Salinity status of tsunami-affected soil and water resources of South Andaman, India.

Abstract

The 2004 tsunami has created havoc and excessive devastation in terms of human lives and loss of infrastructure in coastal areas of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and rendered the soil and water resources salt-affected. In order to assess the changes in the relevant soil characteristics, viz. pH, electrical conductivity, sodium adsorption ratio, soluble cations (Na + , Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ ) and anions (CO 2― 3 , HCO ― 3 , SO 2― 4 and Cl ― ), periodical soil and water sampling was done from selected soil series/locations of South Andaman. The results revealed that irrespective of soil series and water resources, the soluble salt concentration increased markedly post-tsunami (2005), making the soil highly saline/saline sodic. However, high rainfall during the subsequent years (3774 mm in 2005 and 3072 mm in 2006) has drastically reduced the salinity levels at these sites to almost close to the pre-tsunami levels. The results indicate the gradual recovery process of the salt-affected sites, which can be further augmented by adoption of appropriate location-specific engineering and agronomic management strategies.