Assessment of Groundwater Hazards in a Coastal District of Gujarat, India

Abstract

Jamnagar district of Gujarat is having 355 km long irregular coast line. The district is bounded by Gulf of Kachchh in the north and Arabian Sea in the west and southwest. The precipitation in the area is low and climate is semi arid. Rivers flowing in the area are ephemeral. Ground water occurs in unconfined and semi-confined state. Major central part of the area is occupied by Deccan basalt, western part by marine Tertiary rocks, northern and western coastal area by Quaternary sediments. In general, ground water in Deccan basalt is fresh whereas in Tertiary and Quaternary sediments it is brackish due to inherent salinity as well as sea water intrusion. Miliolite limestone in this area forms good aquifer. Groundwater hazards in the area are mainly related with the inherent salinity of rocks/ sediments, sea water ingress in the coastal area and chemical pollution. Brackish ground water, toxic element (Pb, Ni) and radicals (SO4--, NO3-, Cl- and Fluoride) zones have been identified and delineated based on the integrated GIS study. About 181 villages of the district are affected by high TDS, 39 villages by high Fluoride and 2 villages both by high TDS and Fluoride

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