National Institute of Hydrology (NIH)

The report reviews compilation of information about arsenic pollution in groundwater experienced by many countries in the world and in particular the eight districts of West Bengal. The science of arsenic pollution and the state of art of arsenic removal have been discussed and some immediate remedial measures suggested.

The study deals with estimation of surface soil properties in Malaprabha command area. It can be broadly concluded that generalization of soil properties for an area is difficult since the soil and land use type varies drastically from one point to another in a short distance. It is only possible to have an average value for a particular type of soil. Also, it can be seen from the results that the percentage of silt-clay plays an important role in shaping the hydraulic properties of a soil.

The report presents a study of the Rakaskop tank, which caters to the drinking and domestic water purposes of the Belgaum city of Karnataka. In recent past, it has been observed that the amount of water stored during the monsoon season is not sufficient for domestic purposes in the city throughout the year. The study estimates the dependable yield of the tank and also the evaporation from the tank.

The report presents the study on the physio-chemical properties of soil for Basantar catchment in Jammu and Kashmir. Soil physio-chemical properties are basic inputs for any hydrological modeling and are important for efficient management of irrigated agriculture. The most important soil properties influencing irrigation are its infiltration characteristics and water holding capacity. Other soil properties such as soil texture, soil structure, capillary conductivity, soil profile conditions, and depth of water table are also given consideration in the management of irrigation water.

The report deals with the modeling of the Cochin estuary along Kerala coast using two- dimensional finite element model. The basic equations for modeling of any surface water problems are the three dimensional hydrodynamic equations arising from consideration of mass and momentum conservation. In vertically well mixed shallow water bodies, the horizontal components of flow quantities are normally much more significant than vertical components.

In this study, a two layered finite difference method has been generated for groundwater flow analysis of Ghataprabha sub-basin of Krishna river basin. The conceptual model has been calibrated for steady state conditions and validated for both steady state and transient conditions through USGS, 3D Finite Difference Code and MODFLOW. Various applications were tried out on the calibrated model, like River-Drain influencing the aquifer, reasons for waterlogging and drying out of wells and well design strategies.

In this report, groundwater quality scenarios of the worst affected region of Nargund-Navalgund area of Malaprabha command in Dharwar, Karnataka have been simulated through a three dimensional finite difference code SWIFT III. Mathematical modeling of the groundwater quality was done on a local rather than a larger regional scale.

In the present study, an attempt has been made to estimate the soil erosion rate in Malaprabha representative basin by using WEPP model and Universal Soil Loss Equation. Soil erosion and sedimentation are the two important natural processes, which need immediate attention from the scientific community. Two major types of erosion are geological erosion and erosion from human or animal activities.

In this study, an attempt has been made to study the characteristics of short interval rainfall data of the Punpun river basin lying in Bihar-Jharkhand, which has been identified as the representative basin for the NIH- Centre for Flood Management Studies, Patna. The estimation of flood peaks for small catchments is required for water resources planning, flood forecasting, design of various drainage systems, flood control and design of hydraulic structures.

The report deals with water conservation measures in the arid and semi arid area of the hard rock region viz Somadevarahalli watershed (Bijapur taluka) and Herehalla watershed (Hangund taluka) of the Bijapur district of Karnataka. Soil and water, the most valuable natural resources for farming, are not preserved in-situ and conserved for future use owing to the inadequacies and ineffectiveness of the existing structures and measures. In view of this, to assess the overall situation of water resources for the development and management of watersheds, the annual and monthly rainfall and its distribution over the study area, and the status of groundwater occurrence has been analyzed.