Water Quality of the Phreatic Aquifer System in Kerala

Gujarat Alluvial plains are well known for prolific aquifer system but due to overexploitation of groundwater in North Gujarat districts, the ground water levels have shown a declining trend, which entails higher water lifting cost in addition to the increasing investment in deepening of wells. As natural recharge of groundwater is not commensurate with groundwater extraction, the groundwater levels have dipped more than 190 m below ground level at some places of North Gujarat. In such areas, it is felt that artificial recharge of groundwater has much scope in water conservation and augmentation. Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has given a new dimension to the groundwater sustainability in North Gujarat through harvesting of the surplus runoff and storing the same in the sub-surface reservoir adopting artificial recharge techniques.The present paper deals with the various activities undertaken by the Central and State Governments to arrest the groundwater level from further decline and also maintain the quality of groundwater. Based on the Pilot studies in the UNDP assisted project during the years 1980-85 in the Gujarat State, CGWB has advocated for artificial recharge of groundwater by spreading channel and injection methods to counteract the impact of overexploitation in the North Gujarat. In the Central Sector Scheme (CSS) of Ministry of Water Resources (now Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation), Government of India, demonstrative artificial recharge structures have been constructed by the State Government in the Saraswati river bed at Madhu Pavdi check Dam in Sidhpur, Patan district, Due to non availability of surplus water in the North Gujarat Region, Government of Gujarat launched an ambitious inter basin water transfer program known as Sujalam Sufalam Yojana. In this Sujlam Suphalam Yojana one major unlined recharge canal named as Sujlam Suphalam spreding canal has been constructed with a length of 332 km from Mahi to Banas River which diverts of surplus flood waters of Kadana Reservoir and the Narmada to the water deficit areas. In the Lift Irrigation scheme, nine reservoirs of North Gujarat region are planned to be filled by laying pipelines utilising surplus flood water of Narmada.

Among the challenges faced by the world today in the area of health care, water is the greatest challenge, and this is particularly true for the developing countries. A large proportion of the world?s population relies on ground water as primary source for drinking and domestic use. In recent years, due to increase of population, urbanization, industrialization, use of chemical fertilizers, pesticide in agriculture, there is over increasing threat to surface and ground water quality. The indiscriminate use of ground water for irrigation and other purposes has resulted in sharp decline in ground water table and in changes in the natural geochemistry of ground water. In the largest areal state of the country i.e. Rajasthan higher concentration of all the three hydrochemical parameters viz. salinity, nitrate and fluoride in ground waters have adversely affected the lives of people in general and their socio-economic status in particular. Ground water of western, north-eastern parts of Rajasthan are facing problem of salinity, nitrate and fluoride, whereas central and southern parts are generally facing an acute problem of fluoride. Therefore, immediate action for mitigating the problems at government, semi-government or social levels are required for the welfare of countrymen.

The Chhattisgarh state covers a total geographical area of about 135192 Sq. Km with subtropical climate, characterized by extreme summer and moderate winter having average rainfall of about 1300 mm. Physiographically, the area is characterized by three distinct landforms namely Bastar plateau in the South, the plain of Mahanadi river and its tributaries in the central part and the hills of Chhotanagpur plateau in the northern region. The major river basins in the state are Brahmani, Godavari, Ganga, Mahanadi and Narmada . The total catchment of these river basins is about 13559 kilometers. The Mahanadi Basin is the largest basin covering an area of about 76150 square kilometers out of 141589 square kilometers, nearly 4.3 percent of total geographical area of the country. Chhattisgarh has 2 percent population and 3.2 percent of total surface water resources of the country. The utilizable surface potential in the state if properly harnessed can irrigate about 4.3 million hectares area against the existing potential of 1.38 million hectare. Due to various anthropogenic activities, urbanization, industrialization etc, the quality and quantity of water have been adversely affected. The rivers Hasdeo, Indravati, Kharun, Apra etc. are polluted due to industrialization and urbanization in various parts of the Chhattisgarh. To check the pollution, proper management of solid/liquid waste of various industries is needed. Beside these, use of biofertilizers instead of chemical fertilizers, pesticides etc should be promoted. Effective water management strategies combined with watershed treatments like soil conservation, afforestation, desilting of rivers, rainwater harvesting etc are needed to maintain the health of the river basins of Chhattisgarh. The Jal Shakti Abhiyan started by the Government of India is a highly welcome move in this direction.

Madhya Pradesh is endowed with sufficient surface water. This water is available to the state thorough perennial rivers Narmada, Son, Tapti, Chambal, and Wainganga. These rivers also have numerous perennial tributaries. The total surface water availability in the Chambal, Betawa, Ken catchment is 45 cubic km; 29.29 cubic km in the Son catchment; 52.43 cubic km in the Mahanadi river catchment; 40.83 cubic km in the Narmada catchment and 4.53 cubic km in Wainganga and Pench catchment. Madhya Pradesh received erratic precipitation during the last five years . So it does not have sufficient surface water. The need is for proper management of available surface water resources including systematic monitoring and water conservation techniques. Involvement of Panchayats and other stakeholders is essential to augment surface water bodies through tanks and other rainwater impounding structures. It is time that the stake holders should be aware of the availability of resources for future use, and benefits of conjunctive use of surface and groundwater.