Technical and Sociological Investigation of Impacts in Using Lignite Mine Drainage for Irrigation _ A Case Study

International Conference on Civil Engineering and Infrastructural Issues in Emerging Economies 2017

土木建筑工程;经济学

Murugappan, A.^1 ; Manoharan, A.^1 ; Senthilkumar, G.^1 ; Krishnamurthy, J.^2

Department of Civil Engineering, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar, India^1

Department of Sociology, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar, India^2

关键词: command area;    Impact assessments;    Irrigation projects;    Mine drainage;    Quality characteristic;    Questionnaire surveys;    Technical assessment;    Technical evaluation;   

Others  :  https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1755-1315/80/1/012070/pdf
DOI  :  10.1088/1755-1315/80/1/012070

学科分类：土木及结构工程学

来源: IOP

【 摘 要 】

Irrigated farming depends on an ample supply of water compatible quality. Presently, a lot of irrigation projects have to depend on inferior quality and not so enviable sources of water supply. In order to prevent troubles during usage of such water supplies of poor quality, there must be meticulous preparation to ensure that the water available with such quality characteristics is put to best use. The effect of water quality upon soil and crops must be better understood in choosing fitting options to manage with impending water quality associated troubles that might decrease soil and crop productivity under existing circumstances of water use. Two tanks (small sized reservoirs) namely, Walajah Tank and Perumal Tank in Cuddalore District, used for irrigation, receive mine drainage water pumped out continuously from the open cast lignite mines of the NLC India Limited, Neyveli, Tamilnadu State. This water has been used by the farmers in the irrigated commands of both Walajah Tank and Perumal Tank for more than three decades. Recently, the beneficiaries had raised fears on the quality of mine drainage waters they had been using for raising crops in the commands of both the tanks. They opined that the coal dust laden mine water used for irrigation had affected the crop yields. This incited us to take up a study to (i) assess the status of quality of surface waters released from the two tanks for irrigation in the respective command areas and (ii) assess the likely impacts of quality of water on soil and on growth and productivity of crops cultivated in the command areas. Further to the technical evaluation of the impacts, a structured questionnaire survey was also conducted among the farmers and the common public in the study area. The findings of the survey confirmed with the outcome of the technical assessment in that the mine drainage had a poor impact in the cultivable command area of Walajah tank system while such impacts were less significant in most parts of the command area of Perumal tank system.