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Background: Numerous approaches have been adopted to evaluate limited freshwater resources and the associated health hazards due to excessive amounts of fluoride in drinking water. The study aims to assess the degree and severity of dental and skeletal fluorosis and examine the broader effects of fluorosis on human health and society in the Manbhum-Singhbhum Plateau region, India. Methods: The Community Fluorosis Index (CFI) and Dean's Index have been used to measure the magnitude and severity of dental and skeletal fluorosis. Questionnaire surveys, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and appropriate statistical methods have been applied to identify the social impacts. Risk-prone zones have been identified through overlay analysis using geoinformatics. Results: About 54.60% of people in 67 villages of this part of the Manbhum-Singhbhum Plateau are affected in varying degrees of fluorosis ranging from very mild to mild, moderate, and severe dental fluorosis. Among these 67 villages, Janra (Manbazar I) and Hijla (Barabazar) have the most severely affected people. School dropout (n = 426), social isolation (n = 149), remarriage (n = 21), and physically disabled (n = 75) have also been reported. The study shows that about 414.29 km2 of the Manbhum-Singhbhum Plateau comes under the high-risk-prone category. Conclusions: The societal and environmental awareness of the fluorosis-affected individuals is almost absent in this region. Economic hardships, lack of education, inadequate health care facilities, water scarcity, and lack of awareness increase the magnitude of health hazards and societal vulnerability of the people in this region, who are largely dependent on natural resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the intricate tapestry of food security, wild food species stand as pillars, nourishing millions in low-income communities, and reflecting the resilience and adaptability of human societies. Their significance extends beyond mere sustenance, intertwining with cultural traditions and local knowledge systems, underscoring the importance of preserving biodiversity and traditional practices for sustainable livelihoods. Methods: The present study, conducted between February 2022 and August 2023 along the Line of Control in India's Kashmir Valley, employed a rigorous data collection encompassing semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and specific field observations facilitated through a snowball sampling technique. Results and discussion: The comprehensive inventory includes 108 edible plant and fungal species from 48 taxonomic families, with Rosaceae (N = 11) standing out. Young and soft leaves (N = 60) are an important component of various culinary preparations, with vegetables (N = 65) being the main use, followed by fruits (N = 19). This use is seasonal, with collection peaks in March–April and June–August (N = 12). The study also highlights the importance of use value (UV), with Portulaca oleracea standing out as the plant taxon (UV = 0.61), while Asyneuma thomsoni has the lowest use value (UV = 0.15). Many species such as Senecio chrysanthemoides, Asperugo procumbens, Asyneuma thomsoni, and Potentilla nepalensis were classified as new for gastronomic use. Furthermore, the study underlines the great cultural importance of mushrooms such as Morchella esculenta and Geopora arenicola in influencing social hierarchies within the community. However, the transmission of traditional knowledge across generations is declining in the region. At the same time, the conservation of endangered plant species on the IUCN Red List, such as Trillium govanianum, Taxus wallichiana, Saussurea costus, and Podophyllum hexandrum, requires immediate attention. Conclusion: Conservation measures should be prioritized, and proactive remedial action is needed. Further research into the nutritional value of these edible species could pave the way for their commercial cultivation, which would mean potential economic growth for local communities, make an important contribution to food security in the area under study, and contribute to scientific progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floods are among India's most frequently occurring natural disasters, which disrupt all aspects of socio-economic well-being. A large population is affected by floods, which leave their footprints through human mortality, migration, and damage to agriculture and infrastructure, during almost every summer monsoon season in India. Despite the massive imprints of floods, sub-basin level flood risk assessment is still in its infancy and requires advancements. Using hydrological and hydrodynamic models, we reconstructed sub-basin level observed floods for the 1901–2020 period. Our modeling framework