Som Nath^{1, 2}, Jayant Nath Tripathi^1,, V.K. Upadhyay³, Harsh Kumar Verma⁴

This study employed Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) surveys with the Schlumberger array configuration to identify groundwater potential zones in the Moth block of Jhansi district. Schlumberger soundings offer high resolution, depth probing, and field efficiency, which were particularly beneficial in hard rock terrains for studying weathering, fractures, and geomorphological features. Using a DDR-2 resistivity meter, the study successfully discerns water-bearing layers and assessed groundwater properties such as depth, quality, and thickness. The resistivity survey explores up to 60 m, and resistivity value ranges from 2.31 Ω.m. to 99 Ω.m within the surveyed region. The interpreted VES curves revealed that the subsurface lithology consisted of four to five resistive layers. And the results obtained from the distribution of potential zone with their lateral and vertical distribution in lithology signify the suitable depth of ground water well to fulfill demand agriculture needs. These findings are crucial for sustainable groundwater development in the moth block region for agricultural planning, as it helps in identifying suitable areas for groundwater extraction and inform the management borewell depth. Consequently, this plays a key role in sustainable agricultural development in regions with varying geological characteristics. Keywords: Groundwater potential, Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES), Resistivity, Jhansi.

Groundwater potential, Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES), Resistivity, Jhansi, Bundelkhand region