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This paper foregrounds the work of the labourer in infrastructural projects. It draws upon over 6 years of ethnographic study with road construction labourers in the upper Himalayas positioning them as subaltern subjects within discourses of national development. While the subaltern studies project of the 1980s emphasized the 'writing back into history' of the non-elite, primarily peasants, tribal populations and women who too contributed to the imagination of the nation; at the contemporary moment where infrastructure defines national development we need to revisit the subaltern project to draw attention to the forgotten labourers who literally construct the nation and its infrastructure. After arguing for recognition of the labour as intrinsic to infrastructural and national constructions, I discuss possibilities for a dialogic engagement with the subaltern. Pushing the debates within subaltern geographies on the politics of representation, I argue that perhaps the way forward is not about giving voice but about making space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report geomorphic signatures of neotectonic activity identified from the area around Nahan Salient along Himalayan Frontal Thrust (HFT), using remote sensing and field investigations. We document two newly discovered exposures of HFT fault zone and active fault traces along the mountain front at Khetpurali, Nahan Salient, NW Himalaya, India. We demonstrate that HFT fault zone at Khetpurali is not blind, instead it is exposed at the surface along with highly deformed, folded strata in the hanging wall and its geometry is quite variable with the possibility of along strike-segmentation. The geometry of fold and various deformational features preserved in the hanging wall indicate a process of fault-propagation-fold. This is in contrast to the previous observation of fault-bent-folding within the Nahan Salient. Two-three levels of river terraces are preserved and truncated in the hanging wall, along with the active fault scarps which are linked to uplift along HFT fault zone. The Khetpurali Anticline (KA), is a fault-propagating-fold formed due to displacement and shortening along HFT which dips 30° towards north and strike WNW-ESE. The uplift (U) along the KA is calculated to be ~73 m and accommodated 7.3% shortening of the original length, before the fault tip truncated the fold. Various deformational structures have been identified within the hanging wall around-tip damage zone of ~80 m perpendicular to HFT fault zone and in the core of KA. Northwest of Khetpurali, a south-facing hogback structure ~100 m high is formed due to erosion of forelimb of the anticline. At Khetpurali, tectonic control due to folding of strata and uplift of river terraces is evident as the Dudhgarh River forms V-shaped profile near the thrust, compared to the wide floodplain before and after crossing the HFT fault zone. Along strike segmentation of HFT and associated anticlines is observed as the surface trace of HFT is offset at Khetpurali, Trilokpur, and Sabilpur due to the strike-slip faults. The study reveals that HFT has been truncated by tear faults and has different subsurface geometries in study area which may have implication on seismic hazard in the Nahan Salient where three thrusts; Himalayan Frrontal Thrust (HFT), Nahan Thrust (NT) and Main Boundary Fault (MBF) are located at relatively shorter distance of ~6 km as compared to the surrounding recesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Army Marches on its Stomach". To provide nutritious, wholesome, safe and quality food to the large Indian Armed Forces, spread over various terrains, ranging from the icy Himalayas to the burning deserts of Rajasthan or the humid jungles of the North East and over various platforms like tanks, ships and aircraft is a challenge. The major issue in this is to procure and supply the food while ensuring that it is safe and retains its quality till it is cooked. This vital part of the supply chain viz from farm to the military cook house is the responsibility of the Army Service Corps (ASC) supported by the Army Medical Corps (AMC) and the Remount and Veterinary Corps (RVC). The Food Inspection Organization of the ASC lays down the best practices to be followed in terms of inspection, sampling, analysis, dispatch and issue of both fresh and processed edible foodstuff. The Armed Forces have their own network of Composite Food Laboratories for sampling and analysis of the food items. To ensure superior quality the Defence Food Specifications are much higher than legislated by the Food Standards and Safety Authority of India (FSSAI) for the general public. This paper highlights the best practices followed to ensure food safety and quality control in the Indian Armed Forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper traces the logic, goals and changed socio-ecological relations and water norms introduced by donor- and state- led drinking water supply schemes to small urbanising settlements across the lower Himalayas of India and Nepal. While urban development and water planning tend to boundarise needs and interventions to city limits and city- dwellers, we adopt a hydro-social lens to trace the impacts and consequences of infrastructure and water as both travel through the landscape. Investments into water supply introduce new scales, spatialities and visions for urban development that actively peripheralise rural needs and interests, and introduce new dependencies for infrastructural maintenance that stretch the institutional and governance capacity of towns, such as around energy, finance, and expertise. We find that water supply projects give rise to new power differentials and development trajectories between more- powerful, typically urban and down-stream communities, and rural, up- stream source regions. Projects bring new potentials but also disrupt old relations and customs around water, resulting in the emergence of conflicts within and beyond towns as water availability and access opportunities change. Application of a hydro-social and urban metabolism focus to Himalayan waterscapes makes visible the environmental and societal trade-offs associated with resource provisioning to urban development centres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, more than a billion rural dwellers live without electricity. Billions more endure awfully intermittent service even when connected to the grid. Most of these access challenged communities are in the Global South and may benefit from surging spread of distributed energy resources. However, associated