Recent Trends in GIS and Geostatistical Approaches to Analyze Groundwater Resource in India

India is the largest user of groundwater in the world using an estimated 250 km3 of groundwater per annum. In India, groundwater contributes 62% in agriculture sector. In rural India, 85% and in urban India, 45% of water consumption has been met from groundwater. However, this precious water resource is under increasing pressure due to intensification of human activities along with climate change. In India about 36% of groundwater blocks are semi-critical, critical, or overexploited and the situation is deteriorating rapidly. Not only groundwater depletion is unprecedented, its quality is also deteriorating in an alarming rate throughout India. Therefore, groundwater dependent water supply system is expected to hit adversely in the future. In this context, Geographic Information System (GIS) along with geo-statistics play an important role in depicting the spatio-temporal variation of water level and water quality. In this chapter work done by various researchers on GIS and geostatistics in groundwater is highlighted, which will help the policy makers and managers to implement proper regulations for sustainability of this precious resource in India.