The Uttar Pradesh government has launched a three year Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) project in the Ganga-Yamuna Doab region to replenish groundwater reserves using a roughly 200 km long ancient river channel identified between Kanpur and Prayagraj.
The Rs 1.65 crore project aims to capture rainwater and direct it into underground aquifers, helping restore depleted groundwater reserves and improve long-term water security.
Researchers from the CSIR National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), Hyderabad, identified the ancient river system using advanced techniques, including helicopter-borne geophysical surveys and borehole logging. The studies mapped deep aquifers and buried river channels beneath the Ganga-Yamuna Doab.
Known as a paleochannel, the ancient river course consists of buried remnants of an earlier river system. Scientists believe these underground formations can continue to influence the movement and storage of groundwater.
Under the project, rainwater runoff will be collected during the monsoon and directed towards suitable recharge zones. Scientific mapping will help identify locations where water can infiltrate the ground efficiently and replenish aquifers that supply wells and tubewells.
The project is being funded by the National Mission for Clean Ganga and implemented by the Uttar Pradesh Ground Water Department. Six locations have been selected for the initial pilot phase, where recharge structures will be constructed and monitored.
Scientists will evaluate groundwater recovery, water absorption and the performance of different recharge techniques at the six sites. The findings will be used to determine which methods are most suitable for different soil and aquifer conditions before expanding the programme to other areas.
The NGRI study has also highlighted hydrogeological links between the Ganga and Yamuna rivers and deeper aquifers beneath the region. Researchers will examine how rainfall, river flows groundwater and ancient underground channels interact.
The project will combine scientific monitoring with public awareness programmes to encourage local communities to adopt groundwater conservation practices.
Officials said the pilot programme is intended to provide a scientific framework for improving groundwater recharge and managing underground water resources across the wider Ganga-Yamuna Doab.