GSI-CHQ-17445 Secret GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA A NOTE ON AUGMENTING WATER SUPPLY TO THE PACHMARHI MILITARY STATION, HOSHANGABAD DISTRICT, MADHYA PRADESH By V. Subramanyam, Superintending Geologist, Geological Survey of India & A.S.M. Rao, Geologist Geological Survey of India. JANUARY, 1961. GSI-CHQ-17445 A NOTE ON AUGMENTING WATER SUPPLY TO THE PACHMARHI MILITARY STATION, HOSHANGABAD DISTRICT, MADHYA PRADESH By V. Subramanyam, Superintending Geologist, Geological Survey of India & A.S.M. Rao, Geologist Geological Survey of India. CONTENTS Paragraphs INTRODUCTION 1-4 PHYSIOGRAPHY 5-6 GEOLOGY 7-3 WATER SUPPLY 9 - 14 GROUNDWATER 15 - 25 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 26 - 32 APPENDIX No. I - Table showing the depth to water, depth, diameter, elevation of ground level and elevation of water levels of the wells inventoried. APPENDIX No. II - Table showing the Chemical analyses of the water samples collected from selected wells at Pachmarhi. PLATE No. 1 - Map of Pachmarhi showing the location of wells examined. PLATE No. 2 - Map showing contours on water table around Pachmarhi. GSI-CHQ-17445 A NOTE ON AUGMENTING WATER SUPPLY TO THE PACHMARHI MILITARY STATION, HOSHANGABAD DISTRICT, MADHYA PRADESH By V. Subramanyam, Superintending Geologist, Geological Survey of India & A.S.M. Rao, Geologist Geological Survey of India. INTRODUCTION 1. In April, 1953, the Commander Works Engineer, Jubbulpore, requested the Geological Survey of India (vide his letter No. 40222/E4 dated 3-4-1953) to undertake a study of groundwater conditions of Pachmarhi, Hoshangabad district, Madhya Pradesh and locate a site for sinking a tubewell capable of yielding about 80,000 gallons per day for domestic use of the military in the Cantonment area. Accordingly, this item was included in the Field Season Programme of the Geological Survey of India for 1959-60. 2. In July, 1960 the Garrison Engineer (West) Jubbulpore informed the Geological Survey of India that the Military at Pachmarhi is getting at present 50,000 gallons of water per day on an agreement with the Public Health Engineering Department. Government of Madhya Pradesh and in addition to this they now have a proposal to sink a tube-well which can yield 40,000 gallons per day to meet the additional required quantity (vide letter No. 4135/737/E4 dated 25-7-1960 from the Garrison Engineer (West), Jubbulpore). 3. In connection with the above investigation of tube-well possibilities at Pachmarhi, the Senior author of the note made a reconnaissance of the Pachmarhi area between the 5th and 7th April, 1960 accompanied by the Junior author; between 2nd and 11th May, the Junior author inventoried the dugwells around Pachmarhi and carried out some pumping tests to determine the permeability of the Pachmarhi sandstones. 4. This note briefly summarises the field observations and inferences there from, and the conclusions, based on the interpretation of the pumping test data, in the matter of augmenting water supply to Pachmarhi. 2 GSI-CHQ-17445 PHYSIOGRAPHY 5. Pachmarhi Hill Station (22°28':78°26'), the summer resort of Madhya Pradesh Government is in the Hoshangabad district of Madhya Pradesh and falls in Survey of India topo-sheet. No. 55 J/7. It is about 32 miles south of Piparia Railway Station (Central Railway) and is connected by a good all weather motorable road. The town is located on a plateau, about 3500' above M.S.L., in the Satpura Mountain Range. Except the Bainganga Nala, which is the only stream passing through the town, there are no others. The Bainganga has been bunded up in the centre of the town, from where it flows eastwards (See Plate-1). 