water
Article
Investigating Groundwater Condition and Seawater Intrusion
Status in Coastal Aquifer Systems of Eastern India
Subrata Halder
1,
* , Lingaraj Dhal
2
and Madan K. Jha
1
Citation: Halder, S.; Dhal, L.; Jha,
M.K. Investigating Groundwater
Condition and Seawater Intrusion
Status in Coastal Aquifer Systems of
Eastern India. Water 2021, 13, 1952.
https://doi.org/10.3390/w13141952
Academic Editors: Thomas
M. Missimer and Maurizio Barbieri
Received: 21 May 2021
Accepted: 9 July 2021
Published: 16 July 2021
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1
AgFE Department, IIT Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721302, India; madan@agfe.iitkgp.ac.in
2
WRD&M Department, IIT Roorkee, Roorkee 247667, India; ldhal@wr.iitr.ac.in
* Correspondence: shalder_2007@yahoo.co.in; Tel.: +91-943-259-4699
Abstract: Providing sustainable water supply for domestic needs and irrigated agriculture is one of
the most significant challenges for the current century. This challenge is more daunting in coastal
regions. Groundwater plays a pivotal role in addressing this challenge and hence, it is under
growing stress in several parts of the world. To address this challenge, a proper understanding
of groundwater characteristics in an area is essential. In this study, spatio-temporal analyses of
pre-monsoon and post-monsoon groundwater levels of two coastal aquifer systems (upper leaky
confined and underlying confined) were carried out in Purba Medinipur District, West Bengal, India.
Trend analysis of seasonal groundwater levels of the two aquifers systems was also performed using
Mann-Kendall test, Linear Regression test, and Innovative Trend test. Finally, the status of seawater
intrusion in the two aquifers was evaluated using available groundwater-quality data of Chloride
(Cl
−
) and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). Considerable spatial and temporal variability was found in
the seasonal groundwater levels of the two aquifers. Further, decreasing trends were spotted in the
pre-monsoon and post-monsoon groundwater-level time series of the leaky confined and confined
aquifers, except pre-monsoon groundwater levels in Contai-I and Deshpran blocks, and the post-
monsoon groundwater level in Ramnagar-I block for the leaky confined aquifer. The leaky confined
aquifer in Contai-I, Contai-III, and Deshpran blocks and the confined aquifer in Nandigram-I and
Nandigram-II blocks are vulnerable to seawater intrusion. There is an urgent need for the real-time
monitoring of groundwater levels and groundwater quality in both the aquifer systems, which can
ensure efficient management of coastal groundwater reserves.
Keywords: groundwater fluctuation; spatio-temporal variability; trend analysis; seawater intrusion;
coastal aquifers
1. Introduction
Water is a vital substance on earth and forms the principal constituent of all living
things. Therefore, it is called the lifeblood of the biosphere. The unabated population
growth and implacable rise of water demand in different sectors have huge repercussions
for a growing freshwater scarcity in several parts of the world, including India. Providing
sustainable water for domestic use and irrigated agriculture is one of the big challenges
for the 21st century. To address this challenge, efficient planning and management of
water resources are of utmost importance. Groundwater is a renewable but finite resource.
Generally, it is preferred for drinking water supply because of its good quality, pleasant
taste, and from a safety point of view. Due to rapid population growth, water resources
potential is decreasing day by day in general, and groundwater resources potential in
particular. Furthermore, mismanagement of water resources and climate change create an
imbalance between water supply and demand. For proper planning and management of
groundwater, assessment of groundwater is very important. Nowadays, the management
of coastal aquifer systems is becoming essential due to dramatic climate change. Unfor-
tunately, groundwater management has been neglected in coastal areas, though coastal
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