ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First of all Authors would like to express all the praises to the Almighty for giving the
opportunity to complete this work successfully.

The Authors would also like to express their appreciation and gratitude to the Supervisor of
this work, Dr. Aysha Akter, Professor, Department of Civil engineering, Chittagong
University of Engineering and Technology for her continuous supervision, guidance,
encouragement, inspiration and thoughtful suggestion throughout this work. It was a great
privilege for them to work under her supervision whose keen interest made it possible to
accomplish this work smoothly.

Authors would also like to express their gratitude to Rebeka Ahsan, Assistant engineer,
Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE), for her support during this work.

The Authors have also expressed their gratitude to Dr. Md. Moinul Islam, the Head of the
department of Civil Engineering, CUET, for providing all the facilities in the department.
The Authors are also grateful for the logistics supports of the Department of Civil
Engineering, CUET.

JULY, 2018 AUTHORS

CUET

1
 ABSTRACT

Raozan is an Upazila of Chittagong District in the Division of Chittagong, Bangladesh which

has 3,22,840 inhabitants and area of 243 square kilometres. As Raozan is mainly an
agricultural area, its water demand is significant for irrigation and domestic purpose where the
only source of water supply is groundwater at present. For domestic or other uses most of the
people depend on shallow tube well and deep tube well.

During field investigation it was identified that Groundwater level is falling day by day in
various locations of Raozan where in some places shallow tube wells cannot extract any more
water during dry season and people are dependent on deep tube wells which are not available
to mass people. This scarcity is also influencing people to install individual deep tube wells
again which are playing a role in reducing the groundwater table rapidly.

Present study entails groundwater level variability analysis and existing potential
groundwater map trough ArcGIS 10.1 from year 2012-2016 in selected wells in Raozan
Upazila where groundwater table data of 30 tube wells (15 deep, 15 shallow) among 15
Unions has been collected from Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE). Analysis
disclosed that groundwater level is changing in those locations whose rate varies from -0.137
to 1.24 meter per year which indicates groundwater condition is surprisingly variable in
different places. Most of the places showing continuous depletion of groundwater wherever in
a few places it has been increased scanty. Rapid urbanization, Increasing Population, gradual
changes in weather pattern, excessive or paucity of rain in monsoon period and
evapotranspiration are some key factors behind the rapid groundwater depletion.

2
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .......................................................................................................... 1
ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................... 2
LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................... 6
LIST OF TABLES ..................................................................................................................... 7

CHAPTER 1.............................................................................................................................. 8
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................... 8
1.1 General .............................................................................................................................. 8
1.2 Problem Statement........................................................................................................... 11
1.3 Objective of The Study ................................................................................................... 11
1.4 Scope of The Study ......................................................................................................... 11
1.5 Limitations ...................................................................................................................... 11

CHAPTER-2 ........................................................................................................................... 13
LITERATURE REVIEW ...................................................................................................... 13
2.1 General ............................................................................................................................ 13
2.2 Groundwater ................................................................................................................... 13
2.2.1 Ground Water Table ................................................................................................. 13
2.3 Aquifer ............................................................................................................................ 14
2.3.1water Table Aquifer .................................................................................................. 14
2.3.2 Artesian Aquifer ....................................................................................................... 14
2.4 Source of Ground Water ................................................................................................. 15
2.4.1 Meteoric Water ......................................................................................................... 15
2.4.2 Connate Water .......................................................................................................... 15
2.4.3 Juvenile Water .......................................................................................................... 15
2.5 Springs ............................................................................................................................ 15
2.5.1 Gravity Spring .......................................................................................................... 16
2.5.2 Artesian Spring......................................................................................................... 16
2.5.3 Hot Spring ................................................................................................................ 16
2.6 Water Wells .................................................................................................................... 16
2.7 Artesian Well .................................................................................................................. 17
2.8 Groundwater Depletion................................................................................................... 17
2.8.1 Causes of Groundwater Depletion ........................................................................... 17
3
 2.9 Groundwater Depletion Around The World ................................................................... 17
2.10 Effect of Groundwater Depletion ................................................................................. 21
2.11 Groundwater Lowering In Bangladesh ......................................................................... 21
2.12 Method Adopted For Ground Water Recharging ......................................................... 22
2.12.1 Recharge With Imported Surface Water ................................................................ 22
2.12.2 Recharge With Rainwater ...................................................................................... 23
2.12.3 Vegetative Treatment of The Catchment ............................................................... 24
2.12.4 Domestic Rainwater Harvesting............................................................................. 25

CHAPTER 3............................................................................................................................ 26
METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................. 26
3.1 Collection of Ground Water Data ................................................................................... 27
3.2 Analysis and Graphical Representationof Groundwater Level Data………………..... 29
3.2.1 Gahira ....................................................................................................................... 30
3.2.2 Chikdair .................................................................................................................... 30
3.3.3 Noajispur .................................................................................................................. 30
3.3.4 Purba Guzara ............................................................................................................ 31
3.3.5 Pashchim Guzara ...................................................................................................... 31
3.3.6 Pahartali .................................................................................................................... 31
3.3.7 Kadalpur ................................................................................................................... 31
3.3.8 Dabua ....................................................................................................................... 31
3.3.9 Sultanpur .................................................................................................................. 32
3.3.10 Haladia ................................................................................................................... 32
3.3.11 Raozan .................................................................................................................... 32
3.3.12 Bagoan .................................................................................................................... 32
3.3.13 Noapara .................................................................................................................. 33
3.3.14 Urkirchar ................................................................................................................ 33
3.3.15 Binajuri ................................................................................................................... 33
3.3 Survey of Study Area ...................................................................................................... 35
3.3.1 Longitude And Latitude of Well Location ............................................................... 37
3.4 GIS Application .............................................................................................................. 39
3.5 Basic Concept of Kriging Method .................................................................................. 40

4
CHAPTER 4............................................................................................................................ 44
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ............................................................................................. 44
4.1 Results ............................................................................................................................. 44
4.2 Discussion ....................................................................................................................... 52

CHAPTER 5............................................................................................................................ 53
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................... 53
5.1 Conclusions ..................................................................................................................... 53
5.2 Recommendation ............................................................................................................ 53

REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................. 54

5
 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure no. and Title Page no.

1.1 Map of Raozan Upazila 10

3.1 Methodology flow chart 26

3.2 (a) Year wise water level of different areas in Raozan 29

3.2(b) Year wise water level of different areas in Raozan 30

3.3(a) Year wise percentage of water level changes 34

3.3(b) Year wise percentage of water level changes 34

3.4 Well of Pahartali Union 35

3.5 Well of Bagoan Union 36

3.6 Well of Kadalpur Union 36

3.7 Well of Binajuri Union 36

3.8 Well of Noapara Union 36

3.9 Well of Raozan Union 36

4.1(a): Average Groundwater level changing rate per year in overall Raozan wells 46
4.1(b): Average Groundwater level changing rate per year in overall Raozan wells 46
4.2 Groundwater variation in Raozan Upazila’s wells in 2012 47

4.3 Groundwater variation in Raozan Upazila’s wells in 2013 48

4.4 Groundwater variation in Raozan Upazila’s wells in 2014 49

4.5 Groundwater variation in Raozan Upazila’s wells in 2015 50

4.6 Groundwater variation in Raozan Upazila’s wells in 2016 51

6
 LIST OF TABLES

Table no. and Title Page no.