6. Pachmarhi receives an annual rainfall of 89.15 inches, the major part falling in the months June to September. In the year 1920, the annual rainfall was as low as 56.57 inches and in 1950 it was as high as 14-7.76 inches. GEOLOGY 7. Geologically the rock formations in the Pachmarhi area belong to the Pachmarhi stage of the Mahadeva series, of Upper Gondwana age. The position of the Pachmarhi stage is shown in the following sequence: Gondwana 8. Upper Jubbulpore Mahadevas Lower Bijoris Moturs Barakars Talchirs Chaugan stage Bagra Denwa Pachmarhi The Pachmarhis consist of thick beds of coarse white sandstones with pebbles at the bottom, showing graded bedding. The sandstones have got a northerly dip of 5° and are characterised by the presence of current bedding and the absence of ripple marks. The current bedding planes also have a northerly dip. According to Crookshank (G.S.I. Mem. Vol. LXVI, Pt. 2) these sandstones, are devoid of clay partings. But driller's log of a borehole (well No. 24 in Plate No. 1) put down recently at Pachmarhi shows the occurrence of a clay bed between 127' and 139'. The log of another borehole nearby (Well No. 34 in Plate No. 1) does not show the presence of any clay bed. The strata logs of both these boreholes are given below: (The cores were not available for examination). 3 Well No. 24 (located at Pologround) 0' - 3' Clay yellowish 3' - 12' Sandstone yellowish 12' - 26' Sandstone yellowish brownish 26' - 40' Sandstone brownish 40' - 48' Sandstone reddish yellowish 48' - 68' Sandstone brownish with boulders 68' - 85' Sandstone brownish yellowish 85' - 103' Sandstone brownish 103' - 127' Sandstone with pebbles 127' - 139' Clay with sandstones 139' - 153' Sandstone with pebbles 153' - 165' Sandstone brownish with smooth clay 165' - 208' Sandstone with pebbles Well. No. 34 (Tube-well supplying water to Rajendragiri) 0' - 2' Clay yellow 2 - 34' Sandstone 34' - 60' Sandstone with pebbles at interval 60' - 78' Sandstone brownish yellowish 73' - 103' Sandstone whitish and dark brownish 103' - 103' Sandstone with pebbles 108' - 120' Sandstone blackish brownish 120' - 133' Sandstone medium grained 133' - 162' Sandstone with pebbles 162' - 170' Sandstone whitish blackish 170' - 203' Sandstone reddish and brownish GSI-CHQ-17445 4 GSI-CHQ-17445 WATER SUPPLY 9. Pachmarhi town can be divided into three units for the purpose of domestic water supply. They are (1) Civil area (2) The Cantonment Board area. (i.e. Civil area of the Cantonment) and (3) Military area. 10 The Public Health Engineering Department, Government of Madhya Pradesh who are entrusted with supplying water for the domestic use of the Civil area of Pachmarhi, have constructed a small weir (Called Bee Dam) across a spring ½ mile west of Pachmarhi town. Water is being pumped from the reservoir so formed, by two sets of multi-stage centrifugal pumps with a capacity of 66 gpm., each to a reservoir at an elevation of 3585' above M.S.L., constructed on the hill, known as Hog's Back. The capacity of the reservoir is 30,000 gallons. The water is chlorinated and distributed by gravity. 11. The Public Health Engineering Department are pumping about 1,10,000 gallons per day, during the summer months and supply 60,000 gallons per day to the Civil area of Pachmarhi, and 50,000 to the Military population. 12. There is no piped water supply to the civilian population of about 3,500 residing in the Cantonment Board area of Pachmarhi. These people depend on dug-wells for their daily requirements of water. There are 32 dug-wells in this area out of which 18 belong to the Cantonment Board. The lift of water from these wells is by hand only. The wells yield inadequate supplies of water and in summer there, is much scarcity. 13. The Cantonment Board is arranging for regular water supply to the civilian population of the Cantonment area. For this purpose one 6" diameter tube-well, 200' deep, had been constructed on the south side of the gorge on the way to Jata Shankar (See Plate 1) and work was progressing for installation of pump etc., for water supply, during our visit. It is hoped by the Cantonment Board that the requirement of the civilian population of the Cantonment area, would be met with, from this newly constructed tube-well. 14. The Military area of Pachmarhi with a population of 1,300, requires about 70,000 gallons per day during the summer months for domestic purposes. It is estimated by the Military authorities that the requirement during the summer of 1962 would increase to 55,000 gallons per day. As already stated at present, the Public Health Engineering Department is supplying 50,000 gallons per day to tat Military at Pachmarhi. This is supplemented by 3,360 gallons per day from the M.E.S. dug-well No. 4 located near the Military Hospital. This dug-well is 95 feet in depth and 10 feet in diameter, piercing Pachmarhi sandstone. 