Soft Computing Techniques For Groundwater Level Forecasting

Groundwater crisis is not the result of natural factors; it has been caused by human actions. During the past two decades, the water level in several parts of the country has been falling rapidly due to an increase in extraction. The number of wells drilled for irrigation of both food and cash crops have rapidly and indiscriminately increased. India's rapidly rising population and changing lifestyles has also increased the domestic need for water. The water requirement for the industry also shows an overall increase. Intense competition among users — agriculture, industry, and domestic sectors — is driving the groundwater table lower. Thus constant monitoring of the ground water levels is extremely important. The water levels if properly predicted well in advance can help the administration to plan better ground water utilization. Also, for an overall development of the basin, a continuous forecast of the ground water levels is required to effectively use any simulation model for water management. These models based on observed data or theoretical principles. provide a framework for decision making for water users and water regulators. To achieve the above goal it is necessary to