1.1 Introduction
Gondia district was formed by the division of Bhandara district on 1st May, 1999. The district includes 8 talukas, which are Gondia, Amgaon, Goregaon, Salekasa, Deori, Sadak/Arjuni, Arjuni/Morgaon, and Tirora. Since 1st January 2001, the office of the Senior Geologist, Groundwater Survey and Development Mechanism has been established for Gondia district.
1.2 Geographical Location
Gondia district is located in the northeastern corner of Maharashtra state, nestled in the valley of the Wainganga River, with a total area of 5641.00 square kilometers. To the north, the district shares its border with Madhya Pradesh, and to the east, it shares its border with Chhattisgarh state. To the west, it borders Bhandara district, and to the south, it borders Gadchiroli district. The district is included in the Indian Survey Department’s degree sheets No. 55/O, 55/P, 64/C, and 64/D, with its geographic extent being from 20°40′ to 21°40′ north latitude and from 79°48′ to 80°42′ east longitude.
1.3 Administrative Structure
The district consists of 4 revenue sub-divisions, and these include 8 talukas, with a Panchayat Samiti headquarters in each taluka.
Sr. No. | District | Revenue sub-divisions | Talukas |
1 | Gondia | Gondia | Gondia, Amgaon |
2 | Deori | Deori, Salekasa | |
3 | Tirora | Tirora, Goregaon | |
4 | Arjuni Morgaon | Arjuni Morgaon, Sadak Arjuni |
1.4 Climate and Precipitation
The climate of the district is variable in nature. During the summer, the maximum temperature reaches 43°C, while in winter, the minimum temperature drops to 10°C. From June to September, the district experiences rainfall due to the southwest monsoon winds. The average annual rainfall of the district is 1349 mm. In the western region, it receives 1255.80 mm, while in the eastern region, it receives a higher amount of 1459.50 mm of rainfall, especially in the southeastern part of the district.
1.5 Natural Features
The northwestern region of the district is characterized by a gentle slope, whereas the eastern and southern regions have a moderate slope. In the southern part of the district, Pratapgad and in the southeastern part, Mandavgad are the prominent hills. The district is divided into two main natural regions as follows:
- The hilly region in the northeastern and southeastern areas.
- The flat area of the Wainganga-Chulband river in the northern and western regions.
The total forest area in the district is 1276 square kilometers, which constitutes 26% of the total area.
Wainganga is the main river of the district and is a major river in the Godavari basin. The Wainganga river has several tributaries, including the Bagh, Chulband, and Gadvi rivers. The Bagh river flows northward from its origin in the northeastern part of the district and then flows westward along the border of Madhya Pradesh. The other two tributaries flow southwestward. The district predominantly has a parallel and sub-parallel drainage system. The geographical area of the district has been studied using GIS modern techniques, and based on that, a map showing lineament features has been prepared, which is used for locating wells and borewells.
1.6 Soil
The soil in Gondia district is generally yellowish in color, of medium quality, sandy, and moisture-retentive. This soil is suitable for rice cultivation, and therefore, rice is grown on a large scale in the district. In addition, along the banks of rivers and streams, fertile soil is used for growing vegetables.
The soil here is primarily formed from the disintegration of volcanic and metamorphic rocks and is mainly of a residual type.
1.7 Geological Structure
The area in the district is primarily covered by ancient volcanic and metamorphic rocks, including granite, gneiss, schist, phyllite, andesite, rhyolite, amphibolite, quartzite, and sandstone. According to geological classification, the rocks in the district can be categorized based on their age as follows:
Sr. No | Age | Formation | Rock Type |
a. | Recent and Pleistocene | Soil, Laterite, Alluvium | Soil, Laterite, Alluvium, etc. |
b. | Precambrian | Dongargarh Supergroup | Andesite, Granite, Rhyolite, Sandstone, etc. |
c. | Archean | Sakoli Group | Amphibolite, Gneiss, Shist, Granite, Phyllite, Quartizite. |
1) Sakoli Group
The rocks in this group consist of extremely ancient rocks in the region. These include amphibolite, granite, granitic gneiss, micaceous schist, quartzite, phyllite, hematitic and brecciated quartzite, etc. The Sakoli group rocks have a high iron content and are found in the western part of the district. Due to their extreme age and geological movements, the rocks display numerous folds, faults, joints, and intrusions. Additionally, due to tectonic movements, significant weathering has occurred, resulting in a thickness of disintegrated rocks ranging from 25 to 30 meters.
2) Dongargarh SuperGroup
This group mainly consists of granite, andesite, rhyolite, and sandstone, and is found in the eastern part of the district. Compared to the Sakoli group, the rocks in this group show fewer tectonic movements, which means there are fewer folds, faults, joints, and intrusions. The weathering caused by surface movements is also relatively low, with the thickness of disintegrated rocks ranging from 10 to 20 meters.
3) Laterite, Soil, and Alluvium
After the Precambrian period, no new rocks were formed in the district’s terrain. However, due to surface movements, a significant amount of rock weathering and disintegration has occurred. As a result, laterite (murrum) is found as a major rock cover throughout the district, with thickness ranging from 1 to 3 meters.
Soil is formed from the disintegration of rocks. Since significant weathering of rocks has occurred in the district, the thickness of soil layers generally ranges from 1 to 3 meters.
Alluvium is commonly found along the banks of large rivers and streams in the district. The thickness of alluvium along the Wainganga river banks ranges from 20 to 25 meters. Due to its high sand content, alluvium holds significant importance from a groundwater perspective. Compared to alluvium, the presence of laterite is more widespread in the district. Laterite rocks are of lesser importance from a groundwater perspective in this district.
4) Characteristics of Aquiferous Terrain
The main aquiferous rocks in the district are extremely hard, which results in low porosity and water retention capacity. However, due to significant geological and surface movements in the region, the weathering of rocks has led to an increase in secondary water retention and transport capacity in certain areas. However, such areas are limited in the district. Typically, the specific water retention capacity is less than 1%.
Due to the higher content of clay in the disintegrated rocks and the greater thickness (18 to 30 meters), the overall groundwater transportation capacity of the rocks is low. As a result, the capacity of irrigation wells in the district is also minimal, leading to a lower number of irrigation wells.
Considering the above-mentioned conditions, instead of just drilling wells for irrigation, if we install bore wells with a depth of 30 to 45 meters at the bottom of irrigation wells, there can be a significant increase in irrigation capacity. For this, the depth of the irrigation wells should be between 12 to 15 meters, with a diameter of 4 to 6 meters.