investment necessity is large and so is the time required to address infrastructural bottlenecks. Recognising criticality of universal access to affordable, eco-friendly and reliable electricity in inclusive human development, the United Nations adopted 'affordable and clean energy' as one of the Sustainable Development Goals. To treasure electricity access, measurement of the same is important. The evolution of electricity access measurement has given rise to multi-tier, multi-parameter matrix. This improved measurement framework has facilitated researchers and policymakers in capturing various electricity access parameters in order to script focused energy strategy for the common man. This paper studies electricity availability, consumer aspiration and prevailing consumption in an impoverished, isolated, high-altitude valley, nestled in the Himalayas in India. It outlines evolving technology-aided, access measurement supported innovative access tier advancement opportunities in the valley. The result underscores the importance of consumer-focused approach for improving infrastructure utilisation. Consumer collaboration may result in fast, economical access advancement. Supply reliability may transform from abrupt complete disruption to gradual, cognisant decay. Such transition may encourage consumers to avoid costly, individual backup and instead use available resources sensibly. Embedding aspiration-supporting nudge in electricity regulation may promote co-operation, helping empowered consumers in scaling access tier affordably. • Electricity metering has advanced since comprehensive consumption reporting. • Metering advances can at present support inexpensive consumer Collaboration. • Collaborative consumption may help consumers scale access tier inexpensively. • Improved resource use may favourably impact affordability and consumer utility. • Participative consumption may promote equity, inclusivity and empowerment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Ganga Basin, one of the world''s most densely populated and vulnerable regions, is also among the world''s most dynamic hydrological systems. Rivers exiting the Himalaya deposit massive amounts of sediment in the plains and shift their courses regularly. The natural dynamics of this system have a direct impact on populations. On August 18th, 2008, for example, embankments on the Kosi River (a tributary to the Ganges), failed and the channel shifted by as much as 120km (Sinha, 2008 [1]) displacing over sixty thousand people in Nepal and three and a half million in India. Transport and power systems disrupted across large areas. The embankment failure was not caused by an extreme event. Instead the breach represented a failure of interlinked physical and institutional infrastructure systems in an area characterized by complex social, political, and environmental relationships. Projected climate changes in the Ganga Basin are likely to greatly exacerbate vulnerability (Adaptation Study Team, 2008 [2]). While the Kosi breach had nothing to do with climate change, such events will increase if climatic variability, sediment transport, and extreme events increase. Understanding how populations can respond to the dynamic nature of rivers such as the Kosi is, as a result, essential to develop strategies for adapting to climatic change. Understanding is also essential at the policy level for building adaptive capacity. The challenge is to identify policy frameworks and their relationship to interlinked physical and institutional infrastructure combinations that create environments enabling adaptation within households, communities, and regions. This paper explores the challenges and opportunities facing the development of adaptive policy frameworks in the Ganga Basin. The characteristics of frameworks that are adaptive in themselves and enable adaptation along with their relationship to different types of interlinked institutional and infrastructure systems are explored first. Following this, the case of the Kosi embankment along with the projected impacts of climate change across the Ganga Basin is used to identify the key challenges and opportunities that are common in many regions. The paper concludes with specific observations on the development of adaptive policy frameworks for responding to climate change in complex developing country contexts. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A vast amount of knowledge and experience on coping with climatic variability and extreme weather events exists within local communities, and indigenous coping strategies are important elements of successful adaptation plans. Traditional knowledge can help to provide efficient, appropriate and time-tested ways of responding to climate change especially in far-flung communities. However, little is known about how traditional coping strategies translate into adaptation to long-term changes, and to what degree they prevent pro-active, transformational responses to climate change. This paper assesses the use of climate related information for communities in the Himalayan foothills of rural India, and reports on the barriers to adaptation planning and actions. Surveys have been carried out to analyze the current practices and the role of information in planning for climate change adaptation in the rural areas of the Nainital region of India located in Western Himalaya. Respondents perceive the local climate change, the intensity of change, and the negative impacts on the community and landscape. Decreases in water quantity and changes in precipitation patterns are among the major concerns for respondents, however, communities have begun to use traditional knowledge and historical climate information for developing strategies suitable to cope with impacts of climate change. Going forward, additional information is needed to match the high priority community needs with viable adaptation strategies. Lack of money, lack of access to information, and lack of awareness or understanding are considered the three largest hurdles besides low priority for adaptation, recognized by community members as barriers to adaptation planning and actions. Adaptation plans must be integrated into both top-down and bottom-up approaches to plan for enabling sustainable development and the efficient use of information for adaptation. Finally, traditional knowledge seems to be useful not only in contrasting climate change impacts, but also in recovering several ecosystem services that work all together for enanching the quality of life of villagers at local scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kumaun