Search

Unexpected and sudden spread of the novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has opened up many scopes for researchers in the fields of biotechnology, health care, educational sectors, agriculture, manufacturing, service sectors, marketing, finance, etc. Hence, the researchers are concerned to study, analyze and predict the impact of infection of COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many fields, particularly the stock markets in the financial sector. In this paper, we have proposed an econometric approach and stochastic approach to analyze the stochastic nature of stock price before and during a COVID-19-specific pandemic period. For our study, we considered the BSE SENSEX INDEX closing pricing data from the Bombay Stock Exchange for the period before and during COVID-19. We have applied the statistical tools, namely descriptive statistics for testing the normal distribution of data, unit root test for testing the stationarity, and GARCH and stochastic model for measuring the risk, also investigated drift and volatility (or diffusion) coefficients of the stock price SDE by using R Environment software and formulated the 95% confidence level bound with the help of 500 times simulations. Finally, the results have been obtained from these methods and simulations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slope instability problems due to widening of roads are very common in mountainous terrains particularly in Indian Himalayan region. Slope instability may occur due to action of different natural as well as anthropogenic activities or through combined action of both. The present paper deals with the slope stability assessment of natural and cut slopes along the Imphal–Moreh section of NH-39 in Manipur state, India. The factor of safety (FoS) for pre- and post-excavations is evaluated, and the FoS with the mitigation measures is examined using limit equilibrium and finite element method. Construction sequences are modeled, and the stability and deformation patterns are evaluated for each construction stage. It is found that about 78% of the slopes is having an angle more than 45° after cutting. The present study suggests that a FoS greater than 1.25 can be achieved by installing a 5.5 m anchor at 18° with the horizontal at a spacing of 1 m. Confirmatory field tests on the anchor are also conducted to ensure the accuracy of the adopted design parameters. This study provides useful informations to researchers and practitioner about the stability assessment of slopes and potential mitigative measures. Similar schemes of mitigative measures are effective for the same/similar geologic conditions in the Indian Himalayan terrain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2030 Agenda for sustainable development was launched to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the globe. This paper is based on the primary database to assess the nutritional status of 5–10 years children and the incidence of deprivation in their households of a backward district (Purulia), India in the context of the first two SDGs, e.g., no poverty and zero hunger. We conclude that around 74% of children are undernourished. The proportion of households multidimensionally deprived is 90%, and the majority of them live on less than $1.25 a day. Results reveal that the BMI of mother and the education of father are the two most statistically significant predictors of child malnutrition. Purulia has long been witnessing the persistent nature of deprivation, which is well reflected in the child's health. The district is quite far from the national targets in achieving the SDGs. Government, private sector, and civil society must come together to accelerate the progress of SDGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetlands provide numerous ecological and economic services to mankind. The soils of wetlands are one of the largest sinks of carbon (C) among the terrestrial ecosystems and can play an important role in offsetting the emission of C as a greenhouse gas (GHG) to the atmosphere. India is bestowed with enriched wetland ecosystems that support diverse and unique habitats. The potential of the wetlands in terms of C capture and sequestration has not been quantified. Therefore, in the present paper, an assessment of C capture from different sources and its ultimate deposition in soils leading to sequestration has been done in three different types of wetlands, one created sewage-fed and two natural floodplain oxbow lakes, in the West Bengal state of India. Multiple seasonal sampling of water, macrophytes, and soil was done to assess the primary productivity, dissolved C, and deposition of C in soils of the wetlands in comparison to reference upland sites. All these wetlands are productive ecosystems as indicated by the physicochemical parameters of water and soil. The quantity of C accumulated up to 0.3 m depth in the oxbow lakes was to the tune of 144–166 Mg/ha, which was 3.43–4.78 times higher than that in the corresponding reference upland sites. In the sewage-fed wetland, the C accumulation estimated as 50 Mg/ha was 1.27 times higher than its corresponding upland site. So, the wetland ecosystems, particularly the floodplains, are highly efficient in accumulating C in their soils and thus can somewhat negate the GHG emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The state of India was situated on fertile land and river deltas with appropriate agricultural land. In 2019, agricultural fields, primarily