Water resource development study for a mining region

A water resource development study has been carried out for a proposed lignite mining area at Bhavnagar district of Gujarat state in India. This work is essentially a case study that uses standard methodology already applied in earlier research studies. The study covers assessment of water resources for the present and future, water balance status and formulation of a management and conservation strategy for the area. Ramdasiya watershed is considered as influencing zone having 31.92 km² area and covering full or part of ten villages with 13,647 population. There is no perennial river or major surface water bodies in the study area and annual average rainfall is only 567 mm. The groundwater is generally potable. Annual utilisable groundwater resource available in the area is 3.30 hm³ and present annual ground water demand for area is 2.967 hm³, whereas annual demand for various uses in the year 2010 and 2020 would be around 3.298 and 3.659 hm³, respectively. The above problem of water scarcity in the region has to be mitigated by immediate initiation of suitable short- and long-term water supply augmentation strategy for enhancing the groundwater recharge. To reduce the heavy surface runoff loss (around 40% of rainfall, although some part of it is also utilized as consumptive used) and enhance the groundwater recharge capacity of the area, suitable water retaining structures should be constructed. Interbasin transfer of water is also required to artificially recharge the aquifers for the augmentation of the groundwater potential of the area so as to meet the future demands.