Hydrogeology of West Bengal

By
Tapan. K. Ray
ADDITIONAL DIRECTOR
State Water Investigation Directorate
Water Resources Investigation & Development Department
Government of West Bengal
Sech Bhawan(3rd Floor), Salt Lake City
Kolkata-700030
Phone & E-mail ID 033-25660970 & tapankumarray.geologist@gmail.com
 Relevance of Geology ?
 Regional geology serves as a conceptual model for hydro
geological frame work.
 Tectonics and stratigraphy provides basis for delineating the
distribution and characteristics of the formation that are
targeted for any ground water basin.
 Geological information are the basic data mosaic to
understand the hydrogelogical frame work.
 Subsurface cross section depicts the aquifer system in space &
time.
 Textural and mineralogical studies help to prepare facies maps
for regional gw – management.
AQUIFER MANAGEMENT FOR
GROUND WATER DEVELOPMENT
ESSENTIALLY REQURIES
GEOLOGICAL INFORMATIONS
BESIDES LAND CLASSIFICATION &
LAND USE INFORMATIONS.
 Broad Geomorphic province in
and around GMB Basin
 Ganga Brahmaputra Alluvial Plain
 Bihar Plateau Province
 Shillong Plateau Province
 Assam Ridges Province
 Bay Coastal Plain
 Rurh Lateritic Belt
BROAD GEOMORPHIC PROVINCES IN & AROUND GANGA- MEGHNA- BRAHMAPUTRA BASIN
 LAND FORMS
• Darjeeling Himalayan hill – entire darjeeling district except SMP
area- >20% slope – Tista divides Singalila & darjeeling range.-
Siwaliks of Buxa – Jayenti hill.
• Bhabar terai Moist land: BHABAR situated north of Terai – rock
gravel & redsoil – Terai south of Bhabar 30 km wide
• North Bengal Plains; Terai to left bank of the Ganges, narrow
terrace of Mananda – corridor in North Dinajpur. – East of
Mahanada “Barind” West Tal & Diar region
• Rurh Region; drained by plateau region river. – 50m – 100m above
MSL
• Coastal Plains – a small part in Purba Medinipu
• Sunderban Delta Front – recent deltaic areas with mangrove forest,
average height 10m asl
Broad Geology of the GMB
Basin

• Western Shield Area- Protruded

Chottanagpur Plateau of Pre- Cambrian
• Basaltic Flow of Cretacious volcanism –
Western periphery of Birbhum.
• Gondwanas of Permo –Carboniferous -
Ranigunj Coal Field
• Eocene at the base of Dauki fault ( up
thrust)
• Mio- pliocene shelf region
• Holocene to recent
GEOLOGY IN & AROUND GANGA- MEGHNA- BRAHMAPUTRA BASIN
 Subsurface geology of Bengal basin
CHRONOSTRATIGRAPHY
• Bengal Alluvium – Recent Pleistocene
• Debagram & Ranaghat – Pliocene
• Pandua & Dimond Harbour – Miocene
• Burdwan& Memari – Oligocene
• Eocene – Marine equivalent
• Jalangi – Paleocene
• Bolpur & Ghatal – Cretaceous- Basalt of Birbhum.
• Gondwana – Permo-Carboniferous
• Hard Rocks of Shield areas- Precambrians

(Please see the 3-D diagram of the cover page of

your note)
BENGAL BASIN
A Pericratonic basin
 Has a long depositional history.
 Varying environment from
continental to neritic of the
deeper basin part.
 Wide facies variations
Major Events Of the Bengal Basin

Differential Subsidence during

cretaceous & spasmodic outpouring
of basalt -andesite lava ( Rajmahal
Trap basalt)
Late Eocene marine transgression.
Gradual regression of the sea till late
Pleistocene
Thick Holocene sedimentation.
 Sedimentation history in southern
part of Bengal basin
• Covered by fluviatile Quaternary sediments of
plateau region rivers.
• Later subsequently overlain by the sediments of
the Himalayan rivers.
• Characterized by series of abandoned channels.
• Meandering scrolls are most common.
• The deltaic sedimentation in south is very
complex - fluvial estuarine to marine
environment due the influence of fluctuating sea
level
 Geomorphic units of the Ganga
delta region
• Barind – crustal down rap sediments of
Garo – Rajmahal Gap
• Deltaic upland merging to upper delta
plain.
• Valley margin fan & marginal plains.
• Lower delta plains & delta front.
Depositional environment & channel
density control the sediment
composition and texture.
Table – I STRATIGRAPHY OF BENGAL BASIN
Spatial distribution of Bengal Alluvium
PLEISTOCENE TO RECENT

SHELF ZONE: Thickness-36-336m;coarse

grained sand-reddish /brown, clay
HINGE ZONE: 338- 480m; sand & silty clay
BASINAL ZONE: 365- 460M; fine to coarse
s.st, occasional silt and clay
General lithology gravel ,sand, clay of
fluvial deposits or basin fill
 Stratigraphic situation of
Lateritic terrain of West Bengal
About 1000sq.km Recent Recent Recent

from Farakka to
Kharagpur to south
merge with coastal YDP Kalna Kanthee
laterite of Orissa.
ODP Kusumgram Belda

Laterit Worgram Kharagp

e ur
 Hydrogeology of West Bengal
Fissured Formations
Hard crystalline rocks of Purulia, Bankura, West
Medinipur,Bardhaman, Birbhum,Fracture zone
upto 65m; < 20cumec
• Rajmahahal basalt with inter trappean
layers.Poor fracture zone
• Gondwana sandstones of Ranigunj Coal Field,
< 25cumec
• Bbuxa,daling & Darjeeling formations : springs
out pours
Unconsolidated Recent alluvium
• Bankura to Siliguri area of Darjeeling
district, shallow tube well generally
within 60mbgl and deep tube well
within 120mbgl, aquifers fairly thick
and regionally extensive with yield
prospect up to 200m3 /hr
 Older Alluvium
• Darjeeling & Jalpaiguri; Bhabar zone,
aquifer up to 150mbgl, yield upto 70m3 /hr.
• Barind of Malda & Dakshin Dinaj pur: Top
clay very thick , granular zone in general in
the range of 65 – 110mbgl Yield < 50m3/hr
• Lateritic terrain; Tertiary gravel sand zone
at the depth range of 80m – 400mbgl,
yeild 80 – 100m3/hr
 Coastal area
• North & South 24 Parganas, Howra,
Medinipur,top saline aquifer 20 – 180mbgl, some
places extends to much lower depth of 320mbgl.
• 59 blocks comes under saline ground water
zone.
• Multiple aquifer system under confined
condition.
• Deeper aquifer under multi zone tapping may
yield up to 150m3 /hr
 General Hydrochemistry of Ground Water

Type of chemistry Area of spread

Ca – Mg – HCO3 North of Kolkata to
Himalayan foot hills
Na- HCO3/ Cl – HCO3 Kolkata & surrounding

Ca – Mg - Cl Coastal zone – south of

Kolkata – Howra -
Medinipur
 Quality Hazard
Perpetual problem
 High level of iron over the entire alluvial plain
 Coastal salinity in wide area south of Kolkata.

Emerging Problem:

>> Arsenic toxicity in 81 blocks of total risk population

over 16 millions.
>> fluoride toxicity in 47 blocks of 7 districts.
 Problem associated with
development
• Declining trend of Ground water Level.
• Though debatable but many experts are in
the opinion to relate the emergence and
rapid spread of As & F toxicity in GW with
indiscriminate withdrawal.
• Nitrate loading in ground water
• Probable consequences environmental
hazards – mainly effecting the catchments
area ecology.
• YEAR 1950 >>>> 5000m3 /Year
• YEAR 2000 >>>>>>>2000m3 /Year
• Year2025 >>>>>>>>>>>>1500m3
/Year
DECREASING PER CAPITA WATER
AVAILIBILITY – a warning towards
conflicts between the stakeholders
Thus Mahatma Gandhi said
“Earthhas enough to meet
our needs but not our
greed”
Let us think for sustainable
development adopting resource
management
Thank You