Table-2.1 Ground water depletion in key countries 19-20

Table-3.1 Groundwater level Data of different wells in-between 2012 to 2016 27-28

Table-3.2 Identified Longitude and Latitude from field survey 37-38

Table-4.1 Average Groundwater level changing rate per year in different areas 44-45

7
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 GENERAL
Groundwater is an essential natural resource of our mother earth that constitutes about 95
percent of the freshwater on our planet, making it fundamental to human life and economic
development. The contribution from groundwater is vital perhaps as many as two billion
people depend directly upon aquifers for drinking water and 40 percent of the world’s food is
produced by irrigated agriculture that relies largely on groundwater (Morris et al. 2003).
Effective management of ground water system is essential to meet the increasing demand for
water. Groundwater can be used as a reliable source of water supply irrespective of the
climate. Groundwater is defined as water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore
spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is
called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore
spaces or fractures and voids in rock become completely saturated with water is called the
water table. Groundwater is recharged from surface water and eventually flows to the surface
naturally. Groundwater is also often withdrawn for agricultural, municipal and industrial use
by constructing and operating extraction wells. Bangladesh, a small country is blessed with
plenty of water resources being located in the basins of mighty Ganges, Meghna,
Brahmaputra and Karnaphuli rivers. Groundwater is a vital source of water supply for
Bangladesh. Bangladesh is also affluent in groundwater resource. As Bangladesh is the most
densely populated country in the world, the water demand is very high in the region. Since
last couple of decades, groundwater is being extensively used for drinking, irrigation and
several other purposes eventually declining the groundwater level. Groundwater in
Bangladesh, except in some places is available at a shallow depth. Groundwater levels are at
or near ground level during the period August-October and lowest in April-May.
Groundwater rises as a result of recharge during April-May and usually reaches its highest in
late July each year. Between July and October groundwater level are constant and maintain a
balance between surface water levels and fully recharged aquifers.

Previous study (BADC 2013. Survey Report on Irrigation Equipment and Irrigated Area in
Boro-2012 Season) shows that 349 upazilas can adequately allow groundwater development
by hand pump tube wells of which 197 upazilas having ground water level within 4.5 meter of
8
the surface in dry season allows groundwater abstraction by suction mode No. 6 pump. In 60
upazilas, the groundwater level lies within 4.5 m to 6.5 m, the marginal range for force mode
Tara pump. In 92 Upazilas the water level falls below the limit of suction mode pumps in the
later part of dry season. Raozan is an Upazila of Chittagong District in the Division of
Chittagong, Bangladesh. It has 45,775 households and a total area of 243 square kilometer.
According to the 2011 census its population is about 3, 22,840.

The two main rivers in Raozan are Karnaphuli and Halda. Raozan is surrounded by
Fatikchari Upazila on the north, Boalkhali Upazila and Karnaphuli River on the south,
Rangunia Upazila and Kaukhali Upazila on the east, Hathazari and Fatikchari Upazila on the
west.

Raozan is mainly an agricultural area. It has 12,000 hectares of cultivable land among which
7,500 hectares are irrigable. Approximately 57,000 metric tons of various crops are produced
in Raozan every year. A large amount of water is needed for Irrigation purpose and
groundwater is the main source of irrigation water. For domestic or other uses most of the
people depends on shallow tube well and deep tube well. In recent years water is scarcely
found in shallow tube wells in some places of Raozan. Also some wells have been outdated in
some area for several years due to water level depletion.

9
Fig 1.1: Map of Raozan Upazila

10
1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT

Billions of liters of groundwater are used daily for agriculture and drinking purpose
worldwide. As Raozan is mainly an agricultural area, its water demand is very high for
irrigation and domestic purpose. Again About 90 percent of irrigation water in Bangladesh is
provided from groundwater (Zahid and Ahmed 2006). So the groundwater level is falling day
by day in the area. During field investigation we identified that in some places shallow tube
wells cannot extract any more water during dry season and people are dependent on deep tube
wells which are not available to mass people. Most of the farmers also face water crisis during
dry season. This scarcity is also influencing people to install individual deep tube wells which
are reducing the groundwater table rapidly.

1.3 OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The following objectives have been selected for the investigation-

 To determine the variation of groundwater table in Raozan Upazila.

 To prepare a potential existing groundwater condition map using kriging interpolation
under GIS environment.

1.4 SCOPE OF THE STUDY

Extensive use of groundwater and rapid lowering of groundwater table is one of the burning
questions nowadays all around the world so as in Bangladesh, most densely populated
country in the world. In recent years shallow tube wells in some places in Raozan could not
abstract water from groundwater during dry season. As a result people are installing wells of
their own accord. Over consumption of water is occurring in the area and groundwater is
rapidly depleting in some of the places of Raozan.

1.5 LIMITATIONS

Groundwater variability study needs a continuous dataset and presently there is no dataset
available in Raozan area. Only few of the government tube wells are left in the area and most
of the people are using water from their household water sources like shallow or deep tube

11
wells, motor pump etc. Overall 30 tube well’s groundwater level data from 15 union of
Raozan Upazila was available from adhering authority.

12
 CHAPTER-2

LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 GENERAL
Groundwater is the world’s largest accessible source of freshwater to satisfy human water
needs. As the world’s largest accessible source of freshwater, groundwater plays a vital role
in satisfying the basic needs of human society. It serves as a primary source of drinking water
and supplies water for agricultural and industrial activities. Groundwater makes up about
twenty percent of the world’s fresh water supply, which is about 0.61% of the entire world’s
water, including ocean and permanent ice. Groundwater is naturally replenished by surface
water from precipitation, streams and rivers when this recharge reaches the water table.
During periods of low or no rainfall, groundwater storage provides a natural buffer against
water shortage, preserves evaporation in areas with shallow water tables, and sustains base
flows to rivers and wetlands, thereby supporting ecosystem habitats and biodiversity .

2.2 GROUNDWATER
Groundwater is defined as water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in
the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an
aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or
fractures and voids in rock become completely saturated with water is called the water table.
Groundwater is recharged from surface water and eventually flows to the surface naturally.
Groundwater is also often withdrawn for agricultural, municipal and industrial use by
constructing and operating extraction wells.

2.2.1 Ground Water Table

When it rains, some of the water percolates or soak into the ground this phenomena is known
as infiltration. Some of the water is held in the soil because it clings to the soil particles
because of molecular attraction. It may evaporate from the soil or be used by plants. Both air
and water occupy the pore spaces. Encases water penetrates downward until it reaches the
water table. Below this point all of the pore spaces is filled with water.

13
  The water table is the top of the zone of saturation.
 The water table is not flat. It mimics the topography, but is more subdued. It stands
somewhat higher under hills and lower under valleys.
 Where the water table intersects with the ground surface, springs, lakes, swamps, or
rivers. In humid areas groundwater movement supplies a flow of water to a stream or
river..
 If water is withdrawn from a well, the water table is lowered in the immediate vicinity
of the well. The lowered surface of the water table around a well forms a conical
depression in the water table. It is called the cone of depression. (Pamela J. W. Gore,
1996).

2.3 AQUIFER
Formation which contain groundwater will readily field it to wells are called aquifer. An
aquifer is a water bearing rock. Aquifers have high porosity and high permeability. An aquifer
is an underground layer of water being permeable rock or unconsolidated materials from
which groundwater can be usefully infected using water well. The study of water flow in
aquifers and the characterization of aquifers are called hydrogeology. Groundwater aquifers
may be classified as-

 Water table aquifer

 Artesian aquifer

2.3.1 Water Table Aquifer

A water table aquifer is one which is not confined by an upper impermeable layer. Hence it is
also called an unconfined aquifer. For a groundwater reservoir to be classified as unconfined,
it must be shown that it is not confined by impermeable material. Furthermore water table
can’t be confined from the effects of atmospheric pressure. Water in unconfined aquifers is
subjected to losses due to plant uptake (Aziz,1975).

2.3.2 Artesian Aquifer

An artesian aquifer is one in which the water is confined under a pressure greater than
atmospheric by an overlying relatively impermeable layer. Hence such aquifers are also

14
confined or pressure aquifers. The name artesian owes its origin to Artois, the northern most
province of France, where the first deep wells to tap confined aquifers was known to have
been drilled (Aziz,1975).