cropland, occupy more than 40% of the country's total surface area. Moreover, agricultural industry revenues less than 3% of the country's Gross Provincial Product (GPP). While manufacturing has become the country's major financial activity, accounting countries represent half of GPP's revenues. The objective of the study is to find a way to improve the financial profitability and efficiency of farming supply chain networks as follows: (1) Fixation of national-level targets for zonal-level groups information after assessment and forecasts that affect production and distribution of agriculture. (2) Producers risk can be reduced by directing people to multiple factory and industrialization options based on market assessment. (3) Insurance costs and reduction of bank borrowing by standardizing the connection between bankers and producers using the structure to centralise land information. (4), Stabilize the agricultural sector by looking at nearby potential destinations for production and regulation of the Public Distribution System (PDS) flow for the security stock. In this paper, the novel ML target prediction algorithm to inform the farmers about the market target product and improve the relationships between the farmer and bankers for centralizing the information about recent government plans. The crop prediction ML algorithm proposed to improve the revenue of agriculture field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mining and quarrying provide the basic raw materials for sustaining human well-being and are critical for achieving economic developments. At the same time, environmental degradation and its associated social impacts and inequalities have become a grave reality of mining sector that affects all nations, individually and/or collectively. Assessment of the environmental impacts arising from mining and quarrying is critical to limit the environmental problems within the barest minimum levels. Although many impact assessment studies are available on mining/quarrying of different major and minor minerals, not many studies exist on quarrying for laterite blocks which is being widespread in many of the fast developing tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world like India. Therefore, this paper evaluates the impact of laterite quarrying for construction blocks, in one of the twin river basins in SW India, the Netravati–Gurpur river basin, where the activity is widespread. The Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix (RIAM) method was used to evaluate the impacts of laterite quarrying as it allows a comprehensive analysis of the results based on the individual environmental score obtained for each component. RIAM is a valuable assessment tool, owing to its capability in quick, collective and reliable evaluation of the impacts that can aid decision making and minimization of environmental impacts, especially at early planning stages. Data pertaining to resource extraction, identification of impacting actions, mapping of mining hotspots, etc., were collected from primary and secondary sources through systematic field work and sample collection, questionnaire surveys within the local community and other stakeholders such as mine operators, labourers, officials of Government departments, etc. A total of 21 laterite quarries are located in the basin with a total production of 5.7 million laterite bricks/year (0.115 × 106 ty−1). The impact assessment study revealed that the activity not only disturbs the natural environment especially, hydrology, air quality and noise levels, ecology, land use and soil stability but has profound influence on the socio-economic factors of human health and immunity, displacement, etc., of the quarrying-hit areas. The activity also recorded both long-term and short-term positive impacts as a source of employment and income generation. Additionally, the activity favours groundwater replenishment and agriculture productivity of the area where appropriate mine closure measures were taken up. However, the positive impacts of the activity are far outweighed by the fact that most impacts of laterite quarrying are of class − C (moderate negative impact) and − D (significant negative impact) owing to the long-term socio-environmental and bio-ecological implications of the activity. Thus, it is imperative that there is significant improvement in policy and regulatory framework and its implementation for mining and quarrying of building materials which is vital for meeting future development requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal power generation is economical in the current scenario, but it is a water-intensive process, resulting in a high-water footprint. In this research, life cycle water use (LCWU) was assessed for three coal-based thermal power plant in India. The LCWU was found to be in the range of 2.5 to 3.5 L-kWh−1. The results of the LCWU of coal-based thermal power plants in India are higher than the global average of 1.75 L-kWh−1. In order to reduce the dependency on water, air-cooled condenser (ACC) with a novel approach of reducing temperature of air before entering into condenser is purposed using vapour absorption chillers. A 300 MW thermal power plant located in the South India region is chosen to illustrate the application of the proposed system. Initially, waste heat from flue gas is used to run a vapour absorption chiller, and finally a solar-assisted vapour compression chiller is used. Also, in order to utilize large coastal lines in India, an alternate approach