includes the influence of 51 major reservoirs that affect flow variability and flood inundation. Sub-basins in the Ganga and Brahmaputra river basins witnessed substantial flood inundation extent during the worst flood in the observational record. Major floods in the sub-basins of the Ganga and Brahmaputra occur during the late summer monsoon season (August–September). While the Beas, Brahmani, upper Satluj, upper Godavari, middle and lower Krishna, and Vashishti are among the sub-basins influenced by the presence of dams on downstream flood dynamics, the Beas, Brahmani, Ravi, and lower Satluj sub-basins are the most impacted by floods and the presence of dams. Bhagirathi, Gandak, Kosi, lower Brahmaputra, and Ghaghara are India's sub-basins with the highest flood risk. Our findings have implications for flood risk assessment and mitigation in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing water scarcity and the demand for sustainable agriculture, precise estimation of crop evapotranspiration (ET) is crucial for effective irrigation management, crop yield assessment, and equitable water distribution, particularly in semi-arid regions. In this study, a large aperture scintillometer (LAS) was used to validate the remote sensing-based ET model SETMI (Spatial Evapotranspiration Modeling Interface) in an irrigated maize-wheat cropping system in a semi-arid region at the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi. Results obtained by the SETMI model depicted modeled surface energy fluxes compared well with LAS field data, showing a very high R2 (0.83–0.95) and NRMSE (8–29%). The SETMI model performed better in the case of the maize crop than the wheat crop in field experiments. Further, the SETMI model was employed at the regional level using high-resolution Sentinel-2 to estimate the regional water productivity of wheat crops over a semi-arid region in India. The estimated regional, seasonal wheat actual ET mainly ranged between 101 mm and 325 mm. The regional wheat water productivity varied from 0.9 kg m−3 to 2.20 kg m−3. Our research reveals that the SETMI model can give reliable estimates of regional wheat water productivity by examining its spatial and temporal fluctuations and facilitating the creation of regional benchmark values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gully erosion is a formidable land degradation process globally. It is omnipresent across India, wherein two of the largest badlands regions in the world also exist. However, despite being affected by widespread gullying, gully erosion research in India has been rather limited, with key aspects of gully formation, morphologies and dynamics remaining unknown. Through this comprehensive systematic review, we synthesise previous studies on gully erosion in India and in turn highlight pivotal knowledge gaps. The review starts with a discussion of the causal factors of gullying in India, which underlines how gully initiation in several regions was an aftermath of deforestation and overgrazing. Contrastingly, the badlands of Central and Western India have mainly developed in response to natural triggers like neotectonics and Holocene climate change. The section on mapping highlights how mapping methodologies have not only been dictated by the availability of imagery and/or means of data processing, but also the mapping purpose—that is, individual gully channels or entire badlands. Although a few studies applying concepts of fractal geometry to characterise badlands' geomorphology are innovative and unique, the most striking research gaps we have identified also pertain to understanding and quantification of gully geomorphology and erosion dynamics in different regions of India. Our review reveals that gullies of peninsular India have been the least studied, followed by those of the Himalayan and Sub‐Himalayan region. Although the literature provides interesting examples of linkages between badlands development and the wider geomorphic evolution of the landscape, better chronological understanding is required to disentangle the relative importance of natural and anthropogenic drivers of landscape change in India's badlands. Large‐scale mapping of gully characteristics, quantification of gully morphologies, gully erosion rates and its share in catchment sediment budget across various physiographic regions or river basins of the country also constitute important areas for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remote sensing-based surface energy balance models are widely utilized for estimating actual evapotranspiration (ETa) over large spatial scales, providing crucial information for water resource management. These models rely on the surface energy balance algorithm to estimate ETa. The objective of this study was to obtain the spatial distribution of ETa, for wheat