2.4 SOURCE OF GROUND WATER

The following are the major source of groundwater-

1. Meteoric water
2. Connate water
3. Juvenile water

2.4.1 Meteoric Water

This includes rain, sleet, snow, hail and other forms of precipitation. A total of about 26000
cubic miles of water falls on the continents each year. It is this water which fills the soil and
upper crust of the earth. It is the most important source of water (Aziz, 1975).

2.4.2 Connate Water

This is the sea water or fresh water trapped in sediments when they are deposited on sea
bottom or lakes. Since most of the sediments originate in sea water which is usually salty. It is
this source which supplies water found deeper in sedimentary strata of the crust. Connate
water is often found in rock units with oil and this will floats on it and rises upward until it is
trapped (Aziz, 1975).

2.4.3 Juvenile Water

This water is produced from volcanic and magnetic activity during the processes of
crystallization of rock molecules. It is hard to determine how much of this water is coming to
the surface of the earth at present. Many volcanoes are located under water and many more
are found around the margins of the oceans. It may be that a large part of the gets into the
volcanic vents from the ground or oceans. More than 90 percent of all material coming out of
volcanoes is stream. It has not yet been possible to estimate how much of this water that has
been recycle back into the volcanoes from the surface (Aziz, 1975).

2.5 SPRINGS
Springs represent natural discharge of groundwater occurring where the water table intersects
the earth’s surface. Most commonly occur along valley walls where streams have eroded

15
below the level of the water table. A perched water table occurs where an impermeable layer
of rock in the zone of aeration prevents water from reaching the water table below. Water
moves laterally until it reaches the surface (Aziz,1975).

2.5.1 Gravity Spring

Gravity spring may results either from the out cropping of an impervious stratum underneath
the water bearing formation or from the overflow of the water table by the continuous rise in
the water table into the sides of the valley. The gelid of the gravity spring varies with the
position of the water table or of rainfall and is therefore uncertain (Feroze and Mujibur, 2000)

2.5.2 Artesian Spring

Artesian spring is one resulting from the water bearing stratum being under pressure,
underlain and overlain by impervious strata. Water flows to the surface through the wreaker
spots in the upper impervious strata, either some fault or cervices in the rock. The gelid of the
artesian spring is more uniform and almost constant throughout the year (Aziz, 1975).

2.5.3 Hot Spring

Hot springs are springs that bring water to the surface that is at least 6.5℃ higher than the
mean air temperature.

There are many hot springs around the world. In Bangladesh there is a hot spring at Sitakund
in Chandranath Hill Range, Chittagong. Most of the hot springs derives their heat from
masses of magma that have pushed their way into the crust almost to the surface and are now
cooling. In some areas, the circulation of groundwater carries to depths great enough for it to
be warmed by the normal increase in earth’s interior heat.

2.6 WATER WELLS

These wells are artificial openings dug or drilled into the zone of saturation. Wells will fill to
the level of the water table. Most wells must be pumped to bring groundwater to the surface.
Pumping creates a core of depression, which lowers the groundwater level around the well
(Aziz, 1975).

16
2.7 ARTESIAN WELL
Artesian well occurs where groundwater under pressure rises above the surface of the aquifer
to the artesian pressure surface. An artesian well will flow without pumping if the well head
lies below the pressure surface.

2.8 GROUNDWATER DEPLETION

Groundwater depletion defined as the persistent removal of groundwater from aquifer storage
is one of the common problems the whole world is facing nowadays. Groundwater depletion
has more than doubled during the last decades and primarily due to increase in water demand
while the increase in water impoundments behind dams has been tapering off since the 1990s.

2.8.1 Causes of Groundwater Depletion

Following are the causes of lowering of ground water level:

 Principle source of groundwater depletion and lowering of the water table is intensive
groundwater pumping and over pumping.
 Rapid drawdown by water supply wells or the lowering of a lake or reservoirs.
 Lowering due to draught and summer season
 Lack of required recharging of groundwater.
 Lowering due to underflow of water

How quickly and by how much water will lower depends on the permeability of the soil and
the distance between the adjacent wells. One fifth of all water used in the world is obtained
from ground water resources (Raghunath, 1992). Groundwater generally flows from areas
where water table is higher to that of lower elevation (Koren and Bisesi, 1996). In the absence
of groundwater flow the water table will be flat and a sloping water table indicates that the
ground water is flowing.

2.9 GROUNDWATER DEPLETION AROUND THE WORLD

Billions of liters of groundwater are used daily for agriculture and drinking water worldwide.
Nearly two billion people could face severe water shortages by 2050 as groundwater
resources are depleted by heavy usage according to a previous study (Hong Y. and Zehnder
A. 2001), In the next 34 years, as many as 1.8 billion people worldwide could live in areas
where groundwater levels are fully or nearly depleted because of excessive pumping of
groundwater for drinking and agriculture

17
While many aquifers remain productive, economically exploitable groundwater is already
unattainable or will become so in the near future, especially in intensively irrigated areas in
the drier regions of the world. About one third of Earth's largest groundwater basins are being
rapidly depleted by human consumption, despite having little accurate data about how much
water remains in them. This means that significant segments of Earth’s population are
consuming groundwater quickly without knowing when it might run out.

Humans could drink the groundwater almost dry in parts of India, southern Europe and the
United States in the coming decades, according to computer models of the world’s
groundwater resources. Aquifers in the Upper Ganges Basin area of India, southern Spain and
Italy could be depleted in-between 2040 and 2060. In the United States, in drought-stricken
California, aquifers in central and southern parts of the state could be depleted by the 2030s.
Aquifers that Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico rely on could reach their limits in-between
the 2050s and 2070s.

Many cities in North Africa, as well as the Middle East, are facing extreme water shortages.
One estimate reported that the water table had dropped by 8m in 2001 in parts of Iran. In
Yemen, on the Arabian Peninsula, the water tables have been falling on average 2m per year
across the country (Worm, 2004). With river water in key farming regions rather fully
exploited, the world has turned to underground water sources in recent decades to keep
expanding the irrigated area. As a result the climbing demand for water has now exceeded the
natural resource. Now water tables are falling in scores of countries that contain more than
half the world’s people.

Table 2.1 shows in brief the water table lowering in different countries. These include China,
India and the United States, which nearly half of the global gain harvests. And as the gap
between steadily rising demand and the sustainable yield of aquifers grows, water tables are
falling at an accelerating rate.

In the United States, water tables are falling under the Great Plains and throughout the
southwest. In India, they are falling in most states including the Punjab (Dourte, 2011). This
country of more than 1 billion people depends on underground water supplies for well over
half of its irrigation water with the remainder coming from rivers. In China, water tables are
falling throughout the northern half of the country which including under the north China
Plain (Yang and Zehnder, 2001). In a recent survey of India’s water situation, it has seen that
21 million wells drilled in this global epicenter of well drilling are lowering water tables in
18
most of the country. The wells powered by heavily subsidized electricity which dropped water
tables at an accelerating rate. In north Gujarat, the water tables are falling by 6 to 20 feet per
year. In some states, half of the electricity is now used to pump water (Pearce, 2004). In
Mexico, water tables are falling throughout the more arid north (Tsur et al, 2004). Mexico’s
aquifers are among the most overdeveloped International Water Management Institute
(IWMI) researchers based in Guanajuato state, one of Mexico’s agriculturally dynamic
regions where found that water tables in 10 aquifers declining on an average annual rates of
1.79 to 3.30 m/year during recent years studies(Wester et al, 1999).

In a rational world, falling water tables would trigger alarm and setting in a motion of series
of government actions to reduce demand and re-establish a stable balance with the sustainable
supply. Unfortunately not a single government appears to have done this and official
responses to falling water tables have been consistently belated and grossly inadequate.