of sea water cooling-based thermal power generation is investigated. A 2 MW steam turbine plant utilizing deep sea water is designed and analysed. In seawater cooling system the condenser temperature is reduced, increasing efficiency by 1.9% and power output by 133 kW. It resulted in power generation with multiple benefits, including cooling, desalinated water, and increased plant efficiency. The outcomes of this study provide information on water use in Indian thermal power plants along with its comparative assessment. A study of ACCs and seawater-cooled condensers is also an opportunity to reduce the life-cycle water use in thermal power plants in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world is facing immense pressure due to expanding discourse on resource security. The study is conducted in the water–energy–food (WEF) Nexus context to understand the inter-relatedness of the sectors for sustainable development, eliciting stakeholders' perspectives. Banda District lies in Bundelkhand region of India. It is drought-hit and lacks basic infrastructure and hence has been selected for this research. It is facing challenges stemming from WEF resources insecurity which has triggered mass migration, farmer suicide, unemployment, and indebtedness. In this exploratory research study, nineteen parameters are analyzed using multi-criteria decision analysis and weighted index method to calculate the Stakeholder opinion-based development index (SODI). GIS is used for spatial mapping to characterize the grassroots disparity highlighting the perspective and expectations of the 534 surveyed households. The SODI of Banda District is calculated to be 10.157, which lies in the average category. Most parameters (78.95 percent) fall below the average category, showing that the region is backward and the spatial mapping helps in identifying lacunae in the development of the District. The novelty of this research lies in using the analytical method to examine qualitative parameters that highlight stakeholders' perspectives and usage of unique methodology in formulating the index to study the region holistically for sustainable development. It is concluded with recommendations based on findings using a system-based approach. The modified structural approach of the Stakeholder Opinion-based Development Index and research methodology can be employed for profiling and analyzing the Districts of the same characteristics in and out of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a mountainous basin, flash-flood-induced soil erosion and its assessment are of major concern to the researchers. Cloudburst-induced extreme rainfall, undulating terrain, and inadequate water and soil conservation practices aggravate the problem of soil erosion. Alaknanda, a major basin of the upper Ganges in India, has experienced several incidents of flash floods. These have resulted in heavy soil loss, water siltation, and pollution in the basin. This study uses the revised universal soil-loss equation (RUSLE) in the GIS framework to assess the soil loss rate in various sub-basins of the Alaknanda. Further, the study suggests sub-basin prioritisation based on high soil erosion rate and past vulnerability that need attention of the decision-makers. RUSLE, an empirical soil erosion model, is easy to comprehend physically, involves minimum resources, and works on readily available inputs. The parameters used in the assessment include R-Rainfall Erosivity, Cover Management-C, Topographic-LS, Conservation Practice-P, and Soil Erodibility-K. The average R, K, LS, C & P factors for the Alaknanda basis are estimated as 437 MJ mm/ha/yr., 0.07 t ha h MJ-1 ha-1 mm-1, 1.4, 0.7, and 0.62, respectively. The mean annual soil erosion rate in the sub-basins varies from 6 to 27.9 t /ha/year with a mean rate of 13.4 t/ha/year and total erosion of 13.7 Mt/year. The results show that out of the twelve sub-basins, two (WS7 and WS5) fall in the high erosional class (18–30 t/ha/year), nine fall in the moderate erosional class (7–18 t /ha /year) and one basin in the low erosional class (1.0–7.0 t /ha/year). It is hoped that the present study will be helpful to the decision-makers while prioritising the actions to be taken for the water and soil conservation purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inland saline water (ISW)-based Penaeus vannamei aquaculture system is an emerging field of fisheries, which came as a magic capsule to boost the overall agri-cum-aquacultural economy of many countries including India. The standardized technology for ISW-based P. vannamei culture includes ameliorating the culture water with K+-ion supplementation and amending Ca++/Mg++ ratio to 1:2–3, so as to simulate the natural seawater (NSW) equivalence, and replicating the NSW-culture parameters in the ISW system. However, for sustained growth and enhanced profitability, there was a need for formulation of ISW-specific culture parameters. In view of this, the present study was undertaken wherein P. vannamei seeds (post-larvae 8) were experimentally reared in ISW ponds with three different stocking densities (30, 45 and 60 PL8/m2) for a period of 75 and 110 days across two culture seasons followed by evaluation of growth and economic performances. Our study revealed highest mean weight (21.21–28.10 g), specific growth rate (8.75–6.22%) and survival percentage (92.93–90.34%) and lowest feed-conversion ratio (1.14–1.21) in the 30/m2 stocking group over the two respective seasons. The lower stocking density group