HYDROGEOLOGICAL REPORT FOR PADALUR (East) ROUGH STONE QUARRY

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HYDROGEOLOGICAL REPORT FOR PADALUR (East)

ROUGH STONE QUARRY

1. INTRODUCTION NAME OF THE APPLICANT WITH ADDRESS- Applicant Name : V. Ramaraj, Address : S/o. Venkatachalam, No. 1/66A, Reddiyar Street, Sanamangalam Post, Mannachanallur Taluk, Trichy District – 621104 State : Tamilnadu. DETAILS OF THE AREA- Land Classification : Patta Land Survey No : 34/1A, 34/2 & 34/3. Extent : 2.02.0Ha. Village : Padalur (East), Taluk : District : The Clients requires detailed information on Ground Water Occurrences at Proposed Project Site is rough stone quarry. The objective of the present study is to assess the availability of groundwater and comment on aspects of depth to potential aquifers, aquifer availability and type, possible yields and water quality. For this purpose all available hydrogeological information of the areas has been analyzed, and a geophysical survey was done. The investigations involved hydrogeological, geophysical field investigations and a detailed study in which the available relevant geological and hydrogeological data were collected, analyzed, collated and evaluated within the context of the Client's requirements. The data sources consulted were mainly:

a) Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) Data b) State & District Geological and Hydrogeological Reports and Maps. c) Technical reports of the area by various organizations.

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2. SCOPE OF THE WORKS – The scope of works includes:  Site visits to familiarize with the project areas. Identify any issues that might impact the Ground Water Scenario due to proposed mining activities.  To obtain, study and synthesize background information including the geology, hydrogeology and existing borehole data, for the purpose of improving the quality of assessment and preparing comprehensive hydrogeological reports,  To carry out hydrogeological evaluation and geophysical investigations in the selected sites in order to determine potential for groundwater at project site.  To prepare hydrogeological survey reports in conformity with the provisions of the rules and procedure outlined by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), by Assessment of water quality and potential infringement of National standards, Assessment of availability of groundwater and Impact of proposed activity on aquifer, water quality and other abstractors. 3. BACKGROUND INFORMATION Location The investigated site falls in the Toposheet No: 58-I/16 Latitude between11°06’58.29''N to 11°07’04.48''Nand Longitude between78°51’12.33''E to 78°51’16.82''Eon WGS datum-1984.

4. GEOLOGY Regional Geology of Perambalur District- The north and western part of the district is mainly covered (> 80 %) with Archaeanrocks and is mainly comprises of Hornblende Gneiss and Chaornockite and the eastern part iscovered with cretaceous sediments. The Sathyamangalam rocks are distributed alongthe east-west tract in central confined between Bhavani – Attur lineament in thenorth and Noyil – Cauvery lineament in the south (Subramanian and Selvan, 2001). Similarrocks are also known in the northwestern part of the state in . Theequivalents of Sakarsanahalli (Sargur) supracrustals are described in Dimbam– Tattakaraiareas ofKollegal – Krishnagiri terrain. Though the Sathyamangalam Group ofrocks are said to be exposed within the Bhavani gneiss in the E-W trending belt in centralTamil Nadu in parts of , Salem, Namakkal, Perambalur and Tiruchirapallidistricts.

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Peninsular Gneissic Complex– I A group of gneisses in the central part of Tamil Nadu show a roughly east-west trendand extend from Kerala in the west through parts of Coimbatore, Erode, Salem, Namakkal, Tiruchirapalli and Perambalur districts, to the east coast. The typical exposures of this gneissic group are seen around the Bhavani town and hence these gneisses have been named as ‘Bhavani Group’. The different constituents of Bhavani Group of gneisses are fissile and banded mica gneiss, quartzo-feldspathic gneiss, augen gneiss, hornblende gneiss, hornblende biotite gneiss, biotite gneiss, etc. They vary in composition and texture. Whilepart of them may represent ‘para’ and ‘ortho’ gneisses, part of them are their migmatiticequivalents. Who coined the termBhavani gneiss, considers that these gneisses are comparable to the Peninsular Gneisses of Karnataka and these may be linked geologically and geographically. Though the Bhavani gneisses have been equated with the peninsular gneisses ofKarnataka and kept stratigraphically in between the high-grade schists and greenstone belts,