Table-2.1: Ground water depletion in key countries

Country Description

In Mexico, where a third of all water used

comes from underground, aquifers are being
depleted throughout the northern arid and
Mexico
semiarid regions. In the agricultural state of
Guanajuato, the water table is falling by 2m
or more a year (Brown, 2013).

The over pumping of the vast Ogallala

essentially a fossil aquifer that extends from
southern south Dakota through Nebraska,
Kansas, eastern Colorado, Oklahoma, and
Texas is a matter of national concern. In the
United states southern great plains irrigated area has
shrunk by 24 percent since 1980. By 1980,
average water levels has dropped by just
under 4m and as of 2009 by over 4.2m across
the entire aquifer relative to pre development
levels (Konikow, 2013; Brown, 2013;)

19
 This country of 21 million people is unique
in that it has both one of the world’s fastest
growing populations and the fastest falling
Yemen
water tables. The world bank reports that the
water table is falling by 2m or more a year in
most of Yemen (Brown, 2013).

When aquifers are depleted, Iran’s gain

harvest could drop by 5 million tons, or one
Iran third of the current harvest. Several of Iran’s
key aquifers have declined between 13 and
20 m in recent decades (Motagh et al, 2008).

Water tables are falling in most states in

India, including Punjab and Haryana, the
leading grain surplus states. India’s central
groundwater board (CGWB) observed a 2-4
India m decline in water level in 26 observation
wells in Medak district during the 10 years
from 1996 to 2005, suggesting an
approximate annual decline of 20 cm. (Shah
et al, 2000).

Water tables are falling throughout the

northern china, including under the north
china plain. The number of tube well basins
China has increased to some 91000, mostly during
the 1970’s and the water table has fallen to 8
from 50 m during 1967-2000. (Changming I,
2001)

Pakistan, a country with 158 million people

that is growing by 3 million per year, is also
Pakistan
mining its underground water and
groundwater level is reducing drastically.

20
2.10 EFFECT OF GROUNDWATER DEPLETION
The effects of aquifer depletion varies which depending on whether it is replenish able or
fossil aquifer. If the aquifer is replenish able, once depletion occurs the water pumped is
necessarily reduced to the amount of recharge. If for example, an aquifer is being pumped at
twice the rate of recharge will be cut in half. In a fossil or non-replenish able aquifer where
depletion means the end of pumping. Fossil aquifers include the Ogallala under the U.S Great
Plains, the aquifer the Saudis use to irrigate wheat and the deeper of the two aquifers under
the north china plains. In some countries, falling water tables and the depletion of aquifers are
already reducing the grain harvest. In Saudi Arabia, the wheat harvest peaked in 1992 is 4.1
million tons and declined to 1.6 million tons in 2004 drop of 61% where some other smaller
countries such as Yemen have also experienced grain harvest declines.

In Tamil Nadu, a state of 62 million people in southern India falling water tables are drying
up wells. Kuppannan, Palamisami and Tamil Nadu agricultural university says that the falling
water tables have dried up 95% of the wells owned by small farmers, reducing the irrigated
area in the state of half over the last decade.

2.11 GROUNDWATER LOWERING IN BANGLADESH

Bangladesh is facing a huge water crisis where groundwater tables are falling rapidly. The
main cause of water shortage in urban Bangladesh is because the rain is led away from cities
and does not recharge the groundwater which is being mined extensively (Sengupta et al.,
2012). Dhaka city which the capital of the Bangladesh is facing the problem of inadequate
drinking water-supply most of which comes from groundwater. One of the critical issues that
draws periodic attention particularly during the dry season (March to May) is groundwater.
The rate of groundwater abstraction is too high in Dhaka and Chittagong city. From the long
term groundwater level hydrograph at a monitoring well in Mirpur area managed by
Bangladesh water development board (BWDB). It is seen that a steady decline in water level
since the mid 1980’s. Recently groundwater level is declining at even greater than 2m/year
rate. Groundwater level in 2007 was 50m below ground level during 1970’s. in the dry season
(April-May) Groundwater table (2007) contoured from weekly monitored water level in
BWDB wells, on a satellite image (Google earth, 2014) which shows 3 distinct areas of deep
water table such areas are located in Dhanmondi, Mirpur, Motijheel thanas where dry season
water table is located 50m below ground level. Groundwater table in the central part of the
city ( Moghbazar, Tejgaon, Rampura, Mohakhali and Gulshan) is between 40m and 50m

21
below ground level. Groundwater table in Mohammadpur and around the northern part of the
city (Uttara) is shallower than 30m below ground level.

Every year the underground water table is going down by minimum 0.305m to 0.609m deeper
at Barind area in Rajshahi city. Khalikuzzaman, additional chief engineer of BMDA who
monitors the water table, informed that at some places of Godagari, the water level this year
fell to 45.72 m against 145 last year (Ali, 2009).

2.12 METHOD ADOPTATION FOR GROUND WATER RECHARGING

So far the most serious groundwater challenge facing the world is not in developing the
resource but in its sustainable management. As problems of groundwater depletion and its
deleterious consequences have surfaced in different parts of the world, a variety of responses
have been to mitigate or even reverse these. The standard reasoning is that even after 800000
numbers of big and small dams around the world that the reservoirs can capture and store not
more than a fifth of the rainwater where the bulk of the remainder still running off to the seas.
India has built more than its share of the world’s dam but 1150 cubic km of its rainwater
precipitation still run off to the seas annually in the form of ‘Rejected Recharge’ (INCID,
1999). If a fraction of this stored underground by reducing the velocity of the runoff and
providing time for the recharge. Groundwater supplies can be enhanced significantly. But this
presumes active aquifer management where planned drawdown of the water table in the pre-
monsoon dry months is an important element of the strategy for enhancing recharge from
monsoonal rainwater as well as from irrigation return flows. In the developing world
wherever such active aquifer management is still a far cry. In what is being done, several
approaches stand out.

2.12.1 Recharge with Imported Surface Water

In the Azrak Oasis of central Jordan Conventional measures to regain the ecology stopping
water supply to Aman or Cessation of irrigation were politically infeasible. However, a
UNDP supported project reverse pumped into the epicenter of the lakes 1.5-2 million cubic
meter of groundwater imported from a water surplus well field. Along with a number of
supportive measures as cleaning of springs and rehabitillation. The strategy was able to
retrieve the Arzaq wetland pretty much to its original position; birds come back; Azraq’s
tourist economy too bounced to its life (Fariz and Bouran 1996). Similar examples at the
basin levels can be found but only in developed countries.one such example is the Sun
Joaquin valley of California. Where underground irrigation was managed to create a tax base
22
that world support the import of water. With rapid agricultural growth by the early 1950’s
more than 1.2 cubic meter of the water were being pumped, and percolation of irrigation
water became the main source of the recharge and exceeded the natural recharge by 40 times.
The drawdown to 30-60m caused a charge in the direction of water flow in the confined zone
and pumping lifts increased to 250 million in many parts and land subsidence emerged as a
widespread problems. These costs justified the import of water through the California
aqueduct after 1967 surface irrigation increased significantly, the hydraulic head declined by
30-100m throughout the area, the recovery in potentiometric surface from 1967 to 1984 was
nearly half of the drawdown that occurred from predevelopment years to 1967. Increased
recharge with surface irrigation and reduced groundwater draft raised water tables to less than
1.5m in some parts causing drainage problems. A regional tile drain installed in 1988 over a
150 sq. km area lowered with water table but also diverted water that could have been used to
increased recharge (Llama et al, 1992). China is similarly planning Tran’s basin diversions
from the Yangtzi in the water surplus south to the water short yellow river basin in the north.
(Keller et al, 2000). India has talked about a garland canal to link Himalayan Rivers with
Canuveri and other south Indian rivers.

