Abstract:
Studies of the basin water cycle management play different and important
roles in hydrological and hydrological investigations undertaken for estimating and
forecasting water resources. The ground water regime studies are auxiliary
important and serve as information on the inter-relation between surface and
ground water or between the water of different aquifers. The condition of natural
water recharge and conditions of ground water response under the influence of
natural and artificial factors.
Coastal areas represent zones where land and sea meet and comprises
variety of complex environments including deltas, estuaries, bays, marshes, dunes
and beaches. Coastal aquifers have boundaries in contact with seawater and are
always under dynamic equilibrium with it. Withdrawal of fresh ground water from
these aquifers may result in intrusion of saline water in coastal aquifers. Ground
water in coastal areas of Northwestern regions of Sri Lanka occurs under
unconfined to confined conditions in a wide range of unconsolidated and
consolidated formations. Coastal areas of the Puttalam town area are rapidly being
transformed into settlement areas. The poor water supply facilities have
encouraged people to have their own source of water digging shallow wells. But,
shallow groundwater in the Puttalam town area is identified as saline water.
Due to the over exploration for domestic and agricultural pumping in the
coastal confined and unconfined aquifers in the study area has resulted lowering
the groundwater levels as well as expect to increase the sea water intrusion. This
has been a cause of reduction in the ground water reserves as reflected in the
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lowered water table. It is always considered as a readily available and safe source
of water for domestic, agricultural and industrial use (Bear, J. (1979), Gavich, E.K,
Lysbewa, A.A, and A.A. Semionowa (1980). The objective of the present research
study is to evaluate the impact on seawater intrusion due to various groundwater
pumping scenarios in the Puttalam town area
