Groundwater System of Sundarbans (Basanti), West Bengal, India

In Basanti, a rural block in the Sundarbans, West Bengal, the water availability is vital for its inhabitants. Groundwater levels are decreasing, and a proper understanding of key factors influencing the water resource is required. In the following, a social review of Basanti is given followed by a geologic and hydrostratigraphic analysis.

The main hydrologic flows, a water balance, and the trend of salinity in the groundwater are presented. Finally, available long- and short-term drawdown data of South 24 Parganas and Basanti to determine groundwater level and annual recharge trends. The assessment shows that Basanti’s groundwater resource is under stress because of increased groundwater irrigation.

The critical state of groundwater reservoirs increases the danger of saltwater intrusion and raises the need for mitigation strategies.