2.12.2 Recharge with Rainwater

Long distance transport of large quantities of water is however problematic besides being
expensive. In many parts of the world especially in south Asia, increasing stress is being
placed in harvesting and recharge. In the monsoonal regions this approach seems particularly
important because, as in India, the bulk of the year’s rainfall is received in some 100 hours of
heavy downpour which providing little time for recharging the groundwater (Kelleret et al,
2000). Moreover the relationship between the relationship between the recharge area,
recharge rate and the extent of sustainable groundwater irrigation is now becoming
increasingly important. A study of groundwater irrigation in northern Anuradhapura project of
Sri Lanka showed that that every acre of groundwater irrigated area, 34 to 37 acres of
recharged area are needed for sustainability in Upland and Lowland areas respectively
(Premanather et al, 1994). As groundwater irrigation increases, this ratio comes under
pressure and the only way out is to increase the recharge rates. The age old traditions and
structures for rainwater harvesting in some of the water scarce regions of Asia have fallen into
disuse and are now attracting renewed attention. If estimates are to be believed where China
has some 7 Million ponds, which are potential for water harvesting and recharge and in south
India where the three states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu have over 200000

23
tanks. A strategy that has been widely recommended is to transforming these into recharge
tanks by filling them up with canal water (Kulandaiveluet et al, 1990; Reddy et al, 1990) in
the Kurnool irrigation system of Andhra Pradesh, 9 percolation ponds and 7 check dams
constructed in an experimental recharge project increased the duration of spring-flow from 75
to 107 days. Post monsoonal water table rise up by 2.5m (Reddy et al, 1990). In the western
region of India, hit hardest by groundwater depletion wherever people have Figured out that
they have no time for experiments for governmental action. People have created a
spontaneous movement based on the principle ‘water on your roof, stays on your roof; water
on your field, stay on your field; water on your village, stay on your village.’ People have
modified some 300000 wells open and bore to divert rainwater to them and they have also
constructed thousands of ponds, check dams and other rainwater harvesting and recharge
structures on the self-help principle to keep the rainwater from gushing into the Arabian Sea
(Shah, 2000). While IWMI plans systematic studies of the impact of the studies of the impact
of the popular science of well recharge that has emerged as a result of farmer’s experiments.
Indicative evidence available suggests that for regions critically affected by groundwater
depletion. Only mass popular action on a regional scale may be adequate to meet the
challenge of depletion.

2.12.3 Vegetative Treatment Of The Catchment

Vegetative cover on the free catchment of a basin has proven to be a problem as well as an aid
to groundwater recharge. For example, some 10 million hectares of land in south Africa are
infested by alien weeds Acacia (especially mearnsii and saligna and longifolia) that use up to
3.3 billion cubic meter of water almost 7 percent of the country’s total runoff than the
indigenous plants it replaced; the weed infestation is considered as a major threat to
groundwater recharge. A special long term project by the south African government’s
department of water affairs and Forestry, called “working for water” to remove the alien
weeds, employs some 42000 people at its peak every year but it will take more than 20 years
to complete the job. In contrast, there is a growing worldwide movement to promote the
cultivation of vetiver grass as a powerful way of reducing the velocity of rainwater runoff and
recharging groundwater. The Vetiver network which supported by world bank, the
government of Denmark and several global NGO’s claims the rainwater runoff is reduced by
70 percent when Vetiver hedgerows are planted across the slope by slowing down and
spreading out runoff over a large area because the strong roots of this grass can penetrate hard
pans and improve infiltration. The network claims Indian evidence which shows that where

24
such hedgerows are planted and water levels in wells are higher and springs do not dry up or
run longer on dry seasons.

2.12.4 Domestic Rainwater Harvesting

Groundwater depletion has also revived popular interest in domestic rainwater harvesting
techniques both traditional and new. In water stressed regions of countries like India some of
these techniques evolved and used over centuries still preserved. But these are now coming
back into the mainstream in a big way and in the process there are being improvised upon,
Khadins of Rajasthan. Tanakas of Western Gujarat and a whole new range of roof water
harvesting technique are coming back into vogue. Since time immemorial, Jordan and its
surrounding territories have been replete with honeycombs of family cisterns for rainwater
harvesting and domestic use. These were an inevitable component for dwelling for centuries
but has fallen into disuse with the onset of the modern piped water supply system. The family
cistern is finding its use again (Wahlin, 1997). In the city of Rajkot in the water short
Saurasthra region of western India, 1500 new houses and apartments built during 1997 had
incorporated design changes for rainwater harvesting and storages found in old houses in the
region but forgotten in recent decades (Shah, 2000). Baluchistan and parts of Afghanistan
have the extraordinary Karez which have served both as excellent structures for community
water supply and irrigation. These are dying but need to be revived and improvised upon
some exciting work on bringing back traditional rainwater harvesting technologies is being
done by individuals and small groups in the U.S several variations of this basically involve
capturing and storing rainwater in some sort of the tank using water with or without treatment.
The University of Texas has built a system of three cascading ponds somewhat like the
system tanks of Tamil Nadu in south India to support aquatic life for its biology laboratory
fed by harvested rainwater. In the coastal desert of North Chile, a fog collection project has
been able to provide an average of 11000 liter/day of water to a community of 330 people
(Schemenauer and Cereceda, 1991).

25
 CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY
The chapter portrayed the methodology used in this investigation for studying the
groundwater variability in Raozan Upazila. The chapter also contains a brief description of
field survey, necessary data collection process, Graphical representation of groundwater level
data of Raozan Upazila and potential existing groundwater depth map using Geographical
information system (GIS).

For the required fulfillment of the investigation following steps has been performed.

Graphical Representation Groundwater

Survey of study
(Time Series Regression Level Data
Area (2012-2016)
Analysis for Water Table)

Graphical representation of
layers by using GIS
(Location, groundwater)

Attribute table data point

Raster conversion

GIS Processing (Interpolation

by Kriging Method)

Reclassification of water
table depth of last five years

Groundwater Depletion Map

Figure 3.1- Methodology flow chart

26
3.1 COLLECTION OF GROUND WATER DATA
To study the groundwater variability of Raozan, groundwater level data of studied tube well
were required. The multiyear groundwater table data have been used in this study which were
collected from Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE), Raozan Branch. Five
year’s groundwater level data of 30 tube wells among 15 union of Raozan Upazila was
collected. The data were collected from year 2012 to 2016 in Raozan Upazila.

Table 3.1 Groundwater levels in Raozan wells in-between 2012 to 2016 in meter (m)

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

SL. Location
(m) (m) (m) (m) (m)

Gahira 1 8.23 7.8 8.64 8.84 11.43

1
Gahira 2 6.57 5.94 8.23 8.62 9.9

Chikdair 1 8.1 7.62 9.3 8.23 10.36

2
Chikdair 2 7.2 6.4 8.23 8.79 7.92

Noajispur 1 7.46 7.62 8.69 8.23 7.62

3
Noajispur 2 6.5 6.4 7.62 6.8 6.25

Purba Guzara 1 6.25 7.01 5.94 6.4 7.32

4
Purba Guzara 2 5.64 6.25 6.5 6.8 6.85

Pashchim
7.62 6.25 7.51 7.1 7.81
Guzara 1
5
Pashchim
8.23 8.99 8.99 8.68 9.6
Guzara 2

Pahartali 1 7.47 7.63 9.3 8.4 7.62

6
Pahartali 2 7.24 6.0 8.6 7.94 7.62

27
 Table 3.1: (Cont’d)

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

SL. Location
(m) (m) (m) (m) (m)

