Description

Quality evaluation of ground water and soil periodically is necessary by physicochemical characterization is as water is essential for usage for all dimensions of life. Over the past few decades, utilization of water has increased and in many places water availability is falling to crisis levels. More than 80 countries with 40% of world's population are already facing water shortages. The quality of water in rivers and underground has deteriorated due to pollution by waste and contaminants generated from urban areas, industry, agricultural and aqua cultural activities. Ecosystems are also being destroyed. The chemical characteristics of ground water play an important role in assessing the water quality. Water quality problems are caused by pollution and over exploitation.

Coastal zones contain some of the most densely populated areas in the world because of their productivity. However, the hydrological problems like flooding due to cyclones and wave surge, and drinking fresh water scarcity due to problem of salt water intrusion are some of the significant problems to be faced by these areas. The natural balance between freshwater and saltwater in coastal aquifers is disturbed by groundwater withdrawals and other human activities that lower groundwater levels, reduce fresh groundwater flow to coastal waters, and ultimately cause saltwater to intrude coastal aquifers. Saltwater can contaminate a freshwater aquifer through several pathways, including lateral intrusion from the ocean; by upward intrusion from deeper, more saline zones of a groundwater system; and by downward intrusion from coastal waters.

Groundwater contains dissolved minerals from the soil layers through which it passes. It may also contain some harmful contaminants through the process of seepage from the surface water and biological activities. The salinization processes in coastal area is very complex which may be due to multitude of factors viz., seawater intrusion, prawn culturing and pollution phenomena. The degree of saltwater intrusion varies widely among localities and hydro geologic settings. Saltwater intrusion can also be worsened by extreme events like hurricane storm surges. Groundwater extraction is the primary cause of saltwater intrusion.