also displayed maximum economic viability, recording benefit–cost ratio of 2.01 and net profit of 2.73 USD/Kg at 110 days. Further, in terms of profit sensitivity it ensures comfortable margins at any uncertain inflationary/deflationary scenarios. Thus, it can be inferred that at 30/m2 stocking density, the ISW-based P. vannamei culture can become a financially viable and sustainable aqua-venture for aspirant farmers, which have the potential to transform salt-degraded wasteland into profit-making asset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy efficiency gains are advocated to be a plausible strategy to mitigate rising carbon emissions in the Indian transportation sector. This study, thus, estimates the energy efficiency across transportation modes in India for 2000–2014, employing the panel stochastic frontier approach. Further, the long-run effect of energy efficiency gains on carbon emissions is also examined by employing the panel fully modified least square (FMOLS) and panel dynamic ordinary least square (DOLS) estimators. The empirical findings indicate an inverted U-shaped trend in energy efficiency for land transportation and a substantial rise for air transportation with higher volatility. However, the trend in energy efficiency for water transportation only shows a minor uptick with nearly stable movement. The long-run effect reveals that a 1% increase in energy efficiency will reduce carbon emissions in the transportation sector by more than 1%, between 1.343 (FMOLS) and 1.665% (DOLS). Based on such findings, a few implications are discussed to achieve a low-carbon energy system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Indo-Ganga–Brahmaputra plain is one of the world's most vulnerable areas to catastrophic flood events. The severity and frequency of floods in this region have grown dramatically during the last few decades. As a result, an authentic map providing detailed spatial information on floods is required for reducing future flood disasters. This sort of map can be an invaluable tool for displaying flood-prone areas and determining the magnitude of flood risk. The Ramganga river (~ 200 km length) flowing in the western Gangetic plain was chosen for this investigation. This river is well known for its channel movement and flood hazards. The analytical hierarchy process model in GIS ambiance was used in this work to quantify and map flood risk in the lower Ramganga river basin. Six hazard-forming factors, namely relief, distance from active channel, slope, geomorphology, rainfall, and vegetation, and seven vulnerability factors, namely population density, household density, female density, road density, land use/land cover, female literacy, and total literacy, were chosen to determine flood risk zone (FRZ). According to the findings, about 35.29 per cent of the basin's total area is in a high to very high flood risk zone, where flooding occurs at one- to three-year recurring intervals. The flood risk map has been validated using ground truth data, and the Kappa index has been computed, indicating a high degree of accuracy for the FRZ thematic classes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the demographic, social and economic factors as key determinants of green toilet adoption among rural households in India. The Rural Impact Survey data of the World Bank have been used for this study, covering 2731 rural households from Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. The chi-square test and regression analysis with marginal estimate have been used to analyze the data. Result of the analysis indicates that about 36.2 percent surveyed rural households have reported access to green toilets having proper effluent discharge systems as per the environmental norms. Further, there is a significant association between the adoption of green toilets and demographic, social and economic characteristics of rural households. Finally, the regression analysis indicates that a number of demographic, social and economic factors i.e., age, education, income, social category, access to information, access to drinking water, and asset ownership have a significant marginal effect on the adoption of green toilets in rural India. Considering the importance of ensuring total sanitation and commitment under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations for eradicating open defecation for all by 2030 in the country, the results of the study provide useful policy directions for enhancing the adoption of green toilets among the rural households in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Irrigation, along with a high-yielding variety of seeds and chemical fertilizer, is a crucial component of contemporary agricultural technology for enhancing yield in a semi-arid agrarian region of Rarh Bengal. The investigation aims to determine the spatio-temporal disparity in irrigation intensity, the source-wise irrigation utilization index (IUI), and the cumulative annual exponential growth rate (CAEGR) of irrigation in the study region from 2009–2010 to 2017–2018 and also tries to find out the link between irrigation intensity (II) and source-wise irrigation utilization (IUI) using Karl Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient, linear regression analysis, and residual mapping through the Ordinary least squares method. Irrigation intensity is mostly concentrated in the eastern and south-eastern areas, as opposed to the dry, upland western and north-western districts. The district's net irrigated area