5 GSI-CHQ-17445 GROUNDWATER 15. The present study of the groundwater conditions at Pachmarhi is based mainly on the data collected from a number of dug-wells and the meagre information available from three existing tubewells (See Plate 1). During the course of field woek, 33 dug- wells and 3 tube-wells were inventoried. The dug-wells range in depth from 29.4 feet (Well No. 2 in Plate-No. 1) to 95.0 feet below ground level (Well No. 8 in Plate No. 1) and the tube-wells from 200' (Well No. 2A) to 208' (Well No. 24). The water levels in the dug-wells varied from 9.95' below ground level (Well No. 2) to 6&.40' below ground level (Well No. 34 A). The water level in the Pologround tube-well (Weil No. 24) was 21.01' below ground level during visit. The water levels in the other two tube-wells could not be measured. The relevant information such as the depth, depth to water and the elevation of the water level etc., of all the wells examined are given in Appendix I. 16. Water occurs in the Pachmarhi area under water-table and confined conditions. Dug-wells upto 95' generally tap water from the water table aquifer and the tube-wells appear to tap water from a confined aquifer. In the absence of adequate sub surface data, the areal extent of the confined aquifer is not known. The data of some selected dug-wells inventoried in the area were used to prepare a water- table map, using reduced levels from Survey of India maps with contours at 5' and 50' intervals (See Plate 2). 17. It could be seen from the water level map that the general movement of groundwater in the area investigated, is from south west to northeast and on the eastern side of the area, the direction of movement is from west to east. The hydraulic gradient varies from 35 feet per, mile on the southwestern side, to 133 feet per mile on the eastern side. The gentle hydraulic gradient on the southwest side suggests a comparatively higher permeability of the materials penetrated by the dugwells in this area. 15. While data of many wells have been used for constructing the water table map, there are some wells whose water levels do not fit in with the general picture of the water table map (e.g. wells 7, 12, 16, 19, 36). The differences in elevation of water surface within short distances are suggestive of local variations in geology. 19. There are three tube-wells in Pachmarhi constructed by the Public Health Engineering Department, two for the Agriculture Department (Wells No. 24 and 34) and one for the Cantonment Board (Well No. 2A). Very little information of these tube-wells is available. However, there is reliable information to suggest the occurrence of a water-bearing sandstone, confined by a bed of clay, at a depth of 139 feet below ground level as could be seen from the log of the Pologround tube-well No. 24. Elevation of water level in this tube-well differs by 16.83 feet from that of the dug-well No. 23, which is about a furlong away from the tube-well. Data of a pump test conducted on tube-well No. 6 GSI-CHQ-17445 24 shows quick changes in water level, both immediately after commencing pumping and after shutting off the pump. This is suggestive of the existence of a confined aquifer below a depth of 139 feet in and around the Pologround area and perhaps below the Pachmarhi Plateau, although the existence of the clay bed confining the aquifer has not been reported by drillers of the tube-wells No. 34 and 2A. 20. Pump tests were conducted on two deep dug-wells of M.E.S. (Wells No. 3 and 10 of Plate 1) and on the Pologround tube-well (Well No. 24). Discharge from these wells during tests could not be measured directly and the figures for the dug-wells were taken from the records maintained by the M.E.S. and for the tube-well, the reported value was taken into consideration. A summary of the data collected during the tests are presented below: Well No. 8 Well No. 10 Well No. 24 Type of well Dug Dug Drilled Depth below ground level. 