region of India in the northwestern Himalaya experiences complex rainfall patterns, receiving precipitation both during the summer monsoon (June to September) as well as during winter months dominated by westerlies (October to March). In this paper, we present a multi-proxy palaeoclimate record spanning the last ∼1500 years from Tadag Taal, an intermontane lake in Kumaun, India. Our dataset (stable isotope ratios, grain size, trace element ratios) suggests the occurrence of four long-term precipitation cycles of high and low rainfall coinciding with the Dark Ages Cold Period (DACP, ∼475–850 CE), Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA ∼900–1300 CE), Little Ice Age (LIA, ∼1450–1800 CE) and Current Warm Period (CWP, ∼1850 CE to Present). We infer multi-decadal to centennial-scale shifts in the Indian summer monsoon co-varying with changes in El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) activity superimposed by changes in solar insolation. To correlate our time-series from the northwestern Himalaya with the Core Monsoon Zone and understand coherency in precipitation between the two regions, we applied the Wavelength Coherency Test. Our data suggest wet conditions during the early phase of the LIA (∼1450–1640 CE) and dry conditions in the later phase of the LIA from ∼1640–1800 CE. The wet conditions in the early LIA were perhaps driven by increased winter precipitation. This is in contrast to Central India that witnessed dry conditions during the entire duration of the LIA. This study thus suggests that monsoon strength was different during earlier and later phase of the LIA. Further, the LIA did not witness uniform climate variability through its duration as has been reported in some European and Chinese proxy records. • Study of proxy record from Tadag Taal lake, northwestern Himalaya since CE 475. • Both dry and wet events have been reported during the MCA and LIA. • The early part of LIA (∼1450–1640 CE) was wet and later LIA (∼1640–1800 CE) was dry. • During the MCA, C 3 -type vegetation was predominant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest fires due to pine needles in the northwestern Himalayas during summers are a very common phenomenon every year causing major harm to flora and fauna. They are a major contributor to climate change as forest fires destroy hectares of land covered by forest and emit greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. One possible solution to this problem is to generate energy from the bio residue of pine tree. This paper intends to identify, categorize and prioritize the major factors that hinders and are barriers to energy generation using pine needles in the state of Uttarakhand, India. This paper adopts a multi-criteria decision-making approach based on the technique of fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process. Sensitivity analysis is also used to test the robustness of this technique. The study finds that Legal and regulatory factors are the most critical and categorized as major influences of such renewable energy generation project, which includes government policy, project guidelines, financial support, technical support, and government clearances. The second barrier is economic which majorly includes cost factor associated with the development and sustenance of such energy generation projects. Technological and market related factors are next on the priority to energy generation using pine needles through limitations such as topography, hilly terrain, seasonal availability, supply chain, poor marketing. Human resource barriers stands at the fifth place and has less influence on such energy generation initiatives. This paper will help the policy makers to understand the priorities while solving energy generation issues to reduce forest fires and contribute to mitigate climate change. • To categorize the major factors negatively affecting energy generation using Pine needles. • To assess and prioritize these barriers. • To deliver managerial and practical implications for these barriers. • Legal and regulatory most critical barrier to pine needle based energy generation. • Lack of proper marketing has topmost global ranking as barrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dynamism of river bed morphology is continuous and an integrated process of mountain's natural outflow in Himalayan Foothill Rivers. In-stream seasonal sediment flux, bridge establishments, bridge scouring and railway-road construction have detrimental influence over the natural flow regime of the river thereby causing channel degradation in the piedmont zone of eastern Himalaya of India, specifically near the urban areas where river management strategies are very weak. Such extreme anthropogenic events have a distinctive influence in changing river bed morphology in the middle-lower part of river Chel in Darjeeling Himalayan piedmont zone of India. Huge sediment aggradation and transportation networks historically have affected River Chel and have caused channel avulsion which poses a serious threat to the physical and ecological environment of Chel. Aggradation and lifting of sediments from the river bed are fatal for the geomorphologic character of the river, though no studies have been undertaken yet, to analyse the situation quantitatively in this regard. This paper presents evidence that suggests the changing river bed morphology, the dynamic nature of the river, the poor health of the river which is principally the impact of the seasonal sediment flux and bridge construction and thus some methods of river restoration in the middle-lower part of the river have been explained. Agglomeration of sediment, flow bifurcation, the volume of seasonal water mass, bed elevation changes and scouring are a major dynamic disposition for change of river bed morphology. Point bar, sidebar, braided active channel, ripples, and rise in the bed elevation are rapid changes in upper to lower part of bridges that are examined in the present study. In the dry season (December to February), a huge amount of sediment lifting makes incommodious man-made holes and a number of emergent channels which principally control the formation of a new active channel in the next monsoon season. The avulsion of major intra-active channels and morphological changes of the river bed for the last 85 years have also been observed in this study. Unlabelled Image • This paper presents evidence that suggests that the changing river bed morphology, the dynamic nature of the river, the poor health of the river is principally the impact of the huge sediment aggradation and bridge construction and thus some methods