167 some ambiguity still exists. The distribution of the Bhavanigneisses along and in proximity to prominent shear zones, their interrelationship with charnockite and the limited geochronological data available indicate that gneisses may, in part or full, represent the retrograded/ migmatised part of charnockite. Some of the workers who mapped the Kollimalaicharnockite and the gneisses in the Cauvery valley immediate to the south of Kollimalai and Pachchamalai have considered the gneisses younger to the charnockites. Mineral Wealth ofthe District- Perambalur District Minerals of Economic importances are mainly Gypsum,Kankar, varieties of black granites (Dimensional stones), rough stone (aggregates), limestone, fireclay and gravel/earth. Sedimentary Limestone: In Tiruchirapalli and Perambalur the non-crystalline limestone deposits occur over anarea of 400 sq km in Cretaceous and Paleocene sediments between River Coleroon in the south and Vellar in the north. All along the western contact with the Archaeans there are a number of small but scattered deposits of reefoidal limestone of Cretaceous age starting from Olaippadi in the north to Tirupattur in south, at Kallai, Paravay, Pudur, Andur, Maruvattur, Kalpadi, Varugapadi, Karai, Terani, Neykulam and Tirupattur. Along the southern boundary of the Cretaceous rocks reefoidal limestone and other clasticlimestones are found near Dalmiapuram in the villages of Pullambadi and Kallakudi. Further northeast of Dalmiapuram, limestone is found around Kilpaluvur in the Sillakkudi Formation of Ariyalur Group occurring in juxtaposition with the crystalline rocks of Archaean age. The limestone extends over a strike length of 6 km. with an outcrop width of 200 to 700 m. Potential reserves are likely to be above 6-8 million tonnes. Analyitcal data indicate CaO content of the order of 40- 45% and R2O3 content of 4-6%. Black granite: The basic dykes intruded in the Bhavani Group of rocks forms the major source forthe black granite resource in the district. The basic dykes are mainly Dolerite in composition and trendes along the NE-SW direction. Charnockite (Rough stone) The Chornockite is mainly bluish grey in colourfine to coarse grained and occasionally contains visible garnets at places. The Chornockiteforms small hillocks/mounts in the western part of the District. Gypsum

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The most important deposits of gypsum in Tamil Nadu occur in Perambalur and Lalguditaluks in the ‘bad land’ topography between Chittaliin the north and TappayandPeriakurukkaiin the south in an area of 56 sq. kmGypsumoccurs in the clays as disseminated crystals and in undulating layers. Geomorphology In general, the district has an undulating topography, characterized by low mounds andbroad valleys. Hill ranges belonging to occupy the northwestern part of the district, where the terrain is rugged. The ground elevation ranges from 100 to 1015 m amsl. The region slop is towards east. Denudational, structural and fluvial processes mainly control the geomorphic evolutionof the area. Mainly the varying resistance of geological formations to those processes has governed the evolution of various landforms. Various land forms occurring in the area such as structural hills, erosional plains, residual hills rolling uplands and pediments of different facies belonging to the denudational and structural land forms. Fluvial landforms caused by the activity of Cauvery, Marudayar and Vellar river systems, include younger flood plains, older flood plains and buried pediments. Rainfall and Climate The district receives the rainfall under the influence of both southwest and northeastmonsoon. There is a gradual decrease in precipitation from northeast to southwest over the district. The normal rainfall for the period (1901-70) ranges from 843.5 to 1123.3 mm. It is lowest in the Vembavur area and highest in the Jayankondan areas. Perambalur district enjoys a typical semi-arid climate with hot summers and moderatelycool winters. The hottest season is from March to May. During the period the maximum temperature often exceeds 40°C. The winter season is spread over two months viz. January and February and the nights are cool and pleasant. The district generally has a high humidity. The district experiences strong winds during the southwest monsoon season. The wind speed during June to August is more than 25 km/hr. Thereafter there is a gradual decrease in speed reaching the lowest value 7.7 km/hr.

5. GEOPHYSICAL INVESTIGATION METHODS A variety of methods are available to assist in the assessment of geological sub- surface conditions. The main emphasis of the fieldwork undertaken was to determine the thickness and composition of the sub-surface formations and to identify water-bearing

169 zones.This information was principally obtained in the field using, and vertical electrical soundings (VES). The VES probes the resistivity layering below the site of measurement. This method is described below. Resistivity Method Vertical electrical soundings (VES) were carried out to probe the condition of the sub- surface and to confirm the existence of deep groundwater. The VES investigates the resistivity layering below the site of measurement. Basic Principles The electrical properties of rocks in the upper part of the earth's crust are dependent upon the lithology, porosity, and the degree of pore space saturation and the salinity of the pore water. Saturated rocks have lower resistivity than unsaturated and dry rocks. The higher the porosity of the saturated rock, or the higher the salinity of the saturating fluids, the lower is the resistivity. The presence of clays and conductive minerals also reduces the resistivity of the rock. The resistivity of earth materials can be studied by measuring the electrical potential distribution produced at the earth's surface by an electric current that is passed through the earth. Current is moved through the subsurface from one current electrode to the other and the potential difference is recorded as the current passes. From this information, resistivity values of various layers are acquired and layer thickness can be identified. The apparent resistivity values determined are plotted as a log function versus the log of the spacing between the electrodes. These plotted curves identify thickness of layers. If there are multiple layers (more than 2), the acquired data is compared to a master curve to determine layer thickness. This method is least influenced by lateral in-homogeneities and capable of providing higher depth of investigation. The resistance R of a certain material is directly proportional to its length L and cross- sectional area A, expressed as: R = Rs * L/A (in Ohm) Where Rs is known as the specific resistivity (characteristic of the material and independent of its shape or size) With Ohm's Law, R = dV/I (Ohm) Where dV is the potential difference across the resistor and I is the electric current through the resistor. The specific resistivity may be determined by:

