Spatiotemporal Variations in the Precipitation Deficit and Groundwater Recharge Deficit of Mula–Mutha Watershed, Maharashtra, India

The Mula–Mutha watershed of Maharashtra, India, is under chronic water shortage since past few decades. Due to uneven distribution of rainfall across the watershed, majority of its population are reliant on groundwater resources for its domestic and agricultural demands. In this study, an attempt is made to investigate the spatiotemporal variations in the precipitation deficit and groundwater recharge deficit of Mula–Mutha watershed using the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) and Standardized Water-Level Index (SWI), respectively. These variations are studied by generating SPI and SWI maps in geographic information system (GIS) environment for two seasons, viz. pre-monsoon (May) and post-monsoon (October), of the years 2001–2010. This paper helps to identify the groundwater stress zones across the study area where proper management of groundwater resources is required. Results reveal that in the Mula–Mutha watershed hydrologic stress varies highly in time and space. Few zones are identified where groundwater stress is more frequent. There are no regular spatiotemporal patterns observed in the precipitation deficit and groundwater recharge deficit across the region.