Kadalpur 1 6.63 5.94 8.84 9.74 11.2

7
Kadalpur 2 6.25 5.94 8.38 10.7 12.49

Dabua 1 6.25 6.34 5.98 6.14 6.4

8
Dabua 2 5.8 5.94 3.95 5.8 7.32

Sultanpur-1 5.58 5.49 8.68 9.49 11.89

9
Sultanpur-2 5.18 5.96 10.67 10.93 11.27

Haladia 1 6.32 7.16 5.92 8.23 6.85

10
Haladia 2 5.33 5.8 3.94 5.18 5.8

Raozan 1 6.1 6.46 10.12 9.1 9.9

11
Raozan 2 3.65 3.65 10.21 10.13 10.4

Bagoan 1 6.93 6.85 7.16 6.25 6.85

12
Bagoan 2 6.1 5.8 7.62 5.8 6.5

Noapara 1 10.45 8.07 10.97 11.21 11.43

13
Noapara 2 8.99 9.6 10.81 11.23 11.13

Urkirchar 1 9.6 9.9 10.66 9.27 8.53

14
Urkirchar 2 8.53 7.77 11.75 10.2 8.23

Binajuri 1 5.94 5.94 6.25 7.62 7.16

15
Binajuri 2 6.5 6.65 6.58 6.4 6.85

28
 3.2 ANALYSIS and GRAPHICAL REPRESENTATION OF GROUNDWATER
LEVEL DATA

The water level fluctuation was analyzed for year 2012-2016. The methodology flow chart is
shown in Figure 3.1. The groundwater data assembled on yearly basis were analyzed for their
long term pattern, and were interpreted graphically to understand the dynamics of the
groundwater level. The results were used to make the spatial variation maps of average depth
to groundwater level and groundwater level fluctuation from the collected data. When a series
of observations are arranged with reference to their occurrences in a systematic order, the
resulting series is called time series. The graphical representation of year wise ground water
level data and year wise percentage of changes from their perspective previous year are
shown below for thirty different tube wells from fifteen Unions of Raozan Upazila.

14
12
10
8
2012
6
2013
4
2014
2
2015
0 2016

Figure 3.2(a)- Year wise water level of Different areas in Raozan

29
 14

12

10

8 2012
2013
6
2014
4
2015
2 2016
0

Figure 3.2(b)- Year wise Groundwater level of Different areas in Raozan

3.2.1 Gahira
From the graphical representation of year wise ground water level of Gahira in Fig 3.2, it
evaluates that ground water level slightly rose up in the year 2013 with respect to its previous
year. On the hand the water levels fall down in the year 2014, 2015 and 2016 with respect to
their perspective previous year.

3.2.2 Chikdair
From the graphical representation of year wise ground water level of Chikdair in Fig 3.2, it
evaluates that ground water level rose up in the year 2013 and 2015 with respect to their
perspective previous year. On the hand water level fall down in the year 2014 and 2016 with
respect to their previous year.

3.3.3 Noajispur
From the graphical representation of year wise ground water level of Noajispur in Fig 3.2, it
evaluates that ground water level rose up in the year 2015 and 2016 with respect to their
previous year. On the hand water level fall down in the year 2014 with respect to its previous
year. The ground water level change was not significant in year 2013.

30
3.3.4 Purba Guzara
From the graphical representation of year wise ground water level of Purba Guzara in Fig 3.2,
it evaluates that ground water level rose up in the year 2014 with respect to its previous year.
On the hand water level fall down in the year 2013, 2015, 2016 with respect to their
perspective previous year.

3.3.5 Pashchim Guzara

From the graphical representation of year wise ground water level of Paschim Guzara in Fig
3.2, it evaluates that ground water level rose up in the year 2013, 2015 with respect to their
previous year. On the hand water level fall down in the year 2014, 2016 with respect to their
perspective previous year.

3.3.6 Pahartali
From the graphical representation of year wise ground water level of Pahartali in Fig 3.2, it
evaluates that ground water level rise up in the year 2013, 2015 and 2016 with respect to their
previous year. On the hand water level fall down drastically in the year 2014 with respect to
their perspective previous year.

3.3.7 Kadalpur
From the graphical representation of year wise ground water level of Kadalpur in Fig 3.2, it
evaluates that ground water level rise up in the year 2013 with respect to its previous year. On
the hand water level fall down in the year 2014, 2015 and 2016 with respect to their
perspective previous year.

3.3.8 Dabua
From the graphical representation of year wise ground water level of Dabua in Fig 3.2, it
evaluates that ground water level rose up in the year 2014 with respect to its previous year.
On the hand water level fall down in the year 2013, 2015, 2016 with respect to their
perspective previous year.

31
3.3.9 Sultanpur
From the graphical representation of year wise ground water level of Sultanpur in Fig 3.3, it
evaluates that ground water level rise up in the year 2015 with respect to its previous year. On
the hand water level fall down in every year during our study time with respect to their
perspective previous year. But the change in 2014 with respect to its previous year was very
high..

3.3.10 Haladia
From the graphical representation of year wise ground water level of Dabua in Fig 3.3, it
evaluates that ground water level rose up in the year 2014 and 2016 with respect to their
previous year. On the hand, water level fall down in the year 2013, 2015 with respect to their
perspective previous year.

3.3.11 Raozan
From the graphical representation of year wise ground water level of Raozan in Fig 3.3, it
evaluates that ground water level rose up in the year 2015 with respect to its previous year.
On the hand water level fall down in the year 2014, 2016 with respect to their perspective
previous year. In 2013 ground water level is almost similar to its previous year. Data shows
that water level fall drastically in the year 2014.

3.3.12 Bagoan
From the graphical representation of year wise ground water level of Bagoan in Fig 3.3, it
evaluates that ground water level rose up in the year 2013 and 2015 with respect to their
previous year. On the hand water level fall down in the year 2014 and 2016 with respect to
their perspective previous year.

32
3.3.13 Noapara
From the graphical representation of year wise ground water level of Noapara in Fig 3.3, it
evaluates that ground water level rose up in the year 2013 with respect to its previous year.
On the hand water level fall down in the year 2014 and 2015 with respect to their perspective
previous year. Water level of 2016 is quite similar to its previous year.

3.3.14 Urkirchar
From the graphical representation of year wise ground water level of Urkirchar in Fig 3.3, it
evaluates that ground water level rose up in the year 2013, 2015, and 2016 with respect to
their perspective previous year. In 2014 the ground water level fall down with respect to its
previous year.

3.3.15 Binajuri
From the graphical representation of year wise ground water level of Binajuri in Fig 3.3, it
evaluates that ground water level fall down in the year 2013, 2014, 2015 with respect to its
perspective previous year. In 2016 the ground water level change is not significant.

33
The year wise changes of groundwater level in percentages in different location of Raozan is
shown graphically in Figure 3.3(a) and Figure 3.3(b)

60
50
40
30 2012-
20 2013
Water level (m)
10
2013-
2014
0 2014-
-10 2015
2015-
-20
2016
-30
-40

“+” indicates depletion and “–” indicates enhancement of water table.

Fig 3.3(a)- Year wise percentages of water level changes in different location of Raozan

200

150

2012-
100 2013
Water level (m) 2013-
2014
50 2014-
2015
2015-
0
2016

-50

“+” indicates depletion and “–” indicates enhancement of water table.

Fig 3.3(b)- Year wise percentages of water level changes in different location of Raozan

34
3.3 SURVEY OF STUDY AREA
Field survey was carried out to identify various wells locations of the study area and obtaining
latitude and longitude of wells whose water level being used in the assesment. During field
investigation some abandoned shallow tube wells were found in places like Pahartali,
Noapara and Bagoan which can extract no more water due to extensive groundwater
depletion. The objectives of field survey was

 To get idea about the site where the investigation is to carried out,
 To review the existing water supply information,
 To assess the preliminary hydrogeological situation and
 To obtain the exact latitude and longitude for GIS application to create an existing
groundwater level map

Some image which was taken from field study among different union to access the exact
location of well and preliminary hydrogeological situation. Here is some scenario given
below.