of river restoration in the middle-lower part of river Chel. • Suspended sediment, aggradation and degradation, Scouring calculation for boulder agglomeration, Compare of satellite images and Topographical map for braided channel shifting are major methods for understanding of outcome results. • Agglomeration of sediment, flow bifurcation, volume of seasonal water mass, bed elevation change and scouring are major dynamic disposition for change of river bed morphology by bridge construction scouring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Water-fluxed melting leads to the development of amphibole + biotite migmatite. • Muscovite dehydration melting leads to formation of sillimanite-bearing migmatite. • Peak P–T conditions of 770–790 °C, 9.3–10.5 kbar for the amphibole + biotite migmatite. • Necking, hook, and stretching inclusions developed during isothermal decompression. • Selective leakage of the H 2 O phase from the H 2 O-CO 2 inclusions. Migmatites exposed within the North Himalayan Domes result from the reworking and partial melting of different structural levels of the Indian continental crust during a major Himalayan tectonic event. Although their petrologic investigation is potentially a powerful method to unravel the anatectic and tectono-thermal processes related to the Himalayan orogeny, petrological studies of the migmatites from North Himalayan Domes are virtually lacking. This paper presents the results of a petrological and fluid inclusion study in order to understand the partial melting processes, the P–T conditions of migmatitization, and the fluid evolution of the migmatites from one of the North Himalayan Domes, the Leo Pargil Dome, exposed in central Himalaya. Phase equilibria calculated in the MnO–Na 2 O–CaO–K 2 O–FeO–MgO–Al 2 O 3 –SiO 2 –TiO 2 –H 2 O (MnNCKFMASTH) system suggest peak P–T conditions of 770–790 °C, 9.3–10.5 kbar for the amphibole + biotite migmatite and of 780–820 °C, 9.3–9.8 kbar for the sillimanite-bearing migmatite, followed by an early nearly isothermal decompression. The formation of these migmatites was related to water-fluxed melting and muscovite dehydration melting. At peak metamorphic conditions, aqueous-carbonic (H 2 O-CO 2) fluids were present in the system. Subsequently, the H 2 O phase was preferentially leached out from the biphase aqueous-carbonic inclusions to form primary CO 2 inclusions and directly went into the anatectic melt during migmatization. The exhumation of LPD followed an early nearly isothermal decompression path and a later isochoric cooling driven by the Kaurik-Chango normal fault. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolution of the monsoonal climate in the Indian Himalayan region remains poorly understood due to the sparse coverage of paleoclimatic datasets. In the present paper, elemental concentrations and grain size parameters are measured for a radiocarbon-dated sediment core retrieved from Shilloi Lake (Nagaland, India) to understand climate variability over north-eastern India during the past two thousand years. The end-member modeling of grain-size distribution along with the elemental composition and ratios (Mg/Al, Sr/Al, Ti/Al) are used to identify changes in clastic input and authigenic carbonate precipitation as well as lake level changes. In addition, the REE distribution pattern and elemental ratios (U/Th, Europium anomaly – Eu*) are evaluated to understand provenance and redox conditions. We identify two main hydrological events: (i) wet conditions during ~1900 to ~1000 cal yrs. BP characterised by high clastic sediment input (as indicated by increased Mg, Al, Mg/Al) and dominant contribution of fine-grained sediments as represented by end member (EM) 1 in zone 1, and (ii) an increase in aridity as signified by decreasing detrital content and increased coarse-grained sediments (EM3) in zone 2 (~1000 cal yrs. BP to present). The regional comparison of paleoclimatic records from NE Himalaya and central India shows an opposing trend in precipitation patterns. However, a synthesis of hydrological proxy records from the tropical Pacific region does not point to an active role of ENSO in the study region. Comparative analysis of modern precipitation data and paleo-records shows that the opposing behaviour resembles an "active-break" pattern that produces an east-west precipitation dipole in central and northeast India. • Lacustrine record of last two millennia from northeast India (Shilloi Lake). • Geochemical and sedimentological data revealed weakening in precipitation since ~1900 cal yrs. BP. • Contrasting precipitation pattern in NEI as compared to central and peninsular India. • Possible role of active-break spell have been evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, daily modulating behaviors of Indian summer monsoon rainfall (ISMR) has been evaluated over eight important sub-zones of India viz Northwest India (NWI); Northcentral India (NCI); West Peninsular India (WPI); Eastern Peninsular India (EPI); Southern Peninsular India (SoPI); Central India (CI), Northeast India (NEI) and Western Ghat (WG) using latest SA-CORDEX simulated climate data during 1981–2015. The climate extreme indices, standardized precipitation index (SPI) and empirical orthogonal function (EOF) have been utilized to uncover substantial regional spatial patterns and temporal variability of monsoon precipitation over India and its sub regions to understand the regional modulation of these events based on duration, frequency and severity. The comprehensive assessment of ISMR modulated characteristics (intensity, spell, and frequency) were showing significant decreasing trend over NEI and NCI which can be leading factors for demarcating major hotspots for land degradation, effective management and adaptation towards water resources and hazards related to the flood/drought events. India has received flood events (1983, 1988, 1994, 2005, 2011, 2013) and drought event (1982, 1987, 2002, 2004 and 2009) during 1981–2015, which have been verified with SA-CORDEX RCMs (RegCM4.7, COSMO & REMO2015) using SPI. The first mode of EOF(IMD), explained 17% of the total SPI variability on the interannual scale, shows anomalous large positive values concentrated over the western peninsular region and extending towards central India as well as the NWI region of India. On the other hand, high anomalous negative values dominated over the NEI and eastern parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. Therefore, this study underscores the importance to uncover the prevalent dynamics and climate change variability on changing trend variability of the precipitation indices, drought