25-60 in bore wells.

  2. Areas with high surface irrigation application:
    When used for Irrigation by flooding technique only about one half to two third of total quantum of applied water is consumed by crops by evapo-transpiration or lost as field evaporation. The balance either joins directly the ground water reservoir or drains to the surface channels from where it percolates. The return flow of irrigation water is normally saline than the water in underlying aquifer system. The salinity of irrigation return flow increases three to ten times of applied water. Principal cations are calcium magnesium and sodium and major anions include bicarbonate, sulphate chloride, and nitrate. The use of nitrogenous fertilizers in intensive agriculture in irrigated areas increases the nitrate content in ground water

    Application of large quantities of water also adds to the recharge of ground water body. Where sufficient drainage facilities do not exist, the result is continuous rise in water table and eventual water logging.

    3 major, 6 medium and 1945 small irrigation schemes have been constructed so far in the State and 4 major, 9 medium and 398 small schemes are under construction.

    The total irrigated land is about 1.6 million hectares (0.66 million hectares is being irrigated by surface water and 0.50 million hectares is being irrigated by ground water) out of the gross sown area of 5.8 million hectors. Hence the present irrigated land is only 21%, which is far below the national average of 38%. On the basis of water resources availability in the State the total irrigated land could be 4.3 million hectares that is 75% of the total gross sown land available. Bringing the large additional land under irrigated will effect the hydrogeological cycle in the State. The detailed microlevel studies must be taken up for the conjunctive use and planning be done well in advance to minimize the negative implications.

  3. Growing urban complexes:
    Growing Urban Agglomerates generate large quantity of waste, both liquid and solid. The district towns have not been provides with any facilities for proper treatment/disposal of the wastes. Abandoned quarries and local depressions are converted into land-fill sites. Septic tanks are used for individual household.

    The 27% of the area of Chhattisgarh is underlain by carbonate group of rocks in Indravati and Mahanadi Basin. These Karstic limestone terrain are highly sensitive to ground water pollution due to its conduit nature. Through the solution cavities of limestone the leachates percolate down to aquifer. According to a WHO report, 80% of the diseases in the world population are due to consumption of polluted water and Chhattisgarh is no exception. It has been reported and observed every year in the groundwater dependent area that just after the first few shows in June, the complaints of various diseases suddenly increases. This may be due to the fact that leachates percolate down through the karst conduit and contaminate the aquifer. However, subsequent rain dilutes the concentration and makes the system almost normal. The present practice of disposal of solid waste in limestone terrain must be stopped immediately. It is universally accepted that ground water system is polluted slowly but ones polluted its revival is almost impossible. Major towns of Chhattisgarh as Raipur, Durg, Bhilai, Jagdalpur, Bilaspur and Raigarh are underlain by limestone/dolomite characterized often by macropores and super capillary openings. Thus the leachate from the waste can readily percolate and mix with ground water increasing its total dissolved solids (TDS), Nitrogen, Phosphorous and introducing disinfectants, detergents, bacteria and viruses

  4. The industrial establishments:
    The major industrial centers in Chhattsigarh are located at Bhilai, Korba, Raipur, Bilaspur, and Raigarh districts. One of the biggest steel plants of the country and many ancillary industries are located in Bhilai. In Korba, besides a super thermal power station, an aluminum smelter unit is also present. Major cement plants are operating in Raipur Bilaspur area

    Thermal power stations using coal emit vast quantities of fly ash and coal dust .If adequate measures are not taken the deposition of these on the surface and water bodies can bring down the infiltration rate and consequently the ground water recharge Water used in manufacturing industry picks up high TDS, acidity or alkalinity, heavy metals such as Cr+6, Cd, As, Hg, Ni, Fe, and Mn. etc. Where water is used for cooking purposes, algae inhibitors and pH adjustors are often used. These results in high temperature (Thermal Pollution), and increase in TDS, acidity, alkalinity etc.

