Irrigation and Drainage Water Quality and Reuse

Drainage and Irrigation systems play a vital role to prevent groundwater from pollution in coal mines areas. Environmental pollution, specifically the body of water by effluent water comes from places obtaining sedimentary rocks which are called AMD (acid mine drainage), this is a major concern nowadays. The sulphur-bearing minerals get revealed to the atmosphere at the time of mining processing consequently producing excess acid amounts which comprise both immediate and prolonged insecure effects on the atmosphere.

Importance of irrigation and drainage system

Drainage and irrigation, artificial implementation of surface water respectively. Besides, some land needs irrigation and drainage processes beforehand; it has the potential to be utilised for the production of agriculture. Another land revenue generates either production growth operation. Although some land surely does not require either. However, practice might be applied for non-agricultural purposes to improve greens and climate. Such content is lesser to their implementation in agriculture.

Acid Mine Drainage and hazardous impacts on water quality

AMD (acid mine drainage) is usually a nonpoint source of water pollution. This drainage water contains acids that sewers from above-ground and underground coalfields and orefield. AMD affects water bodies( stream, river) ecosystems by boosting acid levels, draining oxygen, and discharging heavy metals namely aluminium, manganese, iron, and zinc. AMD occurs also at the time of mining activity or after the long deactivation of a mining operation. 

Furthermore, AMD enhances the acid level of a river by containing hydrogen ions. pH values can usually determine acidity. Although, pH measurement is not considered as an effective indicator of AMD presence due to it specifically recognizing the hydrogen ions concentration within the solution. In addition, if the river is highly mitigating, it might contain a high hydrogen ions concentration without revealing a modification within pH. Thereby, during the evaluation of water bodies for acid mine drainage pollution, the measurement of the stream’s alkalinity is essential because of dissolved carbonates additionally as determining pH. 

Non-conventional drainage systems: Vertical and Biodrainage

There are two non-conventional drainage systems mainly –Vertical drainage(using tube wells) and bio drainage. A Deep Well dewaters the ground from a deep level. The direction of out rushing through a deep well is upwards, whether downsizing is massive and the depression cone is evenly increased, a substantial part is present of vertical outflow in the ground. Thus, vertical drainage refers to drainage by deep wells. 

In contrast, bio drainage refers to whilst the transpiration capacity is reached initially by dewatering groundwater. Bio drainage includes low-cost measures, however, the disadvantage is some regions are needed for plant growth which is unavailable for crop harvesting and water quality should be good for plant growth. 

Effects of acid mine drainage on water quality with the example of India

The measurement of acid mine drainage water quality is one of the severe pollution problems that lead to affecting the freshwater and resources. Acid mine drainage is a developing concern in India in the management of water quality.  Acid Mine water contains severe effects on the natural environment. Acid mine drainage pollution disrupted the ecosystem of water inhabitants (fishes) and the elimination of aquatic ecosystems.

AMD( acid mine drainage) affected sites in India especially belong to the area of coalfields of Damodar valley along with the region of north-eastern orefield. The coal mine of Damodar valley comprises the coalfields of West Bokaro in Raniganj and Jharia in Jharkhand, located in West Bengal. Amongst the northeast coal mining, the Jaintia orefield in Meghalaya and the Makum coal mining in Assam are among the major polluted ones. Furthermore, a few weighty metals which are present usually in drainage water in the coalfield are Copper, Iron, Zinc, Lead, Manganese, Chromium, Arsenic, and Cadmium. The drainage water from the coal mining of Jaintia and Makum orefield observed such metal concentrations highly rather than other coalfield regions in India.

Conclusion

This content has discussed the effects of the key pollutant in mine water and the importance of drainage and irrigation water quality management. Inadequate drainage and poor quality irrigation water often lead to hazardous waterlogging and soil/water salinization, an increase in groundwater level, an increase of water-originated diseases, and many others. Besides, AMD could occur naturally, however anthropogenic operations such as mining, metal ores, and coals processing stimulate effectively on a major scope to the occurrence similarly. The results of this paper help to predict plant growth nature in AMD-affected calcareous soil