and flood characteristics. As moderate to severe drought variability portrays a diversity over regional scale viz northwest India, north central India, eastern ghat of the southern peninsular region and northeast India while the occurrence of moderate to severe flood are dominated towards Himalaya region (26°N-35°N; 70°E-80°E), western peninsular region and western ghat. • Modulating behavior of regionalized daily ISMR shows a significant decreasing trend over northeast and north-central India. • Moderate to severe drought portrays significant variability over regional scale viz. NWI, NCI, eastern ghat of SPI and NEI. • Occurrence of moderate to severe flood events are more dominated in the Himalaya region, WPI and WGs. • Critically regionalized hotspots susceptible to drought and flood have been demarcated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Matiali fan is a coarse-grained, small alluvial fan in the eastern Himalayan foothills. It co-exists side by side with the large Tista megafan and other Quaternary fluvial deposits, and has been affected by a number of young thrust faults. It is generally believed that tectonics is the main control in the deposition of these proximal fan–terrace systems. In this paper, geomorphologic and sedimentologic study of the Matiali fan and associated river terraces are combined with five OSL dates from these deposits to understand the succession of events and the forcing mechanism that shaped the geomorphology in the study area during late Quaternary time. Two aggradational terraces (T1 and T2; T2 > T1) occur within the river valleys incised on the Matiali fan. Three E–W scarps cross the fan surface, and they represent the steeper limb of the asymmetric fault-propagation folds formed over blind thrusts. These folds have deformed the fan (T3) and T2 terrace sediments, but the youngest T1 terrace deposits have remained undeformed. Sedimentological studies indicate continuous gradation from the coarsening-upwards mass-flow megagravel in the proximal part to the traction transported finer sheetflood gravels in the distal part, implying a continuous sedimentation history across the fan, uninterrupted by any evidence of syn-depositional tectonic movement. Poorly consolidated sandy gravels of the terraces indicate deposition through braided fluvial processes during a later period of sediment aggradation that filled up the incised river valleys. Previously published 14 C dates indicate that deposition of the Matiali fan started around 34 ka coinciding with a period of the intensified Indian summer monsoon of MIS-3. It is suggested that the fan was abandoned and river valleys incised during the LGM between 24 and 18 ka when the discharge decreased substantially. Increased rainfall and sediment supply, with their inherent fluctuations, during wetter periods of MIS-2 and MIS-1 since 12 ka probably resulted in the aggradation of T2 and T1 as shown by our OSL dates. OSL dates from the top of deformed T2 and base of undeformed T1 indicate that the Chalsa fold formed between ~ 11 and ~ 6 ka. Succession of geomorphic and deformational events reconstructed from this study and available age data indicate that the Matiali fan and terrace aggradation coincides with periods of increased monsoonal precipitation, whereas tectonic movements along blind thrusts of Chalsa and Matiali took place later, deforming the fan and older terrace deposits. The evidence unequivocally indicates, contrary to the prevalent notion of tectonic control of geomorphic features in the proximal mountain-front setting, that the deposition of the fan–terrace system was primarily controlled by the fluctuation of the Asian summer monsoon rather than Himalayan tectonics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little statistical evidence exists on the effects of forest management regimes and wealth on forest access rates in South Asia. To determine the magnitude and significance of these effects, this paper analyzes a dataset of communities from Himachal Pradesh, India, with a fractional logit model. The investigation considers three specific forest management regimes including a regime under complete state control, traditional community regime and a co-management regime known as Joint Forest Management. Communities with higher incidence of land poverty have lower forest access rates for grazing and fodder extraction, whereas communities with a higher incidence of land-rich households have higher forest access rates for fodder extraction. Forest access rates for fuelwood collection are lower under traditional and co-management regimes. However, the interaction between land-poverty and co-management regime increases forest access rates for fodder collection and livestock grazing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper, we created predictive models for assessing the susceptibility to shallow translational rocksliding and debris sliding in the Darjeeling Himalayas (India) by empirically selecting and weighting spatial predictors of landslides. We demonstrate a two-stage methodology: (1) quantifying associations of individual spatial factors with landslides of different types using bivariate analysis to select predictors; and (2) pairwise comparisons of the quantified associations using an analytical hierarchy process to assign predictor weights. We integrate the weighted spatial predictors through multi-class index overlay to derive predictive models of landslide susceptibility. The resultant model for shallow translational landsliding based on selected and weighted predictors outperforms those based on all weighted predictors or selected and unweighted predictors. Therefore, spatial factors with negative associations with landslides and unweighted predictors are ineffective in predictive modeling of landslide susceptibility. We also applied logistic regression to model landslide susceptibility, but some of the selected predictors are less realistic than those from our methodology, and our methodology gives better prediction rates. Although previous predictive models of landslide susceptibility indicate that multivariate analyses are superior to bivariate analyses, we demonstrate the benefit of the proposed methodology including bivariate analyses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Biomass is one of the key energy sources in rural India and constitutes 75% of the total energy consumption. In the tough mountain terrain, the consumption pattern depends on the availability of the resources as well as socio-economic conditions of the people. The present study is conducted at Fakot micro-watershed in Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, India. The present paper explores the variations in fuelwood consumption pattern in the watershed level at different altitudes with respect to family size. In the present study, the fuelwood consumption in the watershed is in the range of 455–2388 gm/person/day. Absence of serial autocorrelation in the seasonal fuel consumption data is observed. Season specific models for fuel consumption are proposed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: This paper assesses degradation of forests managed by local communities (Van Panchayats (VPs)), relative to state protected and open access forests in the Indian state of Uttaranchal. It is based on ground-level ecological measures of forest quality (including canopy cover, biomass, lopping, and regeneration) in forest areas adjoining a random sample of villages, and controls for unobserved village heterogeneity, possible endogeneity of management regimes and cross-forest spillovers. Controlling for these factors, VP forests are found to be 20–30% less lopped, and similar on other dimensions. The lopping differences are greater the longer the forest has been under a VP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, the Fry analysis was applied to study the spatial patterns (in terms of trends) of rockslides; proportion analysis was applied to study the spatial associations between rockslides and slope aspects; and distance distribution analysis was applied to study the spatial associations of rockslides with different sets of faults/fractures based on trends. In a study area in the Darjeeling district (India), the results of applications of these spatial analytical techniques support a proposition of mutual fault/fracture and slope controls on rocksliding. In different parts of the study area, deep-seated rockslides are associated with (a) NE-trending faults/fractures and SSE-facing slopes, (b) NW-trending faults/fractures and ENE-facing slopes, and (c) NNE-trending faults/fractures and SE- or ENE-facing slopes; whereas shallow translational rockslides are associated with (a) NNE-trending faults/fractures and SE-, NW-, WNW- or WSW-facing slopes, (b) WNW-trending faults/fractures and SW-facing slopes, (c) NNW-trending faults/fractures and ESE- or SW-facing slopes, and (d) NW-trending faults/fractures with SW-facing slopes. Creating and integrating spatial evidence layers representing mutual fault/fracture and slope controls on rocksliding can be achieved satisfactorily via application of evidential belief functions. A predictive map of rockslide susceptibility derived by using slope aspects, slope inclinations and proximity to the faults/fractures that are spatially associated with rockslides is superior to that derives by using slope aspects, slope inclinations and proximity to all faults/fractures. The proposed analytical methods are suitable for first-pass regional-scale assessment of rockslide susceptibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Recognition and classification of landslides is a critical requirement in pre- and post-disaster hazard analysis. This has been primarily done through field mapping or manual image interpretation. However, image interpretation can also be done semi-automatically by creating a routine in object-based classification using the spectral, spatial and morphometric properties of landslides, and by incorporating expert knowledge. This is a difficult task since a fresh landslide has spectral properties that are nearly identical to those of other natural objects, such as river sand and rocky outcrops, and they also do not have unique shapes. This paper investigates the use of a combination of spectral, shape and contextual information to detect landslides. The algorithm is tested with a 5.8m multispectral data from Resourcesat-1 and a 10m digital terrain model generated from 2.5m Cartosat-1 imagery for an area in the rugged Himalayas in India. It uses objects derived from the segmentation of a multispectral image as classifying units for object-oriented analysis. Spectral information together with shape and morphometric characteristics was used initially to separate landslides from false positives. Objects recognised as landslides were subsequently classified based on material type and movement as debris slides, debris flows and rock slides, using adjacency and morphometric criteria. They were further classified for their failure mechanism using terrain curvature. The procedure was developed for a training catchment and then applied without further modification on an independent catchment. A total of five landslide types were detected by this method with 76.4% recognition and 69.1% classification accuracies. This method detects landslides relatively quickly, and hence has the potential to aid risk analysis, disaster management and decision making processes in the aftermath of an earthquake or an extreme rainfall event. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper reports a study of the Tista megafan in the foothills of Darjeeling Himalaya. Spread over parts of India and Bangladesh, the megafan is bounded by the Mahananda River to its west and the Tista River to the east. The Atrai and Karatoya Rivers flow through its axial part. The megafan covers an area of ~18,000km2. Near its apex the surface slope is ~0.19°, that declines to 0.01° near the toe. The east–west transverse profile of the megafan is broadly upward convex, with gently sloping (~0.01°) flanks. Maximum width and the length of the megafan are about 145km and 166km respectively. The highest point near the megafan apex is ~150m above the Brahmaputra alluvial plain. The Tista River flanking the megafan has an average annual discharge of 609m3/s with highest average monthly discharge exceeding 2000m3/s during monsoon. Most of the other channels currently traversing the megafan are plains-fed, and compared to Tista and Mahananda Rivers these channels have lesser discharge, higher sinuosity, and decreased widths. A radiating network of abandoned channel belts can be identified in satellite images of the megafan. Each of these major paleochannels is associated with numerous crevasse channels in the distal part of the megafan, forming an intricate network of radial drainage on the megafan surface. Three distinct depositional lobes can be recognised on the Tista megafan. Each of the lobes is identified by a set of ancient and modern radial drainage systems. The lobe boundaries are marked by discordance in drainage network of adjacent lobes. The relative ages of the lobes, as tentatively determined from the drainage discordances, indicate that the megafan first