95.0' 73.15' 203' Diameter 10.0' 10.5' 6" Type of pump Deep well pump with a differential plunger. Deep well pump with Gravens UTA a differential plunger. submerssible pump. Duration of pumping. 5½ hrs. 5 hrs. 5 hrs. (intermittently) Discharge during pumping. 400 gph. 530 gph. 1000 gph. Water level before pumping 65.08' commenced. (below ground level) 47.25' 21.01' Pumping level 71.85' 52.98' 39.04' Drawdown 6.77' 5.73' 13.13' Recuperation in 6 hrs, after stopping pump. 4.59' 3.16' 12.94' in 105 minutes Average yield per hour (based on 375.06 gallon recuperation) 234.63 gallons Transmissibility 710 gpd/ft. 21. 1065 gpd/ft. 2240 gpd/ft. As could be seen from the above table, all the tests were only of short duration. On well No. 10, another test was conducted for fifteen hours and the recuperation measurements were taken. The results of this test vary from those of the short duration test on the same well. The results are tabulated below for comparison: 5 hours test 15 hours test Pumping level 52.93' 61.37' Drawdown 5.73' 14.12' 7 GSI-CHQ-17445 Recuperation 3.16' in 6 hrs 4.77' in 310 minutes Average yield per hour based on recuperation. 284.63 gallons 499.2 gallons 22. On the basis of the data obtained from recuperation on the wells mentioned above, (i.e. 375 and 285 gph. for wells No. 5 and 10 respectively) it appears that four additional dug- wells of a larger diameter (say 15') would be required to maintain a steady, rate of' withdrawal of 40,000 gpd. It would not be advisable to pump more than two wells at a time; while pumping two wells at a time, the remaining four wells should be allowed: to recuperate. 23. The data of test conducted on the Pologround tube-well (Well No. 24) gave a value of transmissibility of 2,240 g.p.d/ft. and an abnormally high value for storage co-efficient for the confined aquifer in that area. Assuming a value of 5 x 10-5 for the storage co-efficient of the aquifer, it has been computed (applying the Theis non equilibrium formula) that this tube- well alone can deliver about 40,000 gallons in six hours- at a pumping rate of 125 gallons per minute for a drawdown of 115 feet or a pumping level of 139 feet. Considering the fact that the top of the confined aquifer occurs at a depth of 139' below ground, level, it would be an over pump age for this rate of with drawal. With the meagre data on hand, it appears that we can safely get the required quantity from two suitably located tube-wells penetrating the same confined aquifer. 24. Since the tube-well No. 24 is located beyond the military area, the possibility for a successful tube-well in the military area depends on the continuity of the confined aquifer in that direction. 25. The chemical quality of the waters collected from selected dug-wells and tube-well-24 in the Pachmarhi area are presented in Appendix 2. It could be seen from the table that the waters are of very good quality for domestic and other uses. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 26. The estimated additional requirement of water for Pachmarhi is about 40,000 gallons per day. 27. Water occurs in the Pachmarhi sandstones under water-table and confined conditions. Dug- wells of depths upto 95 feet tap water from the water table aquifer, chiefly for domestic use. There appears to be confined aquifer below a death of 139 feet in the region of the Pologround tube-well. The subsurface extension of this aquifer in the other parts of the Pachmarhi area is not known, for want of exploratory borehole data, but it is presumed that it may extend. No data are also available as to the thickness of the confined aquifer, its hydraulic .properties and the source of recharge to the same. It is however believed, on topographic consideration that a good part of the recharge must be by leakage from the water table aquifer itself through breaks in the confining clay beds. 28. The pumping tests conducted on the existing Pologround tube-well at Pachmarhi show that 8 GSI-CHQ-17445 there is possibility of developing water by means of tube-wells to augment the water supply to the Military, although the sandstones appear to be poorly permeable. 