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Long-term trends of groundwater level variations in response to local level land use land cover changes in Mumbai, India
Groundwater accounts for 50–80% of all domestic water use and 45–50% of all irrigation in India. With a projected 300 million people to be added to its urban population by 2050, cities will have a significant role on groundwater status in India. Therefore, this study examined the long-term trends in station level groundwater and the role of land use land cover change (LULCC) in Mumbai city. We utilized station level groundwater depth data for six stations, and LULC from satellite images from 1991 to 2018. The results revealed significant increase in groundwater depths across different seasons, particularly during the dry season. Steeper rates of decline were clustered around the northern interior of the city, which have experienced the maximum increase in urban impervious surfaces. Some of the stations located in the southern part of Mumbai experienced decreasing trends in groundwater depths during the wet season. This can be attributed to the low elevation and proximity to the seawaters resulting in saltwater intrusion. Groundwater exploitation from deeper aquifers and guided/engineered recharge to the top aquifers are the sustainable solutions. The results are particularly relevant for large urban agglomerations in the Global South, experiencing similar rates of rapid urbanization and population increase.
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