Soil and Groundwater Pollution from Agricultural Activities

Today, environmental Pollution is a major concern all over the world. Indian is heading towards a freshwater crisis mainly due to improper management of water resources ad environmental degradation, which has led to a lack of access to safe water supply to millions of people. This freshwater crisis is already evident in many parts of India, varying in scale and intensity depending mainly on the time of the year. When sources of pollution are enumerated, agriculture is, with increasing frequency, listed as a major contributor. Agriculture activities can contribute to deterioration in soil and water quality through the release of several pollutants such as pesticides, animal manure, fertilizers, sediments (due to siltation), and other sources of organic and inorganic matter. Soil and water resources are two indispensable components of agriculture. Their conservation and management is fundamental to the enhancement of productivity in agriculture. Hence, in this Course. Soil and Groundwater Pollution from Agricultural Activities, we will introduce you to major agricultural activities in India and their impact on soil and groundwater. In addition to this, you will be introduced to various remedial measures. In Unit 1, you will learn the basic aspects of agricultural activities. Subsequently, we will introduce you to the soil properties, classification and processes in Unit 2, and in Unit 3 you will learn groundwater characteristics, movement and recharge aspects. This is followed by a discussion on soil and fertilizer and pesticide on soil and groundwater in Units 4 to 7. In the eighth and ninth Units, various sensors/devices used to monitor pollution in soil and groundwater with their remedial measures will be introduced. Finally, conservation and management of groundwater and soil are presented in the tenth Unit. The effective answer to the freshwater crisis is to integrate conservation and developmental activities –from water extraction to water management –at the local level; making communities aware and involving them fully is therefore critical for success. All this will ultimately pave the way for combing conservation of the ecosystems with the basic needs of people.