Status of Groundwater resources in the coastal districts of Odisha and the threat of salinity.
The coastal districts of Odisha—including Puri, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, Balasore, and Ganjam—depend heavily on groundwater for drinking and irrigation. However, as of 2026, these regions are facing a "double whammy" of over-extraction and seawater intrusion, leading to a severe salinity threat.
1. Status of Groundwater Resources
As per the latest Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) 2025-26 assessments, the coastal aquifers are under immense pressure:
- Hydrogeology: The coastal belt consists of unconsolidated alluvial aquifers. While the annual recharge is high due to rainfall and river seepage, the extractable resource is limited by water quality issues.
- Utilization Trends: In districts like Puri and Balasore, the Stage of Ground Water Extraction is rising. Excessive pumping for rabi crops and aquaculture has created cones of depression, allowing seawater to move inland.
- WQI classification: Recent studies show that nearly 46% to 50% of drinking water wells in these zones show Na-Cl (Sodium-Chloride) dominance, making them unsuitable for direct human consumption.
2. The Threat of Salinity (Saltwater Intrusion)
The threat of salinity in Odisha is both geogenic (natural) and anthropogenic (man-made):
- Lateral Seawater Intrusion: As freshwater is pumped out, the saltwater-freshwater interface shifts landward. In blocks like Kakatpur and Ersama, salinity has been detected several kilometers inland.
- Climate Change & Sea Level Rise: Rising sea levels in the Bay of Bengal increase the pressure head of saltwater. Frequent cyclones and storm surges cause vertical infiltration of saline water into shallow aquifers.
- Heavy Metal Leaching: A critical 2025 report highlights that salinization is triggering the leaching of heavy metals like Manganese (Mn) and Iron (Fe) from the soil into the groundwater, posing a chemical health risk.
3. Impact on Livelihoods
The rising salinity has far-reaching consequences:
- Agriculture: High Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) in water lead to soil salinization, reducing the yield of paddy and forcing farmers to abandon traditional crops.
- Health: Consumption of saline water is linked to increased blood pressure and kidney issues among the coastal population.
4. Mitigation and Management Strategies
The Department of Water Resources (DOWR) is implementing several measures to arrest saline ingress:
- Artificial Recharge: Constructing Rainwater Harvesting structures and sub-surface dykes to increase freshwater pressure and push back the saline front.
- Tidal Regulators: Building saline embankments and sluice gates on river mouths to prevent tidal water from entering freshwater channels.
- Pumping Regulation: Enforcing crop diversification (away from water-intensive paddy) and optimizing pumping hours to maintain aquifer equilibrium.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the coastal groundwater of Odisha is a fragile resource under siege. While seawater intrusion is a natural consequence of proximity to the sea, climate change and unregulated extraction have accelerated the crisis. A move toward Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) and Climate-Resilient water planning is essential to ensure that the "granary of Odisha" does not turn into a saline desert.