has a significantly positive CAEGR (+ 3.34); however, at the block level, there is a downward tendency in both the river lift and other irrigated areas. The study also explores a considerable association between the source-wise IUI and II [F (5,16) = 25.341, p < 0.001]. Canal IUI, being the dominant source of surface irrigation, proved to be inevitable for the irrigational development of the entire study domain (B = 46.724, t = 7.383, p ≤ 0.001) and (B = 48.202, t = 6.850, p ≤ 0.001), which accounts 72.09% and 80.61% variation in II in both years. Finally, to maintain the sustainability of irrigation, effective management of water has become a concerning issue in this semi-arid region of Rarh Bengal. Therefore, the minor surface irrigation schemes along with the conservation of traditional irrigation and water harvesting systems as an alternative irrigation management approach are becoming increasingly important for future irrigation development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture-based livelihoods, dominant in rural areas of developing countries, have been facing the challenges to cope up with climate change and extreme climatic events. Therefore, livelihood analysis along with vulnerability to climate change is an important aspect to address the climate change issues. Present research was contemplated to assess the livelihood status of dominant farm livelihood groups and their vulnerability in both coastal and non-coastal ecosystems of Odisha, an Indian state that suffers from climate-induced natural disasters. It also aimed to delineate livelihood assets determining climatic vulnerability of farm households. Sustainable livelihood framework was followed in analysing differential level of physical, social, human, financial and natural assets covering a random sample of 200 farm households representing three dominant farm livelihood groups, viz. farmers cultivating crops, rearing livestock and farmers occupied with both crop + livestock farming. The farmers under study were the beneficiaries of national innovations in climate-resilient agriculture programme launched by Indian council of agricultural research since 2011. Both crop and livestock farmers belonged to similar level of livelihood with no significant differences. Farmers engaged in crop + livestock farming had overall livelihood status at above average level and social assets contributing highest to it. However, farmers engaged in crop + livestock farming significantly differed from both crop and livestock farmers with livelihood status index values of 51.73 and 62.72 in coastal and non-coastal districts, respectively. The livelihood indicators delineated as determinants of vulnerability of farm households to climate change would help in climate policy advocacy regarding institutional innovations. Climate smart technological and institutional innovations, partnership between the stakeholders and diversified livelihood options provide farm households better resilience to climate change as reflected from lower vulnerability index values in coastal regions. This calls for policy advocacy to designing and deploying climate smart socio-technical innovations bundling in terms of both technological and institutional innovations through good partnership to provide farm households diversified livelihood options and better insulation against the vulnerability to climate change in a specific agro-ecosystem. Government support in terms of financial assistance, subsidies, insurance, extension advisories and adequate institutional infrastructure would enable farmers to adopting climate smart agriculture innovations, building sustainable livelihoods and improving resilience to climate change impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming, threats to humankind as driven by the emissions of different greenhouse gases (GHGs) including carbon dioxide (CO2), is becoming a great concern to deal with the vagaries of climate. Plantation ecotypes with greater carbon(C) sink capability are leading among the potential abatement strategies for sequestration of terrestrial C. The present investigation emphasizes on total C stock and litter C status under 13 years old Swietenia macrophylla (Mahogany) pure plantation in Terai belt of West Bengal, India. Stratified tree technique was adopted to estimate the above ground biomass through non-destructive method whereas quadrate method of sampling was followed for estimating leaf litter. The present investigation showed that the total above ground biomass (AGB) of the plantation was 179.73 Mg ha−1 including 95.02 Mg ha−1 (52.83%) shared by stem and in other hand the branch contributed 55.37 Mg ha−1 (30.81%) and the remaining 29.34 Mg ha−1 (16.32%) by leaves. The below ground (root) biomass (BGB) was assessed to be 53.91 Mg ha−1. The biosphere part recorded C was 109.81 Mg ha−1, comprising the total C of AGB and BGB of 84.47 Mg ha−1 and 25.34 Mg ha−1, respectively. Soil C stock (at 0–60 cm) of 40.36 Mg ha−1 comprised 25.30 Mg ha−1 at 0–20 cm followed by 10.46 Mg ha−1 at 20–40 cm and 4.60 Mg ha−1 at 40–60 cm depth, respectively. The total litter production was 6.92 Mg ha−1 yr−1 in 2016–17 and 8.39 Mg ha−1 yr−1 in 2017–18, respectively. The amount of total C storage of plantation was observed to be 150.17 Mg ha−1, comprising 109.81 Mg ha−1 in biosphere and 40.36 Mg ha−1 in soil. The litter C stock of 3.48 Mg ha−1, was excluded from the ecosystem carbon budgeting (ECB), because it acts as a transitional between lithosphere and biosphere. Conclusively, the