Experts in water quality analysis for over 25 years

This case study documents how ground water exploitation in peri-urban area is affecting local population who are primarily dependent upon agriculture. Increasing urbanization and industrialization demands more water from surroundings. In Tamilnadu, as in some other states of India, surface water sources have been used to the optimum. There is an increasing dependency on ground water for irrigation as well as other needs, a reality reflected in Palar basin. The water exported destabilizes livelihoods of millions of local people everywhere; production, productivity and crop pattern, agricultural employment, livestock rearing and local drinking water supply are seriously affected. Besides, local ecology is under severe threat. Competitive deepening of wells or inability to deepen further pauperizes the farmers. While there is growing demand for water for urban domestic, industrial and other commercial activities, the efforts are more towards tapping whatever sources that are easily available in rural areas, than on measures such as recharging and recycling of used water, stopping activities such as illegal sand mining which have direct impact on reduction of recharge and reducing pollution through water treatment.

With thanks to WHIRL Reports