built up the eastern lobe (lobe 1), then shifted to the west to form lobe 2, and finally switched again eastward giving rise to the smallest lobe located close to the mountain front (lobe 3). Although broadly upward convex in cross profiles, subtle reflections of multiple lobes are apparent in some of the cross profiles. Study of the old maps published between 1794 and 1945 reveals that some of the present-day plains-fed rivers, like the Tangon, the Atrai and the Karatoya, were directly connected to the Himalayan catchment basins prior to the late eighteenth century. Archaeological excavations along the banks of these rivers appear to support this paleodrainage configuration. Eight facies and five facies associations were recognised in the uppermost megafan sediments. Facies associations suggest deposition from high-energy sandy streams in the proximal area and deposition from mixed load, sinuous streams and flanking marsh or lake in the distal part of the lobes. Paleocurrent data are consistent with a southwestward spreading paleochannel pattern recognised within the studied part of the megafan. Multiple lobes typify megafans ocurring in different parts of the globe. The existence of the mutiple accretionary lobes in Tista megafan, its radial drainage pattern, its concave-upward longitudinal and convex-upward transverse profile shape make it morphologically comparable with other high-gradient alluvial fans observed in nature and those produced in the laboratory. These morphological features denote the similarities between the small, high-gradient alluvial fans and large, low-gradient megafans, and that in turn may be indicative of the commoness in certain controlling factors between these two depositional systems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Mountain tourism in developing countries is becoming a growing environmental concern due to extreme seasonality, lack of suitable infrastructures and planning, and interference with fragile ecosystems and protected areas. This paper presents a study devoted to assess the adverse environmental impacts of tourism, and in particular of trekking-related activities, in Ladakh, Indian Himalaya. The proposed approach is based on the use of Geographical Information System (GIS) modeling and remote sensing imageries to cope with the lack of data that affect the region. First, stressors associated with trekking, and environmental receptors potentially affected were identified. Subsequently, a baseline study on stressors (trail use, waste dumping, camping, pack animal grazing and off-road driving) and receptors (soil, water, wildlife, vegetation) was conducted through field work, data collection, and data processing supported by GIS. Finally, impacts were modeled by considering the intensity of the stressors, and the vulnerability and the value of the receptors. The results were spatially aggregated into watershed units, and combined to generate composite impact maps. The study concluded that the most affected watersheds are located in the central and southeastern part of Ladakh, along some of the most visited trails and within the Hemis and the Tsokar Tsomoriri National parks. The main objective of the study was to understand patterns of tourism-induced environmental degradation, so as to support mitigation interventions, as well as the development of suitable tourism policies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The paper describes Late Quaternary pedosedimentary sequences of the alluvial fans from the Kangra basin of NW Himalayas for tectonic and paleoclimatic implications. In the proximal part of the Kangra basin three coalescing alluvial fans, namely Rait-Rihlu fans (~65 km2), Kangra fans (~200 km2), and Palampur fans (~170 km2) from west to east evolved due to reactivation of longitudinal and transverse faults and climatic changes during the Late Quaternary. The fans are characterised by subsidence of Rait-Rihlu fans, uplift of Kangra fans and tilting of Palampur fans. The thick (~90 m) pedosedimentary sequences exposed along the rivers characterise the dominant formative processes over the fans. The stream flow sediments dominate the Rait-Rihlu fans, whereas the debris flow sediments dominate the Kangra and Palampur fans. The fan sequences are also marked by the formation of strongly developed paleosols on loess (L1–L3 loess paleosols) and weakly developed paleosols on fluvial deposits in response to the tectonics and climate change in NW Himalayas. Formation of the loess in proximal and distal settings of the alluvial fans is related to the cool–dry climates during the advance of glaciers in the adjoining areas at 78 ka, 44 ka, 30 ka and 20 ka when climate was approaching towards the last glacial maxima. Field characters, micromorphology, grain size and clay minerals of these loessic deposits suggest strong pedogenesis of the loess during a warm–humid climate after the retreat of glaciers in the NW Himalayan region and are likely related to marine isotope stages (MIS4/5 in proximal and MIS2/3 in distal). The loess-paleosols show some degree of syndepositional pedogenesis in upper horizons and are accretionary in nature. Weakly expressed pedogenic features in fluvial and debris flow deposits suggest rapid sedimentation over unstable surfaces related to the reactivation of Main Boundary Thrust (MBT) and other regional faults. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents the detailed rainfall characteristics of 3 key areas located in the eastern monsoon India: the margin of Darjeeling Himalaya, the margin of Bhutanese Himalaya and the Cherrapunji region at the southern slope of Meghalaya Upland. All these areas are sensitive to changes but differ in annual rainfall totals (2000–4000 mm, 4000–6000 m and 6000–23,000 mm respectively) and in the frequency of extreme rainfalls. Therefore the response of geomorphic processes is different, also due to various human impact. In the Darjeeling Himalaya the thresholds may be passed 2–3 times in one century and the system may return to the former equilibrium. At the margin of western Bhutanese Himalaya in 1990s, the clustering of three events caused an acceleration in the transformation and formation of a new trend of evolution, especially in the piedmont zone. In the Cherrapunji of Meghalaya region in the natural conditions the effects of dozens of extreme rainfalls every year were checked by the dense vegetation cover. After deforestation and extensive land use the fertile soil was removed and either the exposed bedrock or armoured debris top layer protect the surface against degradation and facilitate only rapid overland flow. A new “sterile” system has been formed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Beas valley section in Himachal Pradesh is characterized by the presence of kyanite as the alumino-silicate phase and a small extent of Neogene quartzo-feldspathic intrusives. The present paper explores the reasons for the lack of extensive granite occurrences through a detailed petrologic study on samples of a drill core (200m, inclined 60° due ESE) close to Manali, the expected highest point in P¿T space in this section. The highest assemblage encountered is quartz+muscovite+biotite+garnet+plagioclase+kyanite±apatite±zircon±tourmaline±ilmenite±rutile. The chemical analyses of mineral grains were carried out on a CAMECA SX51 EPMA. The following two reactions that constrain the P¿T regime of the area have been established.Our result, P=8.25±1kbar, T=638±4°C, falls in a region between curves representing and of the fluid in Thompson [Trans. Royal Soc. Edinb. 