  5. Areas of intensive mining activities:
    Associated with the mining activity is the intensive development of ground water. Smooth and unhindered mining operations necessitate heavy ground water pumping and associate activites like washing of coal, milling etc. Coal mines are extensively developed in Bilaspur, Korba, Raigarh, Sarguja, and Koriya districts. There are reports of declining ground water level in areas surrounding these mines. Extensive mining of iron ore is being undertaken in Bailadila area of Dantewada district and Dalli-Rajhara areas of durg district. Mines can produce a variety of ground water pollution problems. Coal mine is a major contributor. Dewatering of old mines, both surface and underground, is common activity. Pumped water may be highly mineralized. It can often lower pH and indicate high Iron and Sulphate content. It is referred as acid mine drainage.

    Oxidation of pyrite, often found in coal deposits, occurs as a result of lowered water level. This, followed by contact with water produces ferrous sulphate and sulphuric acid in solution. When it gets mixed with ground water, the latter will have reduced pH and increase in iron and sulphate contents.

    Leachate from old mine tailing and settling ponds also causes ground water pollution. These problems are associated with both active and abandoned mines.

Taken from:
Emerging Challenges in ground water resources before Chhattsigarh State (T.M.Hunse Superintending Hydrogeologist1, Denesh Tiwari Scientist B2, and Arunangshu Mukerjee Assistant Hydrogeologist3)

Looking into these emerging challenges for the State, these parameters have been quantified and included in the analysis module of this software.

Information content of WRIS
Though, the information requirements may vary with time and need, the most common of all are: spatial, non-spatial and contextual information. The non-spatial database consists of basic parameters on water resources, background of observation well, strata of observation well, wells location in terms of administrative subdivisions. Well location in terms of village name and road directions, well site coordinates, drilling data casing data, hydrological units present in the well and their principal lithology, chemical analysis result, pumping test data, water level data in observation well, litho-stratigraphic subdivision, water level in producing well, inventory of geophysical logs year wise, month wise quality assessment. The non-spatial (Figure 2) and contextual data can be edited and updated, however the most critical non-spatial database can only be updated with password permission.

The present tool consists of spatial information like remotely sensed data (Satellite images) and thematic information layers. The satellite data may be raw or processed data product from various sensors such as IRS-LISS-II, Landsat 5-TM, and ERS-1-SAR, IRS 1D Wifs (Figure 1). The thematic information layers comprises of lithology, lineaments, well location, road network, drainage network, DEM, slope, aspect and location map. Some raster, analysis and editing operations are carried out by the system itself. The non-spatial database is stored in MS Access file and the contextual information is stored in hyper linked MS Word file.

Morphological characteristics of non-spatial data like stream order, drainage density, aerial extent, watershed length and width, channel length, channel slope and relief aspects of watershed are important in understanding the hydrology of the watershed. Runoff response of the watershed is different for different slopes, shapes, lengths, widths and areas of watershed. Response is also affected by the factors like drainage density, length of overland flow, stream frequency, relative relief and relief ratios. Computation of watershed morphological characteristics is prerequisite to further detailed hydrological analysis of the watershed. Hydrologists have attempted to relate the hydrologic response of watersheds to watershed morphologic characteristics. Presently, these characteristics are determined manually from the topographic and stream network map of the watershed. Manual computation in order to generate these characteristics is not only tedious and error prone but also time consuming.

Important watershed characteristics included in the model are: area of watershed, perimeter, elongation ratio, circulatory ratio, form factor, stream order, drainage density, average slope of watershed, main stream channel slope etc. The model uses watershed boundary map, drainage network map and contour map for computation of the morphological characteristics.


Figure.1 Contents of spatial data layers



Figure.2 Contents of non-spatial data layers


Software design and implementation
The Water Resources Information System (W.R.I.S) is designed (Figure 3) in such a way that the input data can be spatial or non-spatial or both and can be used for other related fields. The spatial data is displayed in the background and non-spatial data is displayed in the fore ground. The information regarding a well location and basin information can be obtained through graphics by clicking on the appropriate location using different type of grids, user define coordinates where all well names are kept in order. Following are the information content and salient features of the prototype.


