ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

Submitted To
PROF. DENNEY M THOMAS

Submitted By
GINU L PRAKASH Roll No: 009 S3, MBA

Date: 01-12-2013

BISHOP JEROME SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

BISHOP JEROME INSTITUTE

Fatima College Road, Kollam 691001

INDEX

Particulars
Introduction Ground Water Depletion Conclusion

Page No:
3 4 9

INTRODUCTION
Shortages of clean, drinkable water are a growing problem in many parts of the world. Rapidly increasing populations in some countries have put a strain on the sewage systems, with many rivers and streams becoming polluted with waste containing dangerous microorganisms. For some people, these rivers and streams may be the only source of water for washing, cooking and drinking. The large-scale use of water for agriculture and industry has depleted groundwater in some regions, and in a number of coastal areas saltwater contamination is a serious problem. Disputes over access to fresh water have led to conflict in some regions. Ground water is being increasingly recognized as a dependable resource to meet the demands of domestic, irrigation and industrial sectors all over the world. The need for increasing the food production, combined with rapid industrialization has been putting a severe stress on the limited groundwater resources of our country. Sustainable management of available resources has thus become vital for prevention of overexploitation and pollution of groundwater. District Overview Kollam (Old name Quilon), one of the famous trading towns of Kerala has a distinctive place in the mineral map of Kerala. It is located on the southwest part of Kerala State and extends from Lakshadweep Sea to the Western Ghats and is bordered by Trivandrum district on the South and Alleppey and Pathanamthitta districts in the North and Thirunelveli district of Tamilnadu State in the East and Lakshadweep sea in the west. The population density is 1038 persons per sq km as per 2001 census. The district receives an average 2555mm of rainfall annually. The quality of water in the coastal aquifer is generally good however there is considerable change in the quality of groundwater along the coastal stretch. Groundwater pollution is being reported from two areas of the district namely Chavara and Pozhikara. Because of the highly porous nature of the laterite, the dug wells tapping laterite get recharged fast in the initial stages of monsoon showers itself, however this water escapes as sub-surface flow and the water level falls quite fast especially in wells located on topographic high and slopes. The shift in the pattern of crop cultivation from paddy to cash crops has also affected the pattern of natural recharge and consequent fall in water level. The deployment of pumps for irrigation and indiscriminate rampant construction of bore wells/dugwells has also added to the problem. The district is drained by three west flowing rivers, viz Achenkovil, Kallada and Ithikara, originating in the eastern hilly region. These rivers together with their tributaries exhibit dendritic pattern of drainage. The district is blessed with the largest fresh water lake in the State, Sasthamkotta lake and is one of the resources which caters to the drinking water needs of Kollam district. The lake occupies 440 hectares and the catchment area of the lake is 1269 sq km. Other major lakes (Kayals) in the district are. Ashtamudi Kayal - 6424 ha Paravoor Kayal - 662 ha

GROUNDWATER DEPLETION
Groundwater is a valuable resource throughout the world. Where surface water, such as lakes and rivers, are scarce or inaccessible, groundwater supplies many of the hydrologic needs of people everywhere. It is the source of drinking water for about half the total population and nearly all of the rural population, and it provides over 50 billion gallons per day for agricultural needs. Groundwater depletion, a term often defined as long-term water-level declines caused by sustained groundwater pumping, is a key issue associated with groundwater use. Many areas are experiencing groundwater depletion. Pumping water out of the ground faster than it is replenished over the long-term causes similar problems. The volume of groundwater in storage is decreasing in many areas in response to pumping. Groundwater depletion is primarily caused by sustained groundwater pumping. Some of the negative effects of groundwater depletion: drying up of wells reduction of water in streams and lakes deterioration of water quality increased pumping costs land subsidence

The figure shows that if the water level decreases the water from oceans will intrude into that area ie: Salt water. Pumping groundwater at a faster rate than it can be recharged can have some negative effects of the environment and the people who make use of the water: Lowering of the water table The most severe consequence of excessive groundwater pumping is that the water table, below which the ground is saturated with water, can be lowered. For water to be withdrawn from the ground, water must be pumped from a well that reaches below the water table. If groundwater levels decline too far, then the well owner might have to deepen the well, drill a new well, or, at least, attempt to lower the pump. Also, as water levels decline, the rate of water the well can yield may decline.