87 (1996) 1] diagram. The P¿T estimate falls in the kyanite field and is very close to the mica dehydration-melting curve. The studies indicate that the core samples are a part of progressive metamorphic sequence. It implies that the absence of sillimanite and large scale melting is perhaps chance brought about by thrusting and erosion. The present section experienced single stage dehydration melting. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

MACE (Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment) is a Very High Energy (VHE) γ ray telescope, under installation at Hanle (32 ∘ 4 6 ′ 4 6 ′ ′ N, 78°58 ′ 3 5 ′ ′ E) in the Himalayan ranges of North India. It is a 21 m diameter dish and 25 m focal length Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope (IACT) located at an altitude of 4270 m, highest for any existing IACT. In this paper, we estimate 4 performance characteristics of the MACE telescope, namely the trigger rate, the integral flux sensitivity, the angular resolution and the energy resolution in the dynamic energy range of ∼ 30 GeV–10 TeV in the low zenith angle range (< 30°). We observe that the integral rate of the MACE telescope for the 4 closed clusters nearest neighbor (CCNN) trigger with single-channel photoelectron threshold of 9.0 photoelectrons is 1.03 kHz. The integral flux sensitivity of the telescope is expected to be 2.4 % with the threshold energy of 31 GeV. We employ the Random Forest method (RFM) and show that the MACE telescope is estimated to have an angular resolution, defined as the σ of a 2-dimensional Gaussian distribution, of ∼ 0. 21 ° in the energy range of 30.0–47.0 GeV. The angular resolution improves with increasing γ -ray energy and reaches to a value of ∼ 0. 06 ° in the energy range of 1.8 TeV–3 TeV. We also evaluate 68% containment radius (σ 0. 68) for the distribution of reconstructed arrival directions as an alternative estimate of angular resolution. We find σ 0. 68 to steadily improve from a value of 0.36°in the energy range of 30.0–47 GeV to a value of ∼ 0. 09 ° in the energy range of 1.8–3 TeV. We also reconstructed γ -ray energies using the regressive RFM and estimated the energy resolution, defined as the σ of the 1-D Gaussian fitted to distribution of fractional difference between the true and estimated energy, as a function of γ -ray energy. The MACE telescope is estimated to have energy resolution of ∼ 40 % in the energy range (30–47) GeV (close to the analysis energy threshold of the MACE telescope), which improves to ∼ 19. 8 % in the energy bin of 1.8–3 TeV. The bias in the corresponding energy ranges improves from ∼ 36 % to ∼ − 0. 2 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking Sino-Indian relations as a case-study, this paper examines a form of international relations that arises when emerging states share an inhabited borderland: "state-shadowing". Authority over people is crucial to effective sovereignty, yet international borderlands are often porous and heterogeneous. Borderlanders have the possibility to look across, observe and compare different state-making and nation-building projects. When neighboring states simultaneously seek to consolidate in such situations, physical closeness can become a contest to prove their superiority over the state next door—which constitutes an always discernible, readily available, and equally viable alternative political project—to local people. This fear of comparison is particularly high in post-colonial polities like China and India, struggling to transform into nations. The triangular relationship between states and non-state actors in borderland situations turns state-making and nation-building into emulative, mirroring, and competitive attempts at self-definition against the other polity. As China and India's Himalayan encounter in the 20th century attests, this fear of being compared can escalate into a destructive security dilemma. The concept of state-shadowing thus offers a framework to understand how proximity, mobility and governmentality structure the low politics between neighboring post-colonial states, and potentially contribute to conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Environmental radiation exists as a consequence of cosmic, terrestrial and man made sources. Terrestrial radiation are emitted from natural radionuclide present in varying amounts in all types of soils, rocks, air, water and other environmental materials; radon is emitted from the soil surface, although secondary contributors include the oceans, natural gas, geothermal fluids, volcanic gases, ventilation from caves and mines, and combustion of coal. Radon and thoron levels were measured in soil-gas, ground water and indoor air in Budhakedar area of Tehri Garhwal, India. Radon concentrations in soil and groundwater of the Budhakedar area were found to vary from to with an average value and to with mean value , respectively. Measurement of indoor radon, thoron and their daughter products were also measured in the houses of the same area for four different seasons (autumn, winter, summer and rainy) using LR–115 plastic track detectors. The detector is fixed in a twin chamber radon dosimeter, which can record the values of radon, thoron and their decay products separately. The film fixed in bare mode holder gives the concentrations of radon, thoron and their progeny while the films fixed inside the cup with filter and membrane modes give the concentrations of radon/thoron gases and of pure radon gas, respectively. Detailed analysis of the effects of seasonal variation on radon, thoron and their decay products inside the houses are reported in this paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]