Sea water intrusion with special reference to coastal Tamil Nadu

The coastal areas have very fragile resource base that affects the economy, agricultural and other activities. The basic problem that concerns water is that due to saline intrusion and migration of sea water landwards, the sweet water of fresh water aquifers is turned into saline water in coastal-deltaic plain areas. This phenomenon causes reduction in drinking & irrigation water supplies of usable quality. The following are the main reasons responsible for salinity ingress of ground water aquifers: 1. Excessive and heavy withdrawals of ground water from Coastal Plain Aquifers 2. Sea water ingress 3. Tidal water ingress 4. Relatively less recharge 5. Poor land and water management There are many measures like agriculture water management, recharging measures and salinity control measures that are needed to be done in improving water availability and water quality of coastal aquifers. Sea water intrusion occurs when saltwater is drawn-in from the sea into freshwater aquifers. As it carries more solutes, sea water has a higher density than freshwater. This difference in density causes the pressure under a column of saltwater to be greater than the pressure under a column of the same height of freshwater. If these two columns are connected at the bottom, the pressure difference causes a flow of saltwater column to the freshwater column until the pressure equalizes. The flow of saltwater inland is limited to coastal areas. Further inland, the freshwater column is higher due to the increasing altitude of the land, and is able equalize the pressure from the salt water, preventing saltwater intrusion. The higher water levels inland also cause the freshwater to flow seaward. Therefore at the sea-land boundary, freshwater flows out from the highest point of the aquifer, and at the lowest point, saltwater flows in. The saltwater intrusion then forms a wedge. Pumping of fresh water from an aquifer reduces the water pressure and intensifies the effect, drawing salt water into new areas. When freshwater levels drop, saltwater intrusion can proceed inland, reaching the pumped well. Then the saltwater which is unfit for drinking or irrigation is produced by the pump.

Ghyben-Herzberg relation The first physical formulations of saltwater intrusion were made by W. Badon-Ghijben (1888, 1889) and A. Herzberg (1901), thus called the Ghyben-Herzberg relation. They derived analytical solutions to approximate the intrusion behavior, which are based on a number of assumptions that do not hold in all field cases.

[1]

The thickness of the freshwater zone above sea level is represented as h and that below sea level is represented as z. The two thicknesses h and z, are related by f and s where f is the

density of freshwater and s is the density of saltwater. Freshwater has a density of about 1.000 grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm3) at 20 C, whereas that of seawater is about 1.025 g/cm3. The equation can be simplified to .

Tamilnadu costal environment and characteristics Coastal environment plays a vital role in nation's economy by virtue of the resources, productive habitats and rich biodiversity. India has a coastline of about 7,500 kms. The coastline of Tamil Nadu has a length of about 1076 kms constitutes about 15% of the total coastal length of India and stretches along the Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea

Seawater intrusion in Tamilnadu coast In the urban and agricultural areas bordering the seas, the coastal aquifers prove to be an important source of ground water resource. It is seen that seawater is the most common pollutant of freshwater in coastal aquifers. Coastal aquifers that have their end boundaries in contact with sea or other saltwater bodies often get intruded by saltwater, as a result of overexploitation, and due to the various other activities of human beings. The major problems in the groundwater sector of coastal areas are over development leading to the ever-increasing fresh water demands, declining water table leading to reduction in sustainability of tube wells and salinity ingress in coastal aquifers. Large scale extraction of groundwater is done for irrigation purposes as well as for drinking. The groundwater in the coastal Tamirabarani basin extracted for the requirement of industrial complex including the port trust and city requirements. This has led to lowering of the water table in many areas. In Chennai city, over tapping of ground water for drinking water has led to seawater intrusion near Minjur and further extraction has been banned. According to an article which was released in The Hindu news paper Tamil Nadu is the most critically affected among the Southern States owing to over exploitation of ground water resource, observed D.S.C.Thambi, Regional Director, Central Ground Water Board, Chennai of the 385 blocks, over 142 blocks were over-exploited in the State. While the western parts of the State were worst hit, the coastal blocks faced the problem of salinity. Eight to 11 coastal blocks were faced with the problem of saline water. While sea water intrusion was a problem in Chennai and Puducherry areas Pollution, fluoride, and heavy metal contamination were the other factors affecting the quality of ground water. Though development was essential, there was a need for keeping the environment clean, especially water. The pollution in Chennai is attributed to number of industries located along the coastal region.

