Abstract:
Groundwater is used for a variety of purposes, including irrigation, drinking and manufacturing. Groundwater
is also the source of a large percentage of surface water. Accurate and reliable groundwater resource
information (including quality) is critical to planners and decision-makers. Huge investment in the areas of
groundwater exploration, development and management at state and national levels aims to meet the
groundwater requirement for drinking and irrigation and generates enormous amount of data. We need to focus
on improved data management, precise analysis and effective dissemination of data. Numerical models are
capable of solving large and complex groundwater problems varying widely in size, nature and real life
situations. With the advent of high speed computers, spatial heterogeneities, anisotropy and uncertainties can be
tackled easily. However, the success of any modelling study, to a large measure depends upon the availability
and accuracy of measured/recorded data required for that study. Therefore, identifying the data needs of a
particular modelling study and collection/monitoring of required data form an integral part of any groundwater
modelling exercise. This paper presents groundwater modelling process, basic data requirements for
groundwater modelling and commonly used groundwater modelling software.
