Saline Water Intrusion in Bhadrak and Balasore Districts of Orissa, India   A. K. Bhattacharya Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Mechanics, Bengal Engineering & Science University, Shibpur, Howrah-711103, West Bengal, India S. Basack Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Mechanics, Bengal Engineering & Science University, Shibpur, Howrah-711103, West Bengal, India P. Maity Ph.D. Student, Department of Applied Mechanics, Bengal Engineering & Science University, Shibpur, Howrah-711103, West Bengal, India.
			ABSTRACT

The Balasore coastal groundwater basin in Orissa, India is under a serious threat as regards to groundwater quantity and quality due to seawater intrusion. The soil of Balasore district is mostly alluvial and lateritic. The aquifer is severely contaminated by seawater intrusion within a 5 to 9km wide tract along the coastline, leaving the groundwater unfit for drinking and irrigation purposes. Chemical analysis of water samples of different blocks of Bhadrak and Balasore Districts of Orissa have been conducted. High values of chloride, iron and total dissolved solids have been noticed in the coastal area.
It is concluded that urgent measures are necessary to control saline water encroachment into the basin. Measures like rainwater harvesting, reducing pumping, rearrangement or re-distribution of points of extraction are needed.

Keywords: groundwater, sea water, saline water

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