Figure 3.4-Well of Pahartali Union

35
Figure 3.5-Well of Bagoan Union Figure 3.6-Well of Kadalpur Union

Figure 3.7-Well of Binajuri Union Figure 3.8-Well of Noapara Union

Figure 3.9-Well of Raozan Union

36
3.3.1 Longitude and Latitude of Well Location
Latitude and longitude of these 30 different places were collected during field investigation in
fifteen different Union of Raozan using Google map for predicting a groundwater level
existing map through ArcGIS 10.1.

Table 3.2- Identified Longitude and Latitude from field survey

Serial No. Location Longitude Latitude

W1 Gahira 1 91° 52' 20.03" 22° 30' 46.8"

W2 Gahira 2 91° 51' 28.65" 22° 31' 37.2"

W3 Chikdair 1 91° 52' 48" 22° 52' 6"

W3 Chikdair 2 91° 53' 27.6" 22° 52' 45.6"

W5 Noajispur 1 91° 51' 39.6" 22° 32' 51.72"

W6 Noajispur 2 91° 51' 46.8" 22° 53' 36"

W7 Purba Guzara 1 91° 55' 30" 22° 28' 4.8"

W8 Purba Guzara 2 91° 54' 50.4" 22° 29' 13.2"

Pashchim
W9 91° 53' 56.4" 22° 27' 25.2"
Guzara 1

Pashchim
W10 91° 53' 9.6" 22° 27' 54"
Guzara 2

W11 Pahartali 1 91° 57' 10.8" 22° 26' 52.8"

W12 Pahartali 2 91° 57' 36" 22° 27' 46.8"

W13 Kadalpur 1 91° 57' 36.7" 22° 29' 2.4"

37
 Table 3.2: (Cont’d)

Serial No. Location Longitude Latitude

W14 Kadalpur 2 91° 58' 10.8" 22° 30'

W15 Dabua 1 91° 56' 20.4" 22° 33' 43.2"

W16 Dabua 2 91° 54' 16.2" 22° 33' 46.8"

W17 Sultanpur-1 91° 54' 18.6" 22° 31' 33.6"

W18 Sultanpur-2 91° 54' 43.2" 22° 32' 24"

W19 Haladia 1 91° 54' 36" 22° 35' 31.2"

W20 Haladia 2 91° 56' 2.4" 22° 37' 12"

W21 Raozan 1 91° 56' 31.2" 22° 31' 15.6"

W22 Raozan 2 91° 57' 22° 31' 4.8"

W23 Bagoan 1 91° 56' 6" 22° 25' 48"

W24 Bagoan 2 91° 56' 24" 22° 25' 33.6"

W25 Noapara 1 91° 54' 18" 22° 25' 4.8"

W26 Noapara 2 91° 54' 39.6" 22° 26' 20.4"

W27 Urkirchar 1 91° 53' 13.2" 22° 25' 58.8"

W28 Urkirchar 2 91° 52' 44.4" 22° 26' 21.84"

W29 Binajuri 1 91° 53' 24" 22° 30' 21.6"

W30 Binajuri 2 91° 54' 36" 22° 30' 39.6"

38
3.4 GIS APPLICATION
Various characteristics controlling groundwater lowering can be presented and analyzed by
using Geographic Information System (GIS). GIS technology is effective spatial tools widely
used for the prediction, monitoring, management, and visual representation of geographic
information (Lee et al., 2012). GIS presents an important tool in the effective management of
groundwater resources. Different interpolation methods were adopted for surface interpolation
(Shalini et al 2012; Gong et al, 2014). A number of GIS interpolation methods are available
among them three methods of interpolation are described briefly.

The inverse distance weighted (IDW) takes the concept of spatial autocorrelation literally. It
assumes that the unknown value of a point is influenced more by nearby control points than
those further away. The nearer a sample point is to the cell whose value is to be estimated, the
more closely the cell’s value will resemble the sample point’s value. IDW does less well with
phenomena whose distribution depends on more complex sets of variables because it can
account only for the effects of distance. It is possible to improve the accuracy of an IDW
surface by using line layers as barriers. On elevation surfaces, barriers can represent abrupt
changes in elevation, such as cliffs.

This plate Splines creates a surface that passes through control points and has the least
possible change in slopes at all points (Franke, 1982). In other words, thin plate splines fit the
control points with a minimum-curvature surface. Splines interpolation method fits a flexible
surface, as if it were stretching a rubber sheet across all the known point’s values. The Spline
method of interpolation estimates unknown values by bending a surface through known
values. An advantages of the Spline interpolation is that it can make estimates outside the
range of input sample points. (Shalini et al. 2012)

Kriging method of interpolation was used in mapping global solar radiation over southern
Spain (Alsamamra et al., 2009), estimating groundwater arsenic concentration in Texas (Gong
et al. 2014) mapping liquefaction potential over alluvial ground (Mohan et al. 2012). In this
study, the sum of least square method under the time regression analysis was used to compute
groundwater level trend. Then Kriging method was used in in GIS for interpolation of data
and visual representation. Kriging of groundwater level was carried out by DElhomme
(1978).The measure of the degree of spatial dependence among the sampled known points is
the semi variance that can be fitted with a mathematical function or a model such as spherical,
circular, exponential, linear and Gaussian.

39
3.5 BASIC CONCEPT OF KRIGING METHOD
The basic idea of Kriging is to predict the value of a function at a given point by computing a
weighted average of the known values of the function in the neighborhood of the point. The
method is mathematically closely related to regression analysis. Kriging refers to a family of
least-square linear regression algorithms that attempt to predict values of a variable at
locations where data are not available based on the spatial pattern of the available data
(Kumar et al., 2006). The description of kriging theory and its application are given in detail
by Delhomme (1978). Ordinary kriging is the only technique that considers two sources of
information regarding the attribute, the variation and the distance between points (Webster et
al, 2001; Alsamamra et al, 2009).

One method of incorporating characteristic irregular, small-scale variations into the

construction of a contour map is to model the concentration field as a spatial random field
(SRF). The mathematics of SRF is formidable. However, under certain simplifying
assumptions, they produce classical linear estimators with very simple properties, allowing
easy implementation for prediction purposes. These estimators, preliminary ordinary kriging,
give both a prediction and a standard error of prediction at ensample locations. This allows
the construction of a map of both predicted values and level of uncertainty about the predicted
values.

Denote the SRF by Z(r), r Є D Є R2. The following model for Z(r) is assumed:

Z(r) = µ + ɛ (r)………………………………….(a)

Here µ is the fixed, unknown mean of process and ɛ(r) is a zero mean SRF representing the
variation around the mean. In most practical applications, an additional assumption is required
in order to estimate the covariance Cz of the Z(r) process. This assumption is second order
stationary:

C2(r1, r2) = E{ ɛ(r1) ɛ(r2)} = C2 (r1 – r2)………………………(b)

This requirement can be relaxed slightly when you are using the semivariogram instead of the
covariance.

40
In this case, second-order stationary is required of the differences ɛ (r1) – (r2) rather than (r):

1
γZ (r1,r2) = 2E[ɛ(r1) - ɛ(r2)]2 = γZ (r1-r2)………………(c)

By performing local kriging, the spatial processes represented by the previous equation for
Z(r) are more general than they appear. In local kriging, at an ensample location r 0, a separate
model is fit using only data in neighborhood of r0. This has the effect of fitting a separate
mean µ at each point. Given the N measurements Z(r1),…… Z(rN) at known locations r1….,rN,
you want to obtain an estimate of Z at an ensample location r0. When the following three
requirements are imposed on the estimator γ, The OK estimator is obtained.

