The Use Of Environmental Isotopes And Chloride As Natural Tracers To Investigate The Effects Of Depressurisation Of A Coastal Aquifer For Lignite Mining,India

In order to mine lignite from the Neyveli opencast mines, about 200 km south of Madras, India, the Neyveli aquifer has been undergoing depressurisation continuously for almost three decades. To gain insight into the aquifer hydrodynamics, environmental-isotope and chloride measurements on selected groundwater samples were initiated two decades ago, and detailed studies were undertaken during 1985–91. This article demonstrates the effect of large-scale groundwater withdrawals on the hydrologic regime and the effects on environmental chloride and isotopic distributions. A feature common to both the radiocarbon and chloride data of 1991 is their marked variation in a small area between the recharge zone and the mine area where pumping is concentrated. Furthermore, an excellent correlation exists between the temporal increase in the apparent radiocarbon ages of groundwater sampled in 1991 and 1985 and the corresponding lowering of potentiometric levels. Isochlors based on 1991 and 1985 data also indicate a changed hydrologic regime. In certain areas, heavy withdrawals have resulted in increased groundwater salinity.