Integrated geological, geoelectrical and geochemical studies for groundwater resource evaluation in coastal areas of Sagar Island region, West Bengal, India

摘要

The importance of water for sustenance of life cannot be overemphasized, and groundwater, being a part of the hydrological cycle, needs proper evaluation and management, not only to meet our needs for the present, but also for future generations. Sagar Island, the largest island in the Ganga Delta, is an almost flat, low-lying region built up of unconsolidated alluvial sediments of Quaternary age. In the whole island there are 46 villages spread over 235 km~2 with a total population of about 0.3 million. The reclamation of land for settlement and cultivation by deforestation has accelerated land erosion, especially in the east, west and southern sector of the island. For water supply, villagers are totally dependent on the sweet groundwater tapped from deep confined aquifers through tube wells of more than 240 m depth. The deeper sweet aquifers lie between 180 and 335 m below ground level (bgl).