VIJAYAWADA: Seawater intrusion continues to remain a major issue for areas situated within a 30 km radius of the coastline in the Krishna district.
In places such as Machilipatnam and Koduru, which are close to the coast, the hardness in water continues to spike and stands at 385.61 ppm and 735.49 ppm respectively. Other areas with the presence of high salinity levels and hardness include Avanigadda, Nagayalanka, Gudlavaleru and Pamarru.
According to a recent study published in the International Journal of Engineering Research & Technology (IJERT), there has been a substantial increase in the salinity levels and hardness of the water in the groundwater samples collected from 23 villages.
“The increased use of groundwater and inadequate rainfall has caused the saltwater interface to coastal regions like Krishna delta,” the IJERT study reads. Another study conducted by Animal Equality between 2019 and 2020 highlights that the conversion of Krishna and Godavari delta lands into water bodies for aquafarming had accelerated salinisation despite the abundant flood from the Krishna River.
The report cites that an increase in aqua farming in Krishna and West Godavari in recent years has converted fertile lands into water bodies, resulting in increasing salination of the groundwater table. Government figures from the fisheries department indicate that there has been a three-fold increase in brackish water area from 2014 to 2017 from 20,000 to 56,094 hectares and if illegal cultivation is considered, this figure could increase up to one lakh hectares.
Experts point out that one of the major concerns of increasing groundwater table is its impact on the mangrove forests at Krishna Estuary. The second-largest mangrove forest in India which supplies at least 25% of the oxygen for the entire district has already been reeling with stunted growth for the past decade. However, thanks to river water flow to the estuary, there has been a significant improvement in water quality in the region so far this monsoon season.
Owing to adequate rainfall, there has been a slump in the salinity levels in the groundwater tables in some areas as Krishna river water released from Prakasam Barrage has reached these regions, replenishing groundwater with fresh water.
