Lok Sabha Question No. 2874 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-17
Subject: Salinisation of Coastal Regions in Kerala
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: Dr. M P Abdussamad Samadani

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2874

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, 17 TH  DECEMBER, 2025

## SALINISATION OF COASTAL REGIONS IN KERALA

## 2874. DR. M P ABDUSSAMAD SAMADANI:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken note of the increasing salinization of coastal regions in Kerala, especially Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Malappuram, Kozhikode, and Kasaragod arising from sea-level rise, tidal ingress, storm surges and changing coastal geomorphology and if so, the details thereof; and
- (b) whether  the  Indian  National  Centre  for  Ocean  Information  Services  (INCOIS), National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) or any allied institutions have conducted recent  studies  on  the  rate,  pattern  and  long-term projections  of  salinity  intrusion affecting  coastal  soil  and  groundwater  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the scientific assessment of its impact on agriculture, drinking-water security and coastal ecosystem?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

- (a) Yes Sir.  Ministry of Water Resources has examined the problem of land salination along  the  Indian  coast  including  Kerela  and  suggested  remedies.  Following  this, Central  Water  Commission  (CWC)  has  published  the  report  titled  'Problems  of Salination  of  Land  in Coastal  Areas  of  India  and  Suitable  Protection  Measures',  in 2017. The report can be accessed at https://cwc.gov.in/sites/default/files/Salinity\_Report\_Hydrology\_CWC.pdf. Kerala, with  a  coastline  of  about  560  km,  faces  seasonal  yet  significant  salinity  intrusion, particularly during periods of low rainfall, with saline water ingressing more than 30 km inland through several rivers. Low-lying coastal stretches, inland water bodies, and districts such as Kuttanad, Alappuzha district-where groundwater levels lie below mean sea level-are highly vulnerable, resulting in adverse impacts on drinking water supply, industrial water abstraction, freshwater fish habitats, and paddy cultivation in estuarine  and  lake-adjacent  regions.  Uncontrolled  sand  mining  and  dredging  have further aggravated the problem.

The district-wise area affected by salinity is given in the below table.

| District   |   Affected Area (sq km) |
|------------|-------------------------|
| Kasaragod  |                    30.5 |
| Kannur     |                    23.3 |

| District   |   Affected Area (sq km) |
|------------|-------------------------|
| Kozhikode  |                   40    |
| Malappuram |                   45.7  |
| Thrissur   |                  110    |
| Ernakulam  |                  687.51 |
| Kottayam   |                   80.62 |
| Alappuzha  |                  446    |
| Kollam     |                   29    |
| TOTAL      |                 1492.63 |

- (b) No Sir. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) has not undertaken studies on the rate, pattern and long-term projections of salinity intrusion affecting coastal soil and groundwater. However, National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS), Thiruvananthapuram, an autonomous body under Ministry of Earth Sciences has been carrying out systematic research on groundwater salinity and seawater intrusion along the Kerala coast over the past several years, with a major focus on understanding how coastal processes influence freshwater aquifers. Its studies have covered stretches such as Pozhiyoor-Kappil and other vulnerable coastal belts, where groundwater levels, electrical conductivity, TDS, salinity, and hydro-chemical signatures were monitored through repeated field surveys in both shallow and deep wells. The findings consistently show that wells closer to the shoreline and deeper aquifer zones exhibit elevated salinity due to seawater ingress, while site-specific variations reflect complex interactions between geology, recharge, and tidal influences. These studies collectively demonstrate how coastal processes, sealevel dynamics, subsurface lithology, and aquifer conditions contribute to groundwater salinity  changes,  and  they  provide  essential  baseline  information  for  assessing vulnerability and managing coastal groundwater resources in Kerala. As per the CWC report  'Problems  of  Salination  of  Land  in  Coastal  Areas  of  India  and  Suitable Protection Measures', in 2017, indicate that salinity intrusion in coastal areas adversely impacts agriculture, drinking-water security and coastal ecosystems. Salinity in rivers and shallow aquifers up to 30 km inland affects agricultural production, reducing crop growth and yields due to poor water and nutrient uptake, and can render farmlands unfit for  cultivation.  Intrusion  of  saline  water  into  groundwater  makes  drinking-water supplies  unreliable,  increasing  treatment  costs  and  causing  shortages  in  summer, particularly in low lying coastal regions. Coastal ecosystems, including wetlands and vegetation, also suffer from increased salinity, leading to reduced biodiversity, plant mortality, and dominance of salt tolerant species.

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