GroMoPo Metadata for Visakhapatnam city model

Water scarcity in urban areas is a common problem in many cities of India, and Visakhapatnam, a fast growing industrial city on the east coast of India, is no exception. Increasing urban population, industrial expansion and shrinking surface-water sources have widened the gap between the demand and supply, resulting in groundwater depletion and saline water intrusion along the coastal region. MODFLOW is a widely used numerical groundwater flow model but requires realistic estimation of field inputs in order to contribute effectively to recommendations for proper management actions. The present study focuses on computing the spatial and temporal variations of model inputs such as pumping and recharge rates using the field data collected from various organizations. The developed PMWIN MODFLOW model provides insight into the present and future trends in the variation of groundwater levels. Observation wells data are used in the model calibration to fix the aquifer parameters through the parameter estimation algorithm PEST. Models are performed for four projected scenarios with different rates of pumping and recharge values. Results indicate the importance of improving the recharge capability of potential areas, to sustain the aquifer's capacity to cope with stresses on groundwater resources. The model results are useful to fix optimum pumping limits in the study area for sustainable groundwater management and will help to prevent disastrous impacts on groundwater potential in the future.