mahogany-based plantation is not only remunerative to the farmers but also provisions significant improvement in soil fertility along with C sequestration which deploys a crucial part in the sustainable maintenance of the ecosystem in addition to providing a guideline for ECB of the plantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Watersheds are vital dynamic natural systems with varying climatic, hydro-geologic and land-use and land-cover conditions. Hence, the resilience assessment of watersheds is a cumbersome task and imperative for natural resources managers. The study of watershed resilience necessitates a large amount of data, time and process-based modelling approaches. To address this problem, the study put forward a framework for the watershed resilience assessment based on the changes and the signal given by the watershed during the transition from one state to another. Streamflow is considered the key parameter for the assessment of watershed resilience, which is the response of watersheds to hydro-climatic conditions and anthropogenic activities inside the watershed boundary. The proposed framework is demonstrated with the help of watersheds of the Budhabalanga River basin in the Odisha state of India. The study revealed that the flow of the Budhabalanga River is highly influenced by the hydro-climatic conditions as well as land-use and land-cover, which has varied due to various anthropogenic activities. The upstream area of the river basin is found to be more resilient compared to other parts. Further, the streamflow at the three stations, namely Baripada, Manitri and Govindpur, in the Budhabalanga River basin shows potential for critical transition or even possible drift towards a lower resilience condition after 2013. The study illustrates the usefulness of the framework to study watershed resilience where time and availability of data are key issues for studying the resilience of watershed systems through an integrated hydro-climatological and ecosystem model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The livelihood of indigenous people, residing in the forest fringe area of developing countries like India, are primarily dependent on the forest. These forest fringe communities represent the country's poorest people and are the most vulnerable due to their high dependency on natural resources, lack of energy, unemployment, poor quality of life and poor socio-economic conditions. Additionally, climate change and lesser adaptive capacity have further exacerbated their struggle to meet their livelihoods. Thus, alleviating poverty, strengthening adaptive capacity to climate change and improving energy access are interlinked and complementary to each other, forming an energy–poverty–climate nexus. The study attempted to understand and analyse the nexus between poverty, energy access and climate vulnerability of the most impoverished villages of India. The study was conducted in 29 forest fringe villages, spread in Mandla and Hoshangabad districts of the state of Madhya Pradesh, India. The state has the distinction of having the highest forest cover and tribal population in the country. A detailed household survey was conducted to assess poverty, climate vulnerability and energy access of 325 households by using progress out of poverty index (PPI), climate change vulnerability index (CCVI) and energy access index (EAI), respectively. The data were collected through interview sessions with the respondents in the regional language. After computing scores of all indices, correlation, regression and chi-square were applied to test the integration of these three variables to understand the energy–poverty–climate nexus. The study found a nexus between energy access, poverty and climate vulnerability and also identified 14 indicators, which significantly influenced the nexus. These indicators were related to agriculture, energy, income and infrastructure, and education and awareness that together help to form an institutional framework for sustainable development. The framework suggests the formation of a block-level committee for monitoring and evaluation, a district-level committee for mobilizing funds, and a state-level inter-departmental committee for planning and implementation. Furthermore, the analysis on scores of different indices revealed that parameters like economic class, type of livelihood options/occupation and education level of a household may be the appropriate indicators for the selection of households to prioritize the target beneficiaries of programmes and policies related to poverty, energy and climate change in the forest fringe villages of India. Based on this, a site-specific framework was designed to act and prioritize programme implementation to achieve sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring public perception and attitude about environmental issues is essential to promote ecological sustainability. The ecological worldview, as tapped by New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) Scale, depicts an individual's sensitivity toward the environment and further informs their consumption behavior. There is a paucity of research exploring the ecological worldview of Indian consumer segments and their socio-demographic characteristics. In this study, an online cross-sectional survey was conducted on a sample of 1858 Indian adults, and ecological worldview was assessed using NEP Scale. A combination approach of clustering was employed to find consumer segments distinguishable