3 research outputs found
Ground Water Pollution and Emerging Environmental Challenges of Industrial Effluent Irrigation: A Case Study of Mettupalayam Taluk, Tamilnadu
Industrial disposal of effluents on land and the subsequent pollution of groundwater and soil of
surrounding farmlands – is a relatively new area of research. The environmental and socioeconomic
aspects of industrial effluent irrigation have not been studied as extensively as domestic sewage
based irrigation practices, at least for a developing country like India. The disposal of effluents on
land has become a regular practice for some industries. Industries located in Mettupalayam Taluk,
Tamil Nadu, dispose their effluents on land, and the farmers of the adjacent farmlands have
complained that their shallow open wells get polluted and also the salt content of the soil has started
building up slowly. This study attempts to capture the environmental and socioeconomic impacts
of industrial effluent irrigation in different industrial locations at Mettupalayam Taluk, Tamil Nadu,
through primary surveys and secondary information.
This study found that the continuous disposal of industrial effluents on land, which has limited
capacity to assimilate the pollution load, has led to groundwater pollution. The quality of
groundwater in shallow open wells surrounding the industrial locations has deteriorated, and the
application of polluted groundwater for irrigation has resulted in increased salt content of soils. In
some locations drinking water wells (deep bore wells) also have a high concentration of salts. Since
the farmers had already shifted their cropping pattern to salt-tolerant crops (like jasmine, curry
leaf, tobacco, etc.) and substituted their irrigation source from shallow open wells to deep bore
wells and/or river water, the impact of pollution on livelihoods was minimized.
Since the local administration is supplying drinking water to households, the impact in the
domestic sector has been minimized. It has also been noticed that in some locations industries are
supplying drinking water to the affected households. However, if the pollution continues unabated
it could pose serious problems in the future
Ground Water Pollution and Emerging Environmental Challenges of Industrial Effluent Irrigation: A Case Study of Mettupalayam Taluk, Tamilnadu
Climate-Smart Villages: the future of farming
This photo series and article on National Geographic Magazine highlights the principles of climate-smart agriculture through the Climate-Smart Village approach in South Asia, as also West and East Africa, South East Asia and Latin America