Groundwater Modelling using Visual MODFLOW in the Last Two Decades in India: A Review

Owing to the rise in groundwater demand and looming the depleting groundwater level and its deterioration, recent years have witnessed much focus on groundwater flow and pollutant migration modelling using Visual Modflow. It is a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for the USGS MODFLOW which becomes a commercial software and most popular among the groundwater modellers for its user-friendly features. For sustainable management of groundwater resources, groundwater regenerative model is the best characterized by multiple inputs and output stresses acting on the aquifer system. This MODFLOW is mainly used for groundwater flow and pollutant transport model under the diverse hydrogeological and meteorological conditions. Beginning with a discussion of Visual Modflow applications, this paper attempts to provide a review of the versatility of its applications in groundwater modelling for the last two decades in India. The scientific areas are such as agriculture, river-aquifer interaction, demarcating groundwater protection zones, assessing of waterlogged area, constructed wetlands, pollutant migration, landfills, mining operations, seepages of railway tunnels, construction of barrier across the river, seawater intrusion, and climate changes, etc. where the software has been utilized. The review will enlighten a clarity of the software applicability on groundwater modelling in the Indian context. Conclusions are also drawn where gaps exist and more research needs in India to be focused.