Characterization of Coastal Aquifers in SE Coast of India

Abstract

India has a very long coastline compared to other countries in the world and is considered as the backbone of our national economy. One-fourth of the country�s population lies in this region; the most fertile agricultural land is situated in this area, and it occupies the most potential aquifer systems of the country which faces multifaceted complex problems like seawater intrusion, land use/land cover changes, climate change, and human-induced anthropogenic problems like discharge of sewage effluents, agricultural, salt pan, and aquacultural activities. It is also highly vulnerable to extreme events, such as storms, which impose substantial costs on coastal communities. Numerous rivers enter to the coast that tends to form estuaries and mixes with sea which includes a huge complex ecosystem. The population density increases the risks and vulnerability of the coastal states. The anticipated sea level rise by climate changes affects the coastal aquifers which push the freshwater�seawater interface and makes the shallow aquifers saline. Rivers are the major contributory of the pollution in the coast whereas all rivers are polluted due to industrial effluents and sewage disposal. The various studies on different aspects of hydrogeochemical approach explain the degradation of coastal regions and also various mitigations to overcome these problems.