29. It is recommended that one exploratory borehole may be put down near the Military Hospital, down to a depth of about, 350 feet, to determine the thickness of the confined aquifer, and the best location for setting the screen in a production; well. This exploratory borehole can be converted into a tubewells. A 3" observation well put down about 200' away from the exploratory tube-well (and tapping the same aquifer as the exploratory tube-well) will be helpful in getting data, during pumping tests on the exploratory tube-well, which will facilitate giving opinion on spacing of additional tubewells that may be required for augmenting the water supply to Pachmarhi. 30. Advantage can also be taken of the existing dug-wells in the military area to augment the supplies, by deepening them wherever possible, or by making inner wells of smaller diameter from the bottom of the bigger wells (if it is. not possible to deepen the large diameter dug-wells). 31. Exploration should also be done to find out whether there are any springs on the S.E. slopes of the Pachmarhi Plateau, which can be bounded up to supply water to the Military. If there are no suitable springs, the feasibility of constructing another dam downstream of the Bee Dam and the idea of pumping water from the storage reservoir of this dam into the Bee Dam reservoir should also be considered, as one of the steps to augment the water supply to Military area. Cost or economics should be the criterion for deciding the best solution to the problem. 32. If the exploratory tube-well and observation wells are put down at Pachmarhi as advised, the Geological Survey of India will help in running the hydraulic tests necessary. APPENDIX NO. I. Well No. Type Depth in feet below ground level. Diameter Depth to R. L. I of water (in ft) ground below g.l. level. R.L. of water surface. 2 Dug 29.4 8.0 9.95 3412 3402.05 3 Dug 32.30 12.2 16.55 N.D. N.D. 4 Dug 53.05 12.5 39.40 N.D. N.D. 5 Dug 44.4 8.5 26.05 3475 3448.95 6 Dug 51.8 10.6 29.12 3470 3440.88 7 Dug 44.3 8.2 34.0 3462 3428.0 8 Dug 95.0 10.0 65.08 3487 3421.92 M.E.S. well 9 Dug 45.1 - 23.54 3452 3428.44 M.E.S. well 10 Dug 73.7 10.5 46.92 3475 3428.08 M.E.S. well Remarks Water did not reach static level. 9 GSI-CHQ-17445 11 Dug 48.5 9.0 29.67 3405 3374.33 12 Dug 70.95 9.0 38.02 3460 3421.98 13 Dug 45.8 16.0 16.98 3447 3430.02 14 Dug 45.8 9.3 31.96 3455 3423.04 15 Dug 43.5 10.5 19.81 3456 3436.19 M.E.S. Well 16 Dug 55.0 3.5 40.89 3458 3417.11 Water level did not reach static 17 Dug 47.9 6.2 44.32 N.D. N.D. -do- 18 Dug 42.48 6.7 41.19 3495 3453.81 -do- 19 Dug 57.10 9.0 51.45 3493 3441.55 -do- 20 Dug 37.3 6.2 29.24 3490 3460.76 21 Dug 54.3 7.2 41.50 3520 3478.50 22 Dug 67.7 9.5 52.47* 3520 3467.53 23 Dug 58.55 7.0 32.84 3516 3482.16 24 Tube-well 208 0.5 21.01 3502 3498.99 25 Dug 41.65 6.5 24.5 3435 3410.50 26 Dug 46.1 4.0 37.69 3415 3377.31 27 Dug 62.30 10 52.50 3441.5 3389.0 28 Dug 60.9 6.5 47.54 3425.3 3377.36 29 Dug 46.95 9.0 33.85 3434 3400.15 30 Dug 63.5 3.0. 56.10 3465 3408.90 31 Dug 60.0 3.0 59.5 3452 3392.5 32 Dug 61.0 11.8 49.40 3436 3386.6 33 Dug 80.0 7.2. 63.8 3510 3446.2 34A Dug 91.55 9.2 68.40 3529 3460.6 35 Dug 35.10 12.0 22.0 3475 3453.0 36 Dug 36.4 9.0 23.94 3480 3456.06 37 Dug 31.5 6.0 13.80 3444 3430.2 N.D.: Not determined. M.E.S. well *Pumping level. M.E.S. Well M.E.S. Well 10 GSI-CHQ-17445 APPENDIX-II. Well No. Date of collection. Cl CO3 HCO3 Total Hardness as CaCO3 pH Sp. Remarks conductance in Mmhos/Cm 25°C. 16 4-5-60 33 Nil 93 240 7.5 297 15 7-5-50 19 Nil 39 240 7.3 150 19 7-5-60 38 Nil 50 240 6.4 103 22 7-5-60 29 Nil 59 160 7.1 61 24 9-5-50 19 Nil 93 180 7.1 160 4 10-5-60 19 Nil 79 220 6.5 122 29 10-5-60 33 Nil 59 220 6.1 197 36 10-5-60 29 Nil 39 130 6.9 132 Note: All the constituents in parts per million. H2S smell Tube-well Feeble H2S GSI-CHQ-17445 GSI-CHQ-17445
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