Remote sensing for monitoring environment and locations of groundwater potential zones in parts of Jharia coalfield, Bihar

Infrared aerial photographs and Landsat imagery were used for updating of geology and location of potential groundwater zones in the western half of Jharia coalfield in Bihar. The area exposes Permo-Carboniferous rocks of Gondwana super group underlain by granites and gneisses of Archaean age. There is scarcity of drinking water in Jharia despite a number of dugwells. There are two main causes for this scarcity (i) the Gondwana sandstones are generally not good aquifers, and (ii) the groundwater seeps down to underground mines through joints and fractures. The remote sensing techniques have helped in location of potential water bearing zones, mostly along lineaments and in deep buried pediments, in sedimentaries as well as in the granites and gneisses. The synoptic view through remote sensing is helpful in assessing the environmental problems of Jharia. The use of temporal data and the thermal imagery can further help in monitoring the environmental problems. The salient findings of the present study are presented in the paper.