Abstract:
Groundwater is an important source of water which is drastically declining
due to the increased exploitation by human beings. Groundwater models are
increasingly used in modelling of groundwater flow problems to develop useful
information about groundwater resources.
Visual MODFLOW is an efficient groundwater flow modelling software. In
this study the MODFLOW model is applied to assess the groundwater flow and
availability in Tavanur-Ponnani area of Malappuram district, Kerala. 18 0bservation
wells were established in the study area. A conceptual model was constructed based
on the topographical, climatic and hydrogeological data of the area along with the
field observation data including the water table level in the observation wells. The
recharge in the area was taken as 10% of the average rainfall of the area during the
period of study. A steady state model was developed on the basis of the average
groundwater heads for a 3 year period.
The study also includes the calibration of the model, the validation of the
model and the prediction of the groundwater conditions of the study area in the
succeeding year. The model predicted the flow of groundwater and its velocity in
magnitude and direction. The western part of the study area is taken as the constant
head boundary and the river boundary is taken along the river bharathapuzha with
proper values of river stage and bottom elevations. The model created during our
study provides a clear idea of the groundwater characteristics of the Tavanur-Ponnani
area and it will help in the future studies and development of the groundwater
management in the area. The groundwater modelling using the visual MODFLOW
software is well understood by this study. Samples of water were collected from the
observation wells established in the study area. Quality analysis of the water sample
was done to assess the quality of groundwater and the extent of salt water intrusion
the area. A socio-economic survey was done to get an idea about the effects of saline
water intrusion on the living status of people in the area. This study helped us to get
an overall idea about the quality of water and its effect on people in our study area.