Figure.3 Extract, edit, update information as user needs in WRIS

  1. It provides information on Hydrogeology, Morphological Analysis, mining, production, chemical analysis of ore and rock sample, and environmental data (air, water and land).
  2. User friendly, information available on point click.
  3. Linear and polar grid available
  4. User define Easting Northing for better accuracy
  5. Multi Purpose Multi window multi resolution zoom tool available which is used for other software also where this tool is not available
  6. Commercial Remote sensing & GIS software independent, however, it can be linked to ARC GIS 8.1 if available.
  7. Produces report, various types of line graphs, bar graphs, etc. (still under customization)
  8. Filter define for core data for quick finding the location of the database
  9. Database updating possible with password option
  10. Image processing: different types of enhancement techniques, edge enhancement, linear, non linear stretch etc
  11. Image processing: user defined contrast ratio, gray scale
  12. Image processing: defined & user defined filters like high pass, low pass filter etc
  13. Image information, Rotation angle, Shifting flipping etc
  14. Editing imagery or maps in the form of line point polygon



    15. Figure.4 Editing in W.R.I.S v 1.0

  15. Interpolation 2,4 imagery or maps for creating a one
  16. Analysis by using coordinates for position accuracy
  17. Slide show for comparative study
  18. Multi windows for analysis of different bands
  19. Context help file contains complete geological information in report form, which can be updated in MS WORD with additional information.
  20. Software uses mostly Microsoft resources (Access and Word)
  21. W.R.I.S v 1.0 is developed using Visual Basic 6.0
  22. System used: P-III and Windows 2000
  23. A software package named as " W.R.I.S v 1.0 " is developed with all components including database.
  24. The software can be installed in any Windows NT, 2000 machine and the full capabilities of te software can be utilized.
Application potentials and limitations
The W.R.I.S can be used for various purposes such as for easy accessibility of geological information, hydrogeological and hydrogeochemical data for environmental assessment and management, for water customer support for Terrain information, Production status and for research and education purposes.

Currently, the W.R.I.S has various limitations. The database is not complete in many respects due to non-availability of information from water authorities. The production data is available for only one year where as it should be available for past few years. It does not have a map with lease area boundaries. The satellite data provided also does not cover completely the study area.

Conclusion
An information system with spatial and non-spatial information can be developed and can be used by clients without expensive commercial GIS packages. In the present case only for preparing some of the spatial data layers, Standard GIS and DIP packages were used, for data access, display, query and updating of non-spatial data, spatial data layers, the WRIS can be used. The system can be packaged and given to users who can update the database and use it as per their needs. Despite limitations being in the developmental stage, the tool has utility value.

Most importantly, it has highlighted that in the era of software customization, it is essential that some basic component of any information system should be independent of any GIS package, then there should be gradual entry into the GIS system through customized menu system, and finally most experienced users can be exposed to the GIS system as it is, thereby allowing gradual learning of the spatial information system. Secondly for most of the basic usage of any information system, investment in terms of GIS infrastructure and GIS training is not a mandatory.

Thus in every attempt to develop spatial information system, particularly targeting different user groups, it is worthwhile to consider this philosophy.

Ref Paper:
  1. Remote sensing and Geographical Information System Database Integration tool for water resources management(Journal : National workshop on Emerging Challenges in Water Resources Before Chhattsigarh State C.G.W.B Ministry of Water Resources Govt. of India N.C.Cg.R Raipur (12 Dec 2003))
    (Abhishek Kumar Ayachi1;and Ninad Bodhankar2
    1A/c-213(Asha Deep),Aghaya Nager,Bilaspur,Chhattsigarh,India
    2School of Studies in Geology & WRM,Pt.Ravishankar Shukla
    University,Raipur ,India)
  2. Emerging Challenges in ground water resources before Chhattsigarh State
    (T.M.Hunse Superintending Hydrogeologist1, Denesh Tiwari Scientist B2, and Arunangshu Mukerjee Assistant Hydrogeologist3)
Acknowledgement:
At the onset of this Project I would like to express my profound gratitude to my Mother, Mrs. Asha Ayachi without whose blessings and support it would not have been possible for me to complete this work I am thankful to Prof Dr. S.K.Patil Govt Agriculture collage Raipur who provides me spatial data Raipur & their guidance, support, and co-operation

I am thankful to Mr. Prasant Kwishwar C.C.O.S T for their guidance, support, and co-operation

Thanks are also due to Assistant Prof Mr. Pradip Gaur, Govt. Science Collage Raipur, Smt Dr. Sandhya Tiwari, Head Geosciences, Govt. Science Collage Bilaspur for their valuable suggestions.

At last my sincere thanks goes to all the persons who directly or indirectly helped me during this Project

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