EFFECTS OF MUNICIPAL SEWAGE ON THE GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF CASUARINA EQUISETIFOLIA (FORST. & FORST.) ON SANDY SOIL OF EAST COAST AT KALPAKKAM (TAMIL NADU, INDIA)

Municipal sewage both untreated and treated, that pollutes the water bodies was used growing Casuarinas ( Casuarina equisetifolia Forst. & Forst.), an exotic bio-shield tree species on sandy soil at Kalpakkam on the East Coast of Indian peninsula; it may help in reducing aquatic pollution as well as in preventing the high tides like Tsunami. Significant increase in growth performance in plant-height, branches, root length and the biomass was recorded in the saplings irrigated with untreated municipal raw sewage (RS) and treated sewage (TS) compared to that irrigated with unpolluted potable water (PW) over a period of 13 months, October 2005 to October 2006. These growth parameters showed close relationship with the nutrient contents of municipal RS, TS and PW, the former being characterized by relatively higher pH, electrical conductivity ( µs/cm), total dissolved solids, total suspended solid, total hardness, chloride, sulphate, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, bicarbonates, total alkanity, nitrate, phosphate and carbonates (mg/l) compared to that of the TS and PW indicating profound influence of municipal sewage on the plant growth.