crop in rabi season (2019–20) using the EEFlux model for a minor irrigation canal command in Bhagwatipur distributary, Bihar, India, and compare it with the CROPWAT 8.0 model (Modified Penman–Monteith Model). The EEFlux model estimated daily ETa values of 1.15 mm/day, 2.4 mm/day, 4.9 mm/day, and 3.5 mm/day during the early, vegetative, maturity, and full maturity stages of the crop, respectively. The minimum and maximum ET a values were 0.96 and 1.30 mm/day, respectively, and the average was found to be 1.15 mm on 6th January. As January is a cold month and the crop was in the development stage, the evapotranspiration demand is low. The average ET a value increases from January 6th to March 26th, with the maximum value in March varying between 3.85 and 4.79 mm/day for the selected fields, which were in the maturity stages of the crop. Besides this, in April, the ET a values decreased. Furthermore, the coefficient of determination (R2) was found to be 0.79 between the two estimation methods indicating a close agreement. Nonetheless, the Mean Bias Error (MBE) and Root Mean Square Errors (RMSEs) were also found to be 0.60 and 0.86 mm/day, respectively. Therefore, it could be inferred from these results that the EEFlux model is a good estimator of ETa for the crop, which could be used for irrigation planning in the command area to enhance the irrigation efficiency and water productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluorosis, a debilitating disease, causes dental mottling and bone deformities among other adverse health effects. The current epidemiological study focused on the prevalence and risk factors of fluorosis in the fluoride endemic village, Dongargaon, Maharashtra, India. The clinical diagnosis of subjects showed 96.49% prevalence of dental fluorosis, and 63.16% prevalence of skeletal fluorosis. Duration of exposure, age of subjects and physiological symptoms like chronic joint pain were found to be significantly correlated with skeletal fluorosis (p < 0.05). Fluoride in drinking water showed seasonal variation with highest level in winter (6.54 mg/L) and lowest level in monsoon (0.54 mg/L). Consequently, the mean urinary fluoride concentration was also highest in winter (9.37 mg/L) and lowest in monsoon (3.88 mg/L). Multilogit regression analysis demonstrated that subjects excreting urinary fluoride above 4 mg/L had 7.25 times higher odds of developing skeletal fluorosis (p < 0.05). Health risk assessment showed a high value of hazard quotient, indicating a high probability of adverse health effects. The estimated daily ingestion of 8.80 mg F and a predicted bone uptake of 0.19 mg/kg/day raised significant health concerns for the studied population. Exposure and bone F uptake modeling suggested that the predicted mean fluoride concentrations of 4018.77 ± 1762.45 mg/kg bone ash in asymptomatic, and 5535.12 ± 1526.30 mg/kg bone ash in symptomatic subjects were significantly different (p < 0.05). The comprehensive risk evaluation in the study clearly brings out the high risk of fluoride exposure and adverse effects in Dongargaon village for the first time. Further, urinary fluoride was shown to have significant association with the risk of skeletal fluorosis. The study warrants implementation of immediate control measures at the study site., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of the Institute (Ref.No.Eth.Com./003/IEC/06/2022). Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethical responsibilities of authors: All authors have read, understood, and have complied as applicable with the statement on "Ethical responsibilities of Authors" as found in the Instructions for Authors., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Soil erosion caused by water refers to the removal of topsoil by rainfall and runoff. Proper selection of an assessment method is crucial for quantifying the spatial variance of soil erosion. The Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) and its revised version (RUSLE) are widely used for modelling soil erosion. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the USLE-based soil erosion modelling in different agroecological regions of India, identify potential issues, and provide suggestions for future applications. The review revealed that little attention has been given to estimate soil erosion in high-priority land degradation regions of India. Additionally, many studies failed to thoroughly verify the authenticity of stated soil loss rates in their research regions either by overestimating or underestimating at least one of the five soil loss parameters. Furthermore, flaws in the application of methods to calculate these parameters leading to erroneous values were identified and suggestions for improvement were made. The USLE-based soil erosion modelling is an effective tool for