Abstract
Present study deals with the development of a numerical model for the estimation of net annual recharge by coupling the Galerkin's finite element flow simulationl model with the Gauss-Newton-Marquardt optimization technique. The developed coupled numerical model is applied for estimating net annual recharge for Mahi Right Bank Canal (MRBC) project the norms of Groundwater Resources Estimation committee (1984, 1997) and Indian Agricultural research Institute(1983). It is observed that the estimated net recharge by inverse modeling is closer to the net recharge estimated using the water balance approach. Further it is observed that the computed head distribution from the estimated recharge agree closely with the observed head distribution. The study concludes that the developed model for inverse modeling can be successfully applied to large groundwater system involving regional aquifers where reliable recharge estimation always requires considerable time and financial resources.