Increased costs for the user As the depth to water increases, the water must be lifted higher to reach the land surface. If pumps are used to lift the water (as opposed to artesian wells), more energy is required to drive the pump. Using the well can become prohibitively expensive. Reduction of water in streams and lakes There is more of an interaction between the water in lakes and rivers and groundwater than most people think. Groundwater contributes to streams in most physiographic and climatic settings. The proportion of stream water that comes from groundwater inflow varies according to a region's geography, geology, and climate. Groundwater pumping can alter how water moves between an aquifer and a stream, lake, or wetland by either intercepting groundwater flow that discharges into the surface-water body under natural conditions, or by increasing the rate of water movement from the surface-water body into an aquifer. A related effect of groundwater pumping is the lowering of groundwater levels below the depth that streamside or wetland vegetation needs to survive. The overall effect is a loss of riparian vegetation and wildlife habitat. Land subsidence The basic cause of land subsidence is a loss of support below ground. In other words, sometimes when water is taken out of the soil, the soil collapses, compacts, and drops. This depends on a number of factors, such as the type of soil and rock below the surface. Land subsidence is most often caused by human activities, mainly from the removal of subsurface water. Deterioration of water quality One water-quality threat to fresh groundwater supplies is contamination from saltwater intrusion. All of the water in the ground is not fresh water; much of the very deep groundwater and water below oceans is saline. Under natural conditions the boundary between the freshwater and saltwater tends to be relatively stable, but pumping can cause saltwater to migrate inland and upward, resulting in saltwater contamination of the water supply.

Rainfall and Climate The district receives an average of about 2555 mm rainfall annually. The major source of rainfall is South West monsoon from June to September which contributes nearly 55% of the total rainfall of the year. The North East monsoon season from October to December contributes about 24% and the balance 21% is received during the month of January to May as pre-monsoon showers. Out of the total 119 rainy days, 70.1 rainy days occur in the southwest monsoon season. But, for the last few years we are having deficiency in rainfall. This has seriously affected our ground water level, especially during the summer seasons.

South West Monsoon 2012

North East Monsoon 2012 Both the graphs above are showing the deficiency of monsoon rainfall at kollam. The normal rainfall is shown on the above line with green squares on it and actual rain is shown on the bars.

Anchal, Yeroor, Adayaman, Idamulakal, Karavaloor, Thenmala, Ariankavu, Chithara, Kilikollur Panchayaths are facing acute water scarcity during summer. The below mentioned remedial measures can be adopted to solve the water scarcity of the area Maintenance and desilting of the ponds Construction of check dams Conservation of Panchayath wells, ponds etc Encourage drip irrigation Implementation of rainwater harvesting and artificial recharge schemes Last year kollam district had less rainfall and also due to excess temperature the water resources have dried up during summer seasons. At that time the water were provided to the people in tankers and through Corporation Pipe. In some days even the Corporation pipe did not had water for supply. Groundwater Pollution Groundwater pollution is reported from two areas of the district. One is reported from Chavara, and the other from Pozhikara. Chavara area has been polluted due to the effluents from the factory M/s Kerala Metals and Minerals Ltd. The groundwater in the nearby area shows low pH value 1.3 to 3.3 which is highly acidic and certain trace elements like Zn, Mn, Fe are also reported above the permissible limit. Groundwater Development The ground water in the district is mostly developed through dug wells for domestic and agricultural purposes and to a limited extent for industrial and irrigation purposes. Recently the bore well culture has gained momentum. Ground water development should be coupled with management of rain water harvesting and surface water. There should be proper water budgeting in the district. The existing water resources and dug wells, ponds, tanks etc should be cleaned, protected and conserved. Artificial recharge schemes should be practiced in large scale along with rain water harvesting. Rainwater in situ collection can be practiced along the coastal region and artificial recharge to groundwater can be practiced in the midland regions. The increasing number of borewells can also affect the groundwater level. So before dugging borewells perfect locations has to be identified.

CONCLUSION
Groundwater will continue to be used intensively and some expansion of irrigated agriculture can be expected to develop new groundwater sources, particularly as markets for agricultural produce change. This will happen in parallel with land going out of irrigated production as a consequence of physical depletion, migration of low-quality water, economic depletion (where pumping costs become excessive), waterlogging and salinization, and groundwater transfers out of agriculture. There is potential for widespread drought to occur in conjunction with groundwater declines. Recommendations: 1. The existing water resources like ponds, backwaters, rivers and panchayat wells should be cleaned and protected. The only fresh water kayal, Sasthamkotta kayal should be protected. All the wet lands of Kollam district shall be protected and conserved. 2. Rainwater harvesting schemes should be practiced in the coastal areas and artificial recharge schemes like sub-surface dyke, percolation tank, contour bunding etc can be practiced in the mid land and high land regions of the district. 3. In the quality affected at Chavara and Pozhikara area rainwater harvesting shall be practiced. 4. Any development projects along or near the coast should be technically scrutinized and environmental impact assessment study shall be made a pre requisite to assess the feasibility of the project. 5. Farmers may be encouraged to adopt modern irrigation techniques like drip irrigation to have optimal use of the available resources and community irrigation schemes have to be encouraged. 6. Necessary measures for regulating the exploitation of groundwater may be implemented in the semi critical blocks of Anchalamoodu, Mukhathala, Pathanapuram and Vettikavala. 7. Mass awareness programmes and rainwater harvesting training should be conducted at Panchayath level to create awareness among people about the importance of this precious resource of groundwater.

If its going like this, in future Drinking Water will cost more than Petrol.