<p>The groundwater at the foothills is pristine and functions as the recharge source for the rest of the basins. Any pollution at this juncture is carried to the rest of the basin, making it particularly sensitive from an environmental point of view. To ensure the supply of safe drinking water locally and to evaluate the characteristics for basin recharge, the present study is conducted to estimate groundwater vulnerability to pollution using the modified DRASTIC-LU model in parts of Ramganga Basin, covering the Bareilly district of approximately 4120 km². It utilizes land use land cover (LULC) as an additional parameter in the DRASTIC model consisting of depth to water level (D), net recharge (R), aquifer media (A), soil media (S), topography (T), impact of vadose zone (I), and hydraulic conductivity (C). From the modified DRASTIC-LU model developed, a groundwater vulnerability potential map is generated classifying the study area into zones from low to high vulnerability. It was found that around 40% of the area is of low vulnerability, 56% falls in the moderate, and 4% of the area is in the high vulnerability zone. The sensitivity analysis revealed that the highest contribution to the vulnerability index is made by land use land cover, depth to water level, and net recharge, and the lowest contribution is made by the impact of the vadose zone in contamination of groundwater. In the study area, it was observed that areas with high iron concentrations correlated with areas of high vulnerability to contamination. The present study concludes that the DRASTIC-LU model is an effective preliminary tool, which can be used for policy planning and management execution levels during the decision-making process for groundwater management and protection from urban, industrial, and agricultural pollution sources. Therefore, it is recommended to draft and implement stricter land use policies alongside regular and fine resolution water quality monitoring in the area.</p>