quantifying soil erosion risk, but researchers should put emphasis on thoroughly verifying the methodologies adopted, unit conversions, and data availability for the estimation of soil loss parameters to improve the accuracy of their final results. This paper provides valuable insights to assist researchers in implementing USLE-based erosion models in diverse agroecological regions in India and elsewhere. However, for effective soil conservation and sustainable agriculture, further research is necessary to develop efficient techniques for using USLE-based soil erosion modelling to achieve a comprehensive understanding of erosion risk across different agroecological regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive seasonal assessment of groundwater vulnerability was conducted in the weathered hard rock aquifer of the upper Swarnrekha watershed in Ranchi district, India. Lineament density (Ld) and land use/land cover (LULC) were integrated into the conventional DRASTIC and Pesticide DRASTIC (P-DRASTIC) models and were extensively compared with six modified models, viz. DRASTIC-Ld, DRASTIC-Lu, DRASTIC-LdLu, P-DRASTIC-Ld, P-DRASTIC-Lu, and P-DRASTIC-LdLu, to identify the most optimal model for vulnerability mapping in hard rock terrain of the region. Findings were geochemically validated using NO 3 - concentrations of 68 wells during pre-monsoon (Pre-M) and post-monsoon (Post-M) 2022. Irrespective of the applied model, groundwater vulnerability shows significant seasonal variation, with > 45% of the region classified as high to very high vulnerability in the pre-M, increasing to ̴67% in post-M season, highlighting the importance of seasonal vulnerability assessments. Agriculture and industries' dominant southern region showed higher vulnerability, followed by regions with high Ld and thin weathered zone. Incorporating Ld and LULC parameters into DRASTIC-LdLu and P-DRASTIC-LdLu models increases the 'Very High' vulnerability zones to 17.4% and 17.6% for pre-M and 29.4% and 27.9% for post-M, respectively. Similarly, 'High' vulnerable zones increase from 32.5% and 25% in pre-M to 33.8% and 35.3% in post-M for respective models. Model output comparisons suggest that modified DRASTIC-LdLu and P-DRASTIC-LdLu perform better, with accurate estimations of 83.8% and 89.7% for pre-M and post-M, respectively. However, results of geochemical validation suggest that among all the applied modified models, DRASTIC-LdLu performs best, with accurate estimations of 34.4% and 20.6% for pre-M and post-M, respectively., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Global environmental changes are likely to have a large impact on water resources across the developing countries. However, most of these countries suffer from acute shortage of local data. New high-resolution global products are available, which can be integrated with large-scale hydrological models. Most of these global products, however, are rarely evaluated in developing regions. We propose a thorough evaluation of five new global products in Mahanadi River basin in India. We employ the variable infiltration capacity (VIC) model over the basin and perform model experiments to directly evaluate the impacts of the specific combinations of local and global datasets. Results suggest that the reference experiment, which uses all local datasets, most closely represents the observed discharge. However, some of the global datasets could be used as a viable alternative to local observations in this river basin and potentially in nearby basins where there is a lack of observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates elevation change (dh) and geodetic mass budget of glaciers in the Jankar Chhu Watershed (JCW), Lahaul Himalaya, India, based on the difference in ASTER DEMs during 2002–2018. Glacier-wide spatially heterogeneous dh patterns were evaluated in the context of morphological and topographical settings. During 2002–2018, glaciers show a mean annual elevation change rate (dh/dt) of -0.38 ± 0.10 m a-1, resulting in a specific mass budget of -0.32 ± 0.09 m w.e.a-1, close to the previously reported estimates in western Himalaya. Nearly stagnant thick debris-covered tongue (>10% debris cover) characterized by melt hotspots exhibits maximum dh at up-glacier instead of the terminus. Debris-free glaciers (<10% debris cover) show maximum dh near the terminus. Spatially heterogeneous dh under varying debris cover is interpreted as an insulating effect of debris thickness as validated by field measurements. We suggest that elevation change of debris-covered glaciers cannot be generalized and glacier-wide spatially detailed mapping of dh is necessary to better understand the control of different surface morphology under warming climatic conditions in the western Himalayas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classification