CONCLUSIONS

The objective of the research was to analyse the groundwater regime of the study area in the perspective of groundwater abstraction being made by different stakeholders besides the application of MAR. The requisite data required for the model development was obtained from concerned government departments. Visual MODFLOW groundwater model was developed based on metrological, geological, geotechnical, hydrological, and abstraction data of the study area. The model was calibrated using sensitivity analysis through the iterative process. The scenario modelling was carried out for groundwater analysis of the study area for different scenarios viz current abstraction scenario, projected abstraction scenario, and reduced abstraction scenarios. Besides scenario modelling, different methods of MAR were considered to suggest a viable and feasible method for sustainable groundwater management.
Based on the simulated results and discussion, it has been established that an average 05 m drawdown occurred for the last decade and the groundwater flow path depicts that the cement factories installed at upstream of the sacred pond, influence the groundwater flow path, recharging the holy pond. Therefore, the over-abstraction from 2011 to 2020 around the close vicinity of the Katas Raj Temples is the main cause of drying out of the sacred pond.
The mass budget depicts that the current abstraction rate is 40% more than the natural recharge of the aquifer resulting in the rapid drawdown of the groundwater. Therefore, the current abstraction is unsustainable, which if left uncontrolled, would further lead to an average 05 meters of groundwater depletion by the year 2030 causing severe environmental hazards to the study area.
The projected abstraction in the case of industrial development and agriculture growth predicted the worst scenario of an average 7.4 m of groundwater depletion by the year 2030. Therefore, alternative sources of water need to be explored to meet future water demand. However, a 40% reduction in the current abstraction rate can bring the groundwater use to a safe abstraction resulting in sustainable water management in the future.
The results of MAR depict that the open surface ponding is a more feasible and economical method that would contribute to the aquifer recharge significantly as it overcomes the 60% groundwater budget deficit.

Recommendations

The sustainable water management of the study area can be achieved by adopting the following recommendations: