Identification of Groundwater Potential Zones Using GIS and Remote Sensing Techniques Combined with Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), in Telangana State

Geographic information system (GIS), remote sensing (RS), and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) techniques were integrated to delineate groundwater potential zones in Telangana State, India. Ten thematic layers; slope, elevation, geology, lineament density, line density, land use/land cover (LULC), soil, drainage density, rainfall, and topographic wetness index (TWI) were generated and analysed. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was employed to assign appropriate weights to each thematic layer based on their relative influence on groundwater occurrence. These weighted layers were overlaid using a GIS-based weighted overlay analysis to produce a groundwater potential zone (GWPZ) map. The final output was classified into five categories: poor (56.63%, 65,095 km²) fair (20.64%, 23,692.18 km²), good (5.32%, 6,096.20 km²), very good (4.71%, 5,409.16 km²), and excellent (12.70%, 14,546.77 km²). The results demonstrate the effectiveness of combining geospatial technologies with AHP for identifying groundwater potential zones. The AHP-derived weights assigned to each thematic layer are rainfall (22.83), Geology (16.49), slope (10.36), drainage density (7.47), LULC (8.53), lineament density (5.59), soil (5.60), line density (7.55), elevation (7.03), and TWI (8.53).This approach provides valuable insights for sustainable groundwater resource management and site selection for new bore well development in the region.