Seasonal variation of water table and groundwater quality of the karst aquifer of the Jaffna Peninsula-Sri Lanka

Joshua, W.D.; Thushyanthy, M.; Nanthagoban, N.

doi:10.4038/jnsfsr.v41i1.5326

Cited by 18 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…According to the FAO classifications, a major portion of the study area consists of unsuitable groundwater for agriculture. Even though most of the previous studies have reported that the groundwater is suitable for irrigation in the Jaffna Peninsula [22,33,34], the results of the present study showed that there is a risk when utilizing this water for irrigation. Over-extraction of groundwater to facilitate the passionate expansion of agriculture, development projects and resettlements that took place during the post-war period can be identified as the main reason for the deterioration in water quality.…”

Section: Groundwater Quality and Availability Of The Jaffna Peninsulacontrasting

confidence: 79%

Application of Geospatial Techniques for Groundwater Quality and Availability Assessment: A Case Study in Jaffna Peninsula, Sri Lanka

Gunaalan

Ranagalage

Gunarathna

et al. 2018

IJGI

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Groundwater is one of the most important natural resources in the northern coastal belt of Sri Lanka, as there are no major water supply schemes or perennial rivers. Overexploitation, seawater intrusion and persistent pollution of this vital resource are threatening human health as well as ecosystems in the Jaffna Peninsula. Therefore, the main intent of the present paper is to apply geospatial techniques to assess the spatial variation of groundwater quality and availability for the sustainable management of groundwater in the coastal areas. The electrical conductivity (EC) and depth to water (DTW) of 41 wells were measured during the period from March to June 2014, which represents the dry period of the study area. Surface interpolation, gradient analysis, a local indicators of spatial autocorrelations (LISA) and statistical analysis were used to assess the quality and availability of groundwater. The results revealed that the drinking and irrigation water quality in the study area were poor and further deteriorated with the progression of the dry season. Good quality and availability of groundwater were observed in the western zone compared to other zones of the study area. A negative correlation was identified between depth to water and electrical conductivity in the western zone. Hence, relatively deep wells in the western zone of the study area can be used to utilize the groundwater for drinking, domestic and agricultural purposes. The outcomes of this study can be used to formulate policy decisions for sustainable management of groundwater resources in Jaffna Peninsula.

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Section: Groundwater Quality and Availability Of The Jaffna Peninsulacontrasting

confidence: 79%

Application of Geospatial Techniques for Groundwater Quality and Availability Assessment: A Case Study in Jaffna Peninsula, Sri Lanka

Gunaalan

Ranagalage

Gunarathna

et al. 2018

IJGI

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“…The most probable cause for the high concentrations of nitrate in wells could be the excess fertilizers leached to the shallow groundwater. The calcic soil favours the leaching of nitrate N as it has high permeability [ 21 ]. The addition of abundant nitrogenous waste and synthetic and animal fertilizers is identified as the major cause for nitrate contamination.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of the Efficacy of Home Remedial Methods to Improve Drinking Water Quality in Two Major Aquifer Systems in Jaffna Peninsula, Sri Lanka

Wijeyaratne

Suvendran

2017

Scientifica

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Chunnakam and Vadamaradchi are two major aquifer systems in Jaffna Peninsula, Sri Lanka. This study was performed to compare water quality in the domestic wells in these aquifers and to assess the efficacy of household water treatments for treating contaminated water. Replicate well water samples were collected from each aquifer and pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), salinity, temperature, total solids (TS), total hardness (TH), chemical oxygen demand (COD), oil and grease (OG), nitrate N (N), and total phosphate (TP) were measured. The sampled water from the domestic wells was filtered through commercial mineral filter and Moringa oleifera leaf powder and boiled at 100°C for 10 minutes and the TH, OG, N, and TP were measured. Both OG and N in Chunnakam were significantly higher and the DO were significantly lower than those of Vadamaradchi. TH, N, and OG of some wells exceeded the drinking water quality standards established by Sri Lanka Standards Institution. Moringa oleifera leaf powder filtration reduced N significantly and filtering through commercial mineral filter reduced OG, TH, and N significantly. Boiling at 100°C could remove TH significantly but may cause significant increase in N which might result in health impacts.

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“…However, documentation on the long-term effects of salinity on coastal paddy fields remains limited. Most of the coastal studies that have researched and examined water quality parameters, including salinity levels in groundwater systems in the area, have focused on a specific period [30] or short term [27,[31][32][33], the longest period being a one year trend [23,26,34]. This present study is aimed at investigating the spatial and temporal changes in groundwater salinity of Jaffna Peninsula over the last two decades.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of Spatial and Temporal Trend of Groundwater Salinity in Jaffna Peninsula and Its Link to Paddy Land Abandonment

2020

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Salinization is an explicit global threat faced by coastal low lands. The increased seawater ingression into groundwater due to various climatic and anthropogenic factors affects functioning of ecosystems, biodiversity and the sustainability of coastal agriculture. This study was undertaken to investigate the changes in groundwater salinity in Jaffna Peninsula over a 20-year period and its relationship with paddy land abandonment. Permanently abandoned paddy areas were mapped using historical Landsat images, while groundwater salinity changes in 63 agricultural wells for the period 1999 to 2019 were analysed. The trend in salinity, including proximity to the coast, was examined. The results showed that approximately 8178 ha (43% of total paddy land) of paddy lands had been permanently abandoned while the groundwater salinity had increased by 1.6-fold over the last two decades. An increasing salinity trend with decreasing distance from the coast was observed. Presently, nearly 59% of the wells showed salinity levels that were unsuitable for crop irrigation. The results underline the need for urgent and effective management of groundwater resources in order to maintain the sustainability of the existing paddy lands and ensure availability of potable water for consumption along the coastal low land areas of Jaffna Peninsula.

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Seasonal variation of water table and groundwater quality of the karst aquifer of the Jaffna Peninsula-Sri Lanka

Cited by 18 publications

References 3 publications

Application of Geospatial Techniques for Groundwater Quality and Availability Assessment: A Case Study in Jaffna Peninsula, Sri Lanka

Application of Geospatial Techniques for Groundwater Quality and Availability Assessment: A Case Study in Jaffna Peninsula, Sri Lanka

Assessment of the Efficacy of Home Remedial Methods to Improve Drinking Water Quality in Two Major Aquifer Systems in Jaffna Peninsula, Sri Lanka

Assessment of Spatial and Temporal Trend of Groundwater Salinity in Jaffna Peninsula and Its Link to Paddy Land Abandonment

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