PUDUCHERRY: In a bid to help the farmers to overcome problems related to sea water intrusion and the general public from the presence of high level of total dissolved solids (TDS) in certain rural pockets of Puducherry region, the Departments of Agriculture and Ground Water have stepped in with several measures.

So as to help the farmers in the South of Pondicherry region, which was most affected by the sea water intrusion, to get assured irrigation, the two departments had jointly installed several tube wells up to 225 metres.

Tube wells had already been put up at Parrikkalampet, Vambapet, Alladimedu and Panithittu in the Bahour commune which was considered to be the rice bowl of the Union Territory.

On Monday, Social Welfare Minister M. Kandasamy dedicated a tube well with a capacity to irrigate 25 hectares of cultivable land at Bahour Sitheri.

Officials in the Ground Water Department told The Hindu that there was a proposal to install another tube well in the coastal hamlet of Murthikuppam. Installing the tube well and putting up the pipe line would cost about Rs. eight lakh.

Studies by the Government agencies revealed that one of the two aquifers in the Bahour region had been affected due to high sea water intrusion. Only the first 10 meters of the shallow aquifer had quality water and the rest had been intruded by sea water, according to officials in the Ground Water Department.

Sea water intrusion was also noticed in places including Kirumampakkam, Pilliarkuppam, Kannikoil and Manapet, officials said.

Excessive exploitation of ground water for irrigation due to double crops, extension of backwater because of extensive sand mining in river beds and failure to adopt timely groundwater recharge methods, were some of the reasons cited by the officials for the high level of salinity.

Farmers in Bahour said expanding area of cultivation of sugarcane, which consumed large quantity of water, also resulted in the depletion of groundwater resources in the region.

Recent studies also revealed presence of high level of TDS contents in certain pockets in North West of Puducherry region. In places such as Setharapet and Thuthipet, the TDS level had crossed the permissible limit of 500 mg per litre and reached the higher side of 800 mg to 1000 mg per litre. According to officials, high level of TDS would affect water taste, besides causing gastro intestinal problems.

High level of TDS content in these areas was attributed to an upward movement of chemical constituents in the ground beneath.

Construction of bed-dams, revival of tanks and lakes and rain water harvesting were among the steps taken to improve the quality of water, they said.

At a few places including Muthialpet, Thengathittu and Velrampet, iron content in drinking water had been noticed. The Government was in the process of installing plants to remove iron contents at a cost of around Rs one crore, they said.