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Rs = (A/L) * (dV/I) (in Ohm m) Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) When carrying out a resistivity sounding, current is led into the ground by means of two electrodes. With two other electrodes, situated near the center of the array, the potential field generated by the current is measured. From the observations of the current strength and the potential difference, and taking into account the electrode separations, the ground resistivity can be determined. During a resistivity sounding, the separation between the electrodes is step-wise increased (known as a Schlumberger Array), thus causing the flow of current to penetrate greater depths. When plotting the observed resistivity values against depth on double logarithmic paper, a resistivity graph is formed, which depicts the variation of resistivity with depth. This graph can be interpreted with the aid of a computer, and the actual resistivity layering of the subsoil is obtained. The depths and resistivity values provide the hydro geologist with information on the geological layering and thus the occurrence of groundwater.

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Vertical electrical sounding data’s and Diagrams STATION-1 GPS Coordinates - 11°06'57.24"N 78°51'12.30"E Resistance Apparent Geometrical S.No Ab/2(m) Mn/2(m) Value in Resistance Factor (G) Ohms [R] in Ohms 1 2 1 4.71 28.46 134.05 2 4 1 23.55 9.46 222.78 3 6 1 54.95 4.56 250.57 4 8 1 98.91 2.90 286.84 5 10 1 155.45 2.20 341.99 6 10 5 23.55 16.56 389.99 7 15 5 62.80 6.88 432.06 8 20 5 117.75 4.08 480.42 9 30 5 274.75 1.92 527.52 10 40 5 494.55 1.16 573.68 11 50 5 777.15 0.86 668.35 12 60 5 1122.55 0.60 673.53 13 70 5 1530.75 0.50 765.38 14 80 5 2001.75 0.40 800.70 15 90 5 2535.55 0.33 836.73 16 100 5 3132.15 0.28 877.00

Vertical Eletrical Sounding - 1 2 1000.00 4 6 900.00

8 800.00 10 700.00 10 600.00 15 20 500.00 30 400.00 40 300.00 50 60 200.00 Resistivity Resistivity Values in Ohms 70 100.00 80 0.00 90 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 100 Depth in meters

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 Vertical electrical Sounding Graph indicates purple mark point is fracture zone.

STATION-2 GPS Coordinates - 11°06'55.81"N 78°51'10.98"E Resistance Apparent Geometrical S.No Ab/2(m) Mn/2(m) Value in Resistance Factor (G) Ohms [R] in Ohms 1 2 1 4.71 29.46 138.76 2 4 1 23.55 9.14 215.25 3 6 1 54.95 4.50 247.28 4 8 1 98.91 3.06 302.66 5 10 1 155.45 2.26 351.32 6 10 5 23.55 16.90 398.00 7 15 5 62.80 7.10 445.88 8 20 5 117.75 4.20 494.55 9 30 5 274.75 1.99 546.75 10 40 5 494.55 1.23 608.30 11 50 5 777.15 0.85 660.58 12 60 5 1122.55 0.64 718.43 13 70 5 1530.75 0.54 826.61 14 80 5 2001.75 0.42 840.74 15 90 5 2535.55 0.36 912.80 16 100 5 3132.15 0.30 930.25

Vertical Eletrical Sounding - 2 2 1000.00 4

900.00 6

800.00 8 10 700.00 10 600.00 15 500.00 20 30 400.00 40 300.00 50

200.00 60 Resistivity Values Resistivity in Ohms 100.00 70 80 0.00 90 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 100 Depth in meters

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 Vertical electrical Sounding Graph indicates purple mark point is fracture zone.

6.CONCLUSION– Based on the available information and the geophysical investigations it is concluded that the project area is considered to have medium groundwater potential. Productive aquifers are expected at depth of 75m to 80m where minor fractures are observed and shallow aquifers are expected above 60m-65m BGL. The ultimate pit limit as per the approved mining plan depth is 28m BGL which will have no impact on the Ground Water.

Dr. P. Thangaraju, M.Sc., Ph.D., Govt. Approved Hydro Geologist M/s. Geo Exploration and Mining Solutions, Regd. Office: No. 17, Advaitha Ashram Road, Alagapuram, Salem – 636 004, Tamil Nadu Mobile: +91 - 94433 56539 E-Mail: [email protected]

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