IAPRS & SIS, Vol.34, Part 7, “Resource and Environmental Monitoring”, Hyderabad, India, 2002 
  
  
3. Two-way isochron maps close to top and bottom of 
Middle Siwaliks, provided by Oil India Limited 
(OIL), 
4. Deep borehole data and seismogeological sections, 
provided by Oil & Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) 
and OIL, 
5. Exploratory well data of CGWB, 
6. Published geological and geomorphological maps, 
and 
7. Hydrogeomorphological maps, prepared by Remote 
Sensing Applications Centre (RSAC) — Uttar Pradesh 
under the National Drinking Water Technology 
Mission of the Department of Space (DOS). 
4. METHODOLOGY 
As the geomorphology, lithostratigraphy, and geological 
structures exercise significant control for the ground water 
occurrence, movement and recharge, the satellite imagery in 
conjunction with the existing published and unpublished maps 
and reports have been used to prepare the geomorphological 
and lithostructural maps on 1:250,000 scale. The subsurface 
information in terms of the lithostratigraphic contacts, thickness 
of individual lithostratigraphic units, geological structures, 
fresh/brackish ground water interface, formation pore water 
pressure, etc has been obtained from the different data sets 
mentioned above. Subsequently, the geomorphic, 
lithostratigraphic and structural units mapped from the satellite 
data have been integrated with the subsurface geological 
information to map the recharge areas with reference to shallow 
and deep aquifers. Then, based on the recharge prospects and 
the subsurface geological information, favorable areas for 
carrying out detailed ground-based investigations and 
development of suitable structures for ground water 
development in shallow and especially deep aquifers have been 
delineated. 
5. LITHOSTRATIGRAPHY, STRUCTURE 
AND TECTONIC FRAMEWORK 
Since, the lithostratigraphy and geological structures play a key 
role in assessing the recharge to the ground water, a complete 
understanding of the geological and tectonic set-up is essential. 
The satellite imagery have been interpreted to prepare the 
lithostructural map of the study area taking the published 
geological maps (Rupke, 1974; Valdiya, 1980 and 1988; 
Raiverman et al., 1983; Kumar et al., 1989) as the base. The 
photogeological criteria, i.e. the image and terrain elements, has 
been used for the visual interpretation of satellite imagery. 
Essentially, the study area is comprised of three major linear 
tectono-stratigraphic belts, each having a distinctive geological 
assemblage (Kumar et al., 1989). From south to north, these 
are- (i) Ganga Basin (GB), (ii) Frontal Fold Belt (FFB) and (iii) 
Main Himalayan Belt (MHB). The GB comprises of boulder, 
gravel, sand, silt and clay; the FFB comprises of Siwaliks and 
Pre-Siwalik Tertiaries; the MHB comprises of the Pre-Tertiary 
(Precambrian to Palaeozoic) rocks. The GB is separated from 
the FFB by the Himalayan Frontal Fault (HFF), also called as 
Foothill Fault, and FFB is separated from the MHB by the Main 
Boundary Fault or Thrust (MBF or MBT). It has been found to 
be difficult to map the individual lithostratigraphic units in the 
MHB due to rugged topography, highly deformed nature of the 
formations and vegetation cover. The rock units in this belt 
comprise of orthoquartzite, slate, siltstone, phyllite, limestone 
and dolomite with intrusives. The general strike of the rock 
formations is WNW-ESE and dips are steep towards NNE. The 
530 
rocks in this belt exhibit sharp crested mountains with narrow 
intermontane valleys, moderate to deep dissection and fine to 
medium drainage texture. In the present study, all the 
lithostratigraphic units north of MBF have been grouped under 
one category, i.e. Pre-Tertiary rocks of the MHB, due to their 
limited significance in the present context. 
In the present study, the rocks of the FFB have been grouped 
under three categories — (i) Lower Siwaliks and Pre-Siwalik 
Tertiaries, (ii) Middle Siwaliks and (iii) Upper Siwaliks. The 
Lower Siwaliks and the Pre-Siwalik Tertiaries have been 
grouped under the same category as they could not be 
discriminated on the satellite imagery and also due to limited 
significance. These rocks occur as cuestas and hogbacks. The 
bedding traces and flat-irons are clear on the satellite imagery. 
The general strike of the formations is WNW-ESE and dips are 
moderate to steep towards NNE. Within the hill ranges of FFB, 
broad synformal valleys also exist comprising of Quaternary 
sediments overlying the Siwaliks and Pre-Siwalik Tertiaries. 
The southern part of the study area forming part of GB 
comprises of loose, unconsolidated sediments of mainly fluvial 
origin. The sediments close to the FFB consist of coarse 
clastics, which gradually become finer towards south. 
The area is criss-crossed with several thrusts, faults and 
fractures. Satellite imagery have been found to be very useful to 
map them, especially those transverse / oblique to the trend of 
the geological formations in the FFB and MHB. Though, it was 
difficult to map the smaller thrusts running parallel to the strike 
of the geological formations, but the trace of MBF could be 
recognized, barring few places, on the satellite imagery. It is 
Observed that rivers / streams follow the thrust zones for some 
distance and then cut-across the formations along the 
transverse/oblique fractures. The faults / fractures mapped from 
the satellite imagery and existing information have been 
grouped under four categories — (i) Faults/Thrusts, (ii) Fracture/ 
Lineament — Major, (iii) Fracture / Lineament — Minor, and (iv) 
Inferred continuation of Fracture / Lineament. While the thrusts 
generally trend WNW-ESE, the transverse / oblique faults, 
fractures and lineaments have two distinct trends — (i) NNE- 
SSE to NE-SW and (ii) NNW-SSE to NW-SE. The minor 
thrusts dipping towards NNE to NE occurring within the FFB 
and MHB have not been mapped as these were not clear on the 
imagery and also they have very little significance as far as 
recharging of ground water in the GB is concerned. 
The faults, fractures and lineaments, which cut-across the FFB 
and MHB and continue into the GB are considered significant 
as these may act as conduits for recharging the deeper aquifers 
present in the Ganga Alluvium. However, the depth persistence 
of these secondary openings has to be examined by undertaking 
ground-based investigations. 
6. GGOMORPHOLOGY 
The satellite imagery have been interpreted using 
photogeological criteria for identifying and mapping of various 
geomorphic units and landforms keeping in view the objectives 
of the study. The geomorphological map of the Himalaya and 
the Ganga Foredeep prepared by Ghosh et al. (1989) on 1:5 
million and CGWB (1998) have been taken as reference. 
Geomorphologically, the study area comprises of two major 
geomorphic units — (i) Units of Denudo-structural origin and 
(ii) Units of Fluvial origin. Under the first category, four 
prominent geomorphic units have been identified and mapped — 
(i) Denudo-structural mountains of Pre-Tertiary rocks, (ii) 
Denudo-structural hills of Siwaliks / Pre-Siwalik Tertiary rocks