This report aims at documenting the scientific evidence at 4 managed aquifer recharge (MAR) sites in India after 18 months duration of the EU (European Union) funded project SAPH PANI. The site investigations include compilation of previously existing data, a wide range of field experiments, surface-/groundwater and sediment sampling, data analysis, interpretation and the development of (preliminary) conceptual models. The MAR sites are realised under a wide range of geological and hydrological conditions and the covered aspects can be summarised as:…

Chennai is the largest city in South India located in the eastern coastal plains. Water supply to the Chennai city is met by reservoirs and by groundwater. Most of the groundwater is pumped to the city from the well fields located in the Araniyar and Korttalaiyar River (A-K River) catchment north of Chennai.

Groundwater exploitation in India has increased rapidly over the last 50 years as reflected by the growth of the number of groundwater abstraction structures (from 3.9 million in 1951 to 18.5 million in 1990) and shallow tube wells (from 3000 in 1951 to 8.5 million in 1990) (Muralidharan, 1998; Singh & Singh, 2002).Today groundwater is the source for more than 85 % of India’s rural domestic water requirements, 50 % of urban water and more than 50 % of irrigation demand. The increase in demand in the last 50 years has led to declining water tables in many parts of the country. For example, 15% of the assessment units (Blocks/Mandals/Talukas) have groundwater extraction in excess of the net annual recharge (Central Ground Water Board, 2007). According to Rodell et al. (2009), the extent of groundwater depletion between 2002 and 2008 was 109 km3, which is about half the capacity of India’s total surface-water reservoirs.

Chennai is the largest city in South India located in the eastern coastal plains. Water supply to the Chennai city is met by reservoirs and by groundwater. Most of the groundwater is pumped to the city from the well fields located in the Araniyar and Korttalaiyar River (A-K River) catchment north of Chennai.