Aquifer Based Groundwater Management
Aquifers are the units of groundwater with limits defined by physical or hydraulic boundaries. These units have fixed storage capacities and specific groundwater transmission rates. As in the case of watersheds, aquifers also possess ‘catchments’ and ‘command areas’ which are called recharge and discharge areas. The current strategies of groundwater development and management generally deal with sources such as wells, bore wells, pumping systems which look at the supply and augmentation side of groundwater without any consideration of the resource itself, i.e. aquifers. Even short-term projects that include groundwater must give due consideration to the importance of aquifers and aquifer based management. Customised solutions for each such project can be designed around this concept to ensure sustainability.