Modeling and control of saltwater intrusion in a coastal aquifer of Andhra Pradesh, India

The saltwater intrusion in a coastal aquifer is a highly complex and nonlinear process. The management of coastal aquifers requires careful planning of withdrawal strategies for control and remediation of saltwater intrusion. Prediction and control of future saltwater distribution in coastal aquifer may be possible by simulating the processes utilizing mathematical models. A finite element based flow and transport simulation model is implemented for a coastal aquifer in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The model is calibrated for two years of time period between July 2000 and July 2002, both in terms of hydraulic heads and salt concentration. The calibrated model is validated for next two years in terms of head and salt concentration with the available data for July 2002 and July 2004. The limited data availability in this study area may represent a typical real life situation. The calibrated and partially validated simulation model is used to evaluate the effectiveness of planned pumping strategies to locally control the saltwater intrusion in the study area. These limited evaluations show the potential for using a planned pumping strategy and therefore hydraulic control measures to affect the saltwater intrusion process. These simulations are also useful for evolving planned pumping strategies for control of saltwater intrusion in a coastal aquifer.