Political

The study models the variations in water quality parameters of Yamuna river by means of stochastic approach using Central Water Commission’s monthly data for the period 1990-95 and makes projections for the year 1996. The results obtained for different water quality variables have been compared with the observed values and were found to be satisfactory. 

The study is based on investigations and collection of necessary information on the super cyclone in Orissa in October 1999. It examines cyclonic phenomenon in the country in general and Orissa in particular, and stresses the need for preparing a comprehensive plan for dealing with such disasters.

The study analyses the surface and groundwater quality of Ghataprabha representative basin during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. It looks at the primary impact of land use and cropping pattern on water quality using physico-chemical analysis, geo-chemical classification of groundwater samples and monitoring of groundwater quality.

Streeter-Phelp’s model is applied to understand the variation of dissolved oxygen along the course of the river from a point source. The study attempts to understand the impact of irrigation return-flow and use of pesticides, fertilizers & manures on surface and groundwater quality. The literature review offered indicates a dearth of studies on the subject for hard rock catchments and puts forward the need to do basin-wide as against area-wide studies.

The study discusses the hydrological aspects of rainwater harvesting in the Kandi belt in the foothill zone of Siwalik in Jammu region with the help of a case study on water availability in a pond in village Badhori (Samba district, Jammu). It describes the climate, soils, geology, geomorphology and drainage of the Kandi belt. It is marked with small watersheds having low denuded hills and undulating cultivated lands that need to be developed on a watershed basis through engineering and non-engineering measures of rainwater harvesting and soil conservation.

The study deals with the estimation of hydrological soil properties of the area of Lokapavani River in KR Sagar Command in Mandya district of Karnataka. The properties determined are soil texture, porosity, saturated hydraulic conductivity, specific gravity and soil moisture characteristics.

The disturbed and undisturbed soil samples from eighteen locations along different depths were collected and analyzed. Eighty-five disturbed soil samples were used to determine the grain size distribution, porosity, specific gravity and soil moisture characteristic curves with the help of electromagnetic sieve shaker, master sizer, GeoPyc and pressure plate apparatus. Twenty undisturbed soil samples were used to determine saturated hydraulic conductivity with ICW Permeameter.

The study conducts an extensive water quality survey in sixteen reaches of Kali river in western Uttar Pradesh to estimate the inflow of two major nutrients (nitrate and phosphate) from point and non-point sources. The study intends to validate the present model based on the principle of conservation of mass and reaction kinetics phenomenon.

Data was taken for one annual cycle on a monthly basis and criteria developed to compute the non point source load from nine sub-basins in various stretches of the river. The computed loads at each section obtained from the predictive equation have been compared with the values observed in the field. The performance of the developed equation has been evaluated using percentage error estimation and correlation statistics. Remote sensing and geographical information systems (GIS) have been used to develop correlation between basin characteristics and non-point source loads.

Often groundwater pumping is undertaken assuming the resource to be infinite. This myth has been shattered in the last few decades with increasing scarcity and deterioration in terms of quality as a consequence of over-exploitation and mismanagement of this resource to meet competing demands for drinking water and other needs in urban cities. However, managing groundwater is not an easy task.

In the recent past, Dr. Dipul Choudhury from Guwahati (Assam), managed to ensure rainwater harvesting arrangements in his newly constructed multistoried building at Tarun Nagar, Guwahati (Assam).

Small and big dams and big embankments were constructed in this region, without understanding the nature of the rivers which have always changed course or overshot their banks. Assuming however, that the river will not change course, the Government adopted a skewed development program - that of building embankments to contain the river.

The Renuka Dam Project proposed over the river Giri Ganga (a tributary of the Yamuna) located some 300km away from Delhi, is a joint project of the governments of Himachal Pradesh (HP) and Delhi, to be constructed by the Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) in Sirmaur district of HP.