Ongole, July 27: Aqua culture and salt industries have turned soil saline in many parts of Prakasam district making large chunks of land unfit for cultivation. Salt cultivation is on in 7,867 acres in four mandals of the district and in the last one decade, aquaculture is also on the rise in nine mandals. Since aquaculture is profitable, several agricultural plots have been converted to ponds and this has had a pernicious effect on soil as well as groundwater in the area. Already, Prakasam district is wrestling with scarcity of potable water and there is no groundwater available up to around 500 feet in places such as Chimakurthi and Markapuram. The eastern part of Prakasam district which once provided groundwater in plenty has also become barren and geologists say that water can be accessed only if you dig up to 400 feet. Experts say that the accumulation of soluble salts of sodium, magnesium and calcium in soil has severely reduced its fertility. Afraid of further deterioration of land and groundwater, people of 12 villages are agitating against the decision to set up a salt factory at Chinnaganjam in an extent of 560 acres. Two persons, Mr R. Raghava Reddy and Mr K. Pulla Reddy, also died in the police firing that took place in the land on February 11, 2000, during an agitation. "If the salt factory comes up, our land will also be destroyed and we will not be able to get water either," said Mr G. Kannaiah, a villager of Chinnaganjam. Mr B. Kurma Rao, a fisherman of Ameen Nagar situated near the salt lands, said that villagers made use of a water purifying plant set up by an NGO for a while. "However, they shut it down as the expenses were too high," he added. "We are unable to get water now." "We are also unable to cultivate any as the lands have lost their energy," added Mr J. Srinu, a farmer of the village. "And the government does not do anything to help us." The people are agitating under the aegis of the Snow White Salts Vyathireka Porata Committee against the proposals to set up more salt factories. "Since the aquifer of the area lies below this land, manufacturing salt will also contaminate the groundwater," said Mr. Swami Reddy, convener of the committee. "The plan for the salt factory includes an eight-foot deep reservoir for sea water on about one-third of the land, while the rest of the land will be converted into salt pans." Mr Reddy added that this in effect would contaminate the groundwater in the entire stretch. Aqua culture is going on in around 2,850 hectares of the district covering 44 villages of Nagullappadu, Vetapalem, Kothapatnam, Chinnaganjam, Ongole, Tangutur, Singarayakonda, Gudlur and Ulavapadu. "More than 3,500 families of these nine mandals are eking out their living on aquaculture," said Mr B. Venkat Rao, assistant director of fisheries. Because of the contamination and depletion of groundwater, authorities are being forced to supply potable water through tankers to more than 330 villages in the district. "The state government should take stringent action to curb aquaculture and salt industries which are polluting the land," said Mr N. Prakash Rao, a social worker. "If this continues, then these lands will become entirely salty and cultivation of food grains and vegetables will end for ever," he added. Apart from this, salinity also damages infrastructure (roads, bricks, pipes and cables), causes sedimentation problems and soil erosion. "The government should implement clay protection programmes with the cooperation of social organisations and should also create awareness about the hazards of salinity," said Mr Rao.