P.Devadas Manoharan, vice chancellor, Anna University of Technology, Tiruchi (AUT-T), said the country was heavily dependent on its ground water resource and recharging the aquifers presented difficulties owing to rapid urbanisation and climate change. The AUT-T was willing to work in tandem with the Central Ground Water Board and other government agencies in putting down measures to check over exploitation of ground water, identifying places suitable for artificial re-charge, and steps to recharge the aquifers. M.Moorthy, Chief Engineer, Public Works Department, Water Resources Organisation (WRO), Tiruchi Region, observed that the ground water table in the delta region was dependent on the water flow in the rivers. Over exploitation, sea water intrusion, excessive use of chemical fertilisers, and increase in the number of bore wells were some of the factors that affected the quality of the ground water in the region. The WRO has suggested various measures for recharge of aquifers under the proposed Cauvery Modernisation Project. The government has regulations with respect to drawing of ground water in the costal aqufiers through demarcation of coastal regulation zone and necessary measures which are to be followed in such areas. The regulation as follows Harvesting or drawal of ground water and construction of mechanisms therefor within 200 m of HTL; in the 200m to 500m zone it shall be permitted only when done manually through ordinary wells for drinking, horticulture, agriculture and fisheries; Provided that drawing of ground water is permitted, where no other source of water is available and when done manually through ordinary wells or hand pumps, for drinking and domestic purposes, in the zone between 50 to 200 m from High Tide Line in case of seas, bays and estuaries and within 200 m or the CRZ, whichever is less, from High Tide Line in case of rivers, creeks and

backwaters subject to such restrictions as may be deemed necessary, in areas affected by seawater intrusion, that may be imposed by an authority designated by State Government/Union Territory Administration. Measures to recharge the coastal aquifers. Various methods are in use worldwide for the control of coastal sea water intrusion. In our country very sporadic work has been done as for example in Tamil Nadu (Chennai) and along Saurashtra Coast in Gujarat state (Mangrol-Chorwad-Veraval area). Methods that can be employed for control of sea water ingress into aquifers are listed and described below: 1. Modification of ground water pumping and extraction pattern 2. Artificial recharge 3. Injection barrier 4. Extraction barrier 5. Sub-surface barrier Artificial recharge The efforts here should be to raise the levels of ground water table through appropriate method. The area where unconfined ground water occurs along coastal plain, a surface water spreading method alone should be tried whereas for confined aquifer area, the well recharging method should be employed. Modification of ground water Extraction pattern The pumping pattern disturbs the hydraulic gradient whereby it causes landward migration of sea water. It therefore necessitates that the location of pumping wells be changed/shifted. Such wells are required to be dispersed inland to re-establish the ground water flow gradient seawards. Simultaneously it would also supposed to reduce the quantity of pumped water from such wells to produce positive and sweet water effect in fresh water aquifer. Injection barrier The intention in this case is to recharge confined aquifer through injection well method whereby water is injected into deep confined aquifer at predetermined pressure through a battery/or line of recharging wells along the coast. The water injected thus under pressure would form pressure ridge along the coast whereby the water shall flow seaward. This would however the need for very high quality water which if not available nearby should be imported for well injection recharge. A large number of such wells are needed, the number depending up the requirement of a desirable pressure ridge to push ground water seaward.

Sub-surface barrier In this method, impermeable sub-surface barrier is constructed parallel to the coast but through the extent of fresh water aquifer. This barrier will combat & prevent the inflow to aquifer of sea water. Local method such as clay, asphalt, cement, bentonite etc. can be used to construct barriers. Tidal regulators Tidal regulators are required to be constructed to control the discharge of sweet water of river/stream into the sea. Such structures shall have provision to store fresh water for injection and also arrest flow of saline water into river. This will provision fresh water on the other side saline water area along the crest & shall also raise water table in the vicinity of structures. Ground water monitoring around such recharging and salinity ingress structures is always necessary to keep watch on availability of fresh water/ground water as well as ground water build up for agricultural and drinking water needs. The Minjur coastal area in the north of Chennai has been affected by sea water ingress due to excessive lowering of ground water levels caused of heavy withdrawals of ground water. The salinity ingress was observed as much as 8 to 9 km inland from the coast. The Experiments pushed the saline water front seaward through check dams & injection barriers under a UNDP assisted - State Govt project of Tamil Nadu.