(i) γ is linear in Z(r1), …. ,Z(rN).

(ii) γ is unbiased
(iii) Γ γ minimizes the mean square prediction error. E (Z (r0) – γ (r0))2

Linearity requires the following from γ (r0):

γ (r0) = ∑𝑁
𝑖=1 𝜆𝑖 Z (ri)…………..……………………….(d)

Applying the unbiasedness condition to the preceding equation yields

E(r0) = µ→µ = ∑𝑁 𝑁 𝑁
𝑖=1 𝜆𝑖 EZ(ri)→∑𝑖=1 𝜆𝑖 µ = µ→∑𝑖=1 𝜆𝑖 = 1…………….(e)

Finally, the third condition requires a constrained linear optimization involving λ1… ƛN and a
language parameter 2m. This constrained linear optimization can be expressed in terms of
function L (λ1 … ƛN, m) given by

L = E (Z (r0) - ∑𝑁 2 𝑁
𝑖=1 𝜆𝑖 Z (ri)) - 2m (∑𝑖=1 𝜆𝑖 -1)…………………….(f)

Define the N column vector λ by

λ = (λ1… ƛN)T ………………………………….(g)

and the (N+1) × 1 column vector λ0 by

λ
λ0= (λ1…ƛN, m)T = (𝑚)…………………………………….(h)

The optimization is performed by solving

𝜕𝐿
=0
𝜕λ0

41
In terms of λ1… λN and m.

The resulting matrix equation can be expressed in terms of either the covariance Cz(r) or
semivariogram γ2 (r). In terms of the covariance, the preceding equation results in the
following matrix equation:

Cλ0 = C0………………………………………………………….(i)

Where

C2 (0) C2 (r1-r2) …… C2 (r1-rN) 1

C2 (r2-r1) C2 (0) ……. C2 (r2-rN) 1

C=

C2 (rN-r1) C2 (rN-r2) …… C2 (0) 1

1 1 .…… 1 1

And

C2 (r0-r1)

C2 (r0-r2)

C0 = :

C2 (r0-rN)

The solution to the previous matrix equation is

λ0 = C-1 C0……………………………………………………..(j)

42
Using this solution for λ and m, the ordinary kriging estimates at r0 is

γ (r0) = λ1Z(r1) + ….+ λNZ(rN)…………………………….(k)

With associated predicted error

σ2 (r0) = C2 (0) – λ/ C0 + m…………………………………….(l)

Where c0 is C0 with the 1 in the last row removed, making it an N × 1 vector.

43
 CHAPTER 4

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

4.1 RESULTS
After investigate the groundwater level data of Raozan Upazila, It is observed that
groundwater level is lowering rapidly in some part of Raozan like Sultanpur, Kadalpur,
Raozan, and Gahira Union. It is not a coincidence that these places are going through rapid
urbanization presently. Groundwater level is also decreasing slightly in some area i.e. Dabua,
Noapara, Chikdair, Pahartali, Purba Guzara, Paschim Guzara, Holudia, Bagoan and Binajuri
but their lowering rate is not as high as places mentioned before. The Average groundwater
level changing rate per year in various locations are shown in table 4.1.

Table 4.1- Average Groundwater level changing rate per year in overall Raozan wells

changing rate changing rate

Location Location
(m/year) (m/year)

Gahira-1 0.64 Sultanpur-2 1.218

Gahira-2 0.64 Holudia-1 0.106

Chikdair-1 0.452 Holudia-2 0.094

Chikdair-2 0.144 Raozan-1 0.76

Noajispur-1 0.032 Raozan-2 1.282

Noajispur-2 -0.05 Bagoan-1 -0.016

Purba Guzara-1 0.214 Bagoan-2 0.082

44
 Table 4.1: (cont’d)

Purba Guzara-2 0.242 Noapara-1 0.196

Pashchim Guzara -1 0.038 Noapara-2 0.428

Pashchim Guzara -2 0.274 Urkirchar-1 -0.214

Pahartali-1 0.03 Urkirchar-2 -0.06

Pahartali-2 0.076 Binajuri-1 0.244

Kadalpur-1 0.914 Binajuri-2 0.07

Kadalpur-2 1.248 Dabua-1 0.03

Sultanpur-1 1.262 Dabua-2 0.304

‘‘+’’indicates average decreasing rate of water table per year

“-“indicates average increasing rate of water table per year

It is seen that decline rate per year in Raozan Upazila varies from -0.016 to 0.214 meter per
year which indicates that in some places the groundwater level has been increased. From
Table 4.1 it can be seen that water level has a slight increase in Noajispur and Urkirchar
during 2012-2016.

45
The average changes in groundwater level(m) per year is shown graphically in Figure
4.1(a) and 4.1(b) below

Average groundwater level changing rate per year (m)

1.5
1
Change in water
level (m)
0.5
0
-0.5

Average Change per year (m)

Fig 4.1(a): Average Groundwater level changing rate per year in overall Raozan wells

Average Groundwater level changing rate Per year

1.5

1
Change in water
level m) 0.5

-0.5

Average Change per year(m)

Fig 4.1(b): Average Groundwater level changing rate per year in overall Raozan wells

46
Variation in groundwater level from year 2012 to 2016 has been shown in Figure 4.1 to 4.5

Figure-4.1 Map showing groundwater variation in Raozan Upazila’s wells in 2012

47
Figure-4.2: Map showing groundwater variation in Raozan Upazila’s wells in 2013

48
Figure-4.3: Map showing groundwater variation in Raozan Upazila’s wells in 2014

49
Figure-4.4: Map showing groundwater variation in Raozan Upazila’s wells in 2015

50
Figure-4.5: Map showing groundwater variation in Raozan Upazila’s wells in 2016

51
4.2 DISCUSSION
For evaluating the quantitative and qualitative potentiality of groundwater of both shallow and
deep aquifer system a detail hydrogeological study is to be undertaken in future. An efficient
groundwater resource and production well monitoring system is to be established to avoid
groundwater hazard and optimum utilization of production well capacity. Finally it may be
stated that considering regional hydrogeological condition, aquifer characteristics and
groundwater level situation of the Raozan Upazila, there is potential opportunity for further
development in the area with efficient groundwater management system and artificial
recharge to the aquifer system.

52
 CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

5.1 CONCLUSIONS
Groundwater lowering in Bangladesh is one of the important and serious matters to the
Bangladesh government as well as to the policy makers. In this study groundwater level data
of Raozan upazila was collected from Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) from
year 2012 to 2016 and possible time series analysis have been analyzed to show if there is any
time trend to establish the forecasting trend in future. The findings of this study may help
planners, policy makers, researchers and government of Bangladesh to take necessary actions
to ensure the proper use of groundwater table in the near future. Indeed it may have bad
impact in the economic sectors. It is clear that fisheries, agriculture, health and weather are
directly dependent on groundwater and consequently groundwater level of Raozan upazila
depends on the discharge water by karnaphuli. Though the present study is meant to only
Raozan area, a small part of Bangladesh, still the findings may prove of value to the planners,
government and researchers in exploring the possibilities of keeping the optimum level of the
groundwater. This analysis of groundwater level will help and give a guideline to the
researchers to elucidate the whole situation.

5.2 RECOMMENDATION
Based on the study findings, some recommendations have been summarized below:

a. The groundwater table monitoring should be done regularly for assessment of annual
safe yield and groundwater budgeting.
b. Large scale groundwater withdrawal by tube wells should be limited during dry period
up to safe yield limits.
c. Rainwater harvesting can be an alternative source of drinking water or household uses,
especially where there is scarce of water during dry season.
d. An alternative pump can be installed for drinking water supply to the areas where it is
highly abstracted.

53
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