in terms of ecological attitude following dimensional analysis of the NEP Scale using principal component analysis. Socio-demographic predictors of ecological worldview were identified using multiple linear regression. Indian adults endorsed a pro-ecological worldview with a mean NEP score of 3.45. NEP Scale tapped three dimensions of ecological worldview among the Indian sub-sample instead of five, which were "Environmental concern," "Humans over nature," and "Limits of earth." "Ecologically conscious," "Conscious anthropocentric," and "Ecologically sensitive" were three identified segments endorsing facets of ecological worldview to a varying degree. Education, occupation, religion, caste, number of children or adolescents in a family, family type, house location, and residential zone were significant predictors of pro-ecological worldview among Indian adults. Thus, the worldview of Indian adults was inspired by the New Ecological Paradigm. Environmental sustainability must be emphasized from earlier years of education with women in policymaking. Policy framework to promote environmental awareness and ecological sensitivity must consider the socio-demographic characteristics of various population segments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable ecosystem is of essence to the river for its survival and maintenance of ecological balance. Gomti river, a groundwater-fed tributary of the Holy Ganges, is the lifeline of the middle Indo-Gangetic Plains. Screening of river pollutants for river cleanup is a challenging task. To this end, 20 km Lucknow stretch of Gomti was sampled at 5 locations for physicochemical–bacteriological analysis. Collected samples were analyzed for pH, TA, turbidity, DO, BOD, TH, COD, TDS, fecal coliform, and E. coli. Analytical instruments AAS and GC-ECD were used for heavy metal and organochlorine pesticide analysis. DO was 3.2 ± 0.3 to 7.4 ± 0.4 (avg 5 ± 1.8) mg/l, BOD was 10.6 ± 0.5 to 41 ± 1.7 (avg 22.9 ± 13.3) mg/l, while COD was 26.6 ± 4.6 to 93.5 ± 4.6 (avg 56 ± 31.3) mg/l. WQI values gradually increased from S1 (56.7) to S5 (181.8) which denotes a significant deterioration of water quality downstream of the river. Cd, Mn, Fe, Pb, and Cr had increment of 64, 18, 12, 6, and 2 fold, respectively, as compared to individual BIS:10500 standards. Among the OCPs, concentrations were in the order: aldrin > pp-DDT > β-HCH > γ-HCH > α-endosulfan > pp-DDE > α-HCH. Statistically strong positive correlation (r > 0.95 at 0.01) was observed among physicochemical parameters. Furthermore, bacterial species Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. Achromogenes, Aeromonas salmonicida strain A527, Aeromonas encheleia strain NCTC12917, and Aeromonas salmonicida strain ATCC33658 were identified by 16S rRNA gene amplification and molecular phylogenetic analysis. The study indicated heavy contamination of the river with organic and inorganic pollutants owing to mixing of untreated sewage, industrial effluents, and associated toxicants along with pathogenic bacteria which are a barrier to the harmony of aquatic life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the recent era of globalization and climatic uncertainties, farmers are continuously adopting new strategies and crops to ensure substantial production and income. However, these adaptations always need to be based on systematic decisions; otherwise, the entire environment may degrade. The present study is one of such attempts to understand where to adopt an emerging crop (Maize) in lower Gangetic West Bengal. The decision on suitable sites was taken based on the analysis of fourteen important indicators in a GIS integrated fuzzy-MCE environment aided with different geostatistical interpolation models. The output shows that 18 and 30% of the total agricultural area of the study region is highly suitable and suitable for Maize cultivation following the FAO-based suitability classification arena. Spatially, it can be said that the farmers from a few blocks of the study area, namely Chanchal-I, II, Harishchandrapur I, II, Lalgola, Bamangola, Ratua-I, II, Suti, Burwan, etc., can ensure a sustainable profit by adopting Maize cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In India, ethanol is recognised as a fuel for its potential to provide environmental and energy security-related benefits to the country. So, an Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP) has been initiated by the Government of India to harvest the benefits of ethanol. However, India has consistently failed to achieve the blending target, which indicates the necessity to recognise the barriers and drivers of the programme. In this present study, an integrated methodology has been proposed based on a hybrid Delphi-PESTEL (political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal) and Fuzzy-AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) analysis to identify and prioritise the barriers and drivers associated with the Indian ethanol blending programme. 25 PESTEL indicators have been identified, quantified, and ranked according to the opinion of the experts using the Fuzzy-AHP analysis. Further, the sensitivity of the Fuzzy-AHP result has been checked. The study shows that "Insufficient infrastructure" is the most significant barrier for the EBP while "Energy security of the country" is the most crucial driver of the programme. The present study is expected to help policymakers achieve the ethanol blending target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]