Agro Forest

[MilkandHoney]

I have an acre of black soil in Tuticorin, Tamilnadu, India. The surrounding is currently being used for fodders with saline water coming from the well/ borewell. I have invested this last year to develop this land with organic farming. Made a borewell and received 1" water from 74 feet, but I drilled till 450 feet in rocks and got the same water of 1", but the water is saline. The TDS is above 1000 and planning for RO plant for people to drink there only. Have topped the land with red soil and planted commercial trees for shade. My plan is to start integrating farming including small scale livestock like layer egg, free range chicken and pigeons to start with after the trees grows a bit 10-20 feet in height to give shades and breeze.

I am planning for permaculture through the rains that comes during November/December. There is a pond adjacent to my land, which is 300 metre away from my land. The local government are making housings there, but kept the pond and surrounded with mound. I am thinking to develop the pond for the benefit of all the places there who are farming to use the pond water effectively and not to let go the water. Is there any ways I can influence the local government to design the pond with tap the water to improve the ground water and also maintain the storage. Any ideas are much valued.

 

[ImLost]

What other plants/trees/shrubs etc grow in the area?

 

[MilkandHoney]

Conventional farmers there grown seasonal crops like lady fingers, seasame, pulses, sweet potato. Other than that, year long trees/ plants are fodder, coconut trees, banana tress (few farmers), cotton. It's black soil land.

 

[Rod Dumbreck]

What is the average rainfall?

 

[MilkandHoney]

Was trying to google and found this: http://www.tnenvis.nic.in/WriteReadData/UserFiles/file/31_THOOTHUKUDI_RAINFALL.pdf
It's around 570mm if I've to take the minimum.

 

[MilkandHoney]

Besides for live stock and people to make drinkable water, I am planning RO plant, but the engineers tested and requested to go for desalination plant for 2000 litre per day. This will give 1000 litre wastage of high concentrated TDS and hardness. Where can we dispose is a big question. The current water from borewell has a TDS above 6000 ppm. Hence the engineers suggested to not go for whole acre of watering as wastage cannot be disposed anywhere around as farmlands are around the place. Any ways to reuse the high concentrated TDS water like evaporation and making use of water?

The other suggestion given by them was to have another borewell drilled for less depth (75 to 100 ft) and check for water as drilling 450 feet can be cause for salty water.

I have a gut feeling if I go beyond 450 feet to 1000, there could be rock to crack out river streams of fresh water. Is there any scientific way to check the water beyond the drilled 450 feet?