of water quality is a valuable method for reporting quality status of a water body that can help to control pollution in monitored sites. In this study water quality of rivulet Holy Kali Bein in the state of Punjab, India was analysed by using water quality index (WQI) and multivariate statistical analysis on the bases of measured water quality parameters from five sampling sites (K1-K5) during the period 2017–2018. Discriminant analysis (DA) and WQI were applied to examine spatiotemporal changes and to spot possible pollution sources. These changes in water quality parameters were analysed by using stepwise DA method. The first spatial discriminate function (DF1) accounted for 96.9%, second discriminate function (DF2) accounted 2.1%, DF3 accounted for 0.8% and DF4 accounted only 0.2% of the total spatial variance. Similarly, the first temporal DF1 accounted for 80.1% and DF2 accounted for 19.9% of total temporal variance. The water quality index (WQI) score showed good water quality at sites K1 (30.67), K2 (43.98) and K3 (51.25). The sites K4 (64.50) and K5 (62.89) showed poor water quality status. The present investigation represents the first of its type undertaken on the rivulet Holy Kali Bein and shows that the water quality of the rivulet is good at origin and when we move towards its confluence point at Harike wetland (Ramsar site) water quality becomes poor due to input of municipal wastes and agricultural activities discharge at the bank of the rivulet. This observation is supported by the calculated WQI for different sites. The work is original in nature based on the primary data collected by the authors personally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the two neighbouring Raj Bank and Kosa glaciers of the upper Dhauliganga catchment of Uttarakhand, central Himalaya, India, to assess their variability towards climate change. We performed the analysis of multiple satellite images for the period of 1962–2019 and field-based GNSS data obtained during 2018–2019. Length change, area change, debris cover area, and snowline altitude (SLA) were obtained using that. During the last 57 years (1962–2019), the Raj Bank and Kosa glaciers lost 2.43% (0.32 km2 or 0.006 km2 a−1) and 4.54% (0.45 km2 or 0.008 km2 a−1) area; and for the same time span, their frontal retreat was estimated 639.39 m (11.22 m a−1) and 206.71 m (3.69 m a−1), respectively. The study also depicts that from 1968 to 2019, the Raj Bank glacier shows a significant increase in the debris cover area of 4.41%, while in the Kosa glacier, it was 4.08% only. Between 1968 and 2017, the SLA of the Raj Bank and Kosa glaciers shifted on an average by 82 and 71 m upwards, respectively. Loss in glacial area, enhanced debris cover area, and shift in SLA are the indicators of ice volume loss under the present climatic scenario. Research highlights: Our findings show that both the neighbouring glaciers (Raj Bank and Kosa) not only losing their area and length, but also show an upshifts of the SLAs during the last 57 years (1962-2019). The debris cover areas of the glaciers are also increased during the study period. The retreat rate of the Raj Bank glacier was found higher compared to the Kosa glacier. During the above-mentioned study period, length wise a reduction of 6.2% and 1.8% was observed in the Raj bank and Kosa glaciers, while both the glaciers lost about 2.43% and 4.54% area respectively from 1962 to 2019. Besides global warming, we observed that the role of local topographical factors (i.e. altitude, size, slope, aspect and debris cover) have significant impact on glacial dynamics. The frontal retreat and area loss of both the glaciers suggest negative mass balance in response to the ongoing temperature rise. The observed heterogeneity in various glacier parameters of these two neighbouring glaciers is probably topographically induced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely known that land use/land cover (LULC) changes significantly alter watershed hydrology and sediment yields. The impact, especially on erosion and sedimentation, is likely to be exacerbated in regions dominated by high rainfall patterns such as monsoons. This study analyzed the hydrological responses of LULC changes in terms of streamflow (SF) and sediment yield (SY) in a monsoon-dominated tropical watershed, the Periyar River Watershed (PRW) in Kerala, India. This watershed drains an area of 4793 km2 characterized by an average monsoon rainfall of 2900 mm from June to November. The watershed hydrology and sediment dynamics were simulated using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model for the impact assessment at the watershed outlet and the sub-watershed level. Historical LULC data were analyzed for 1988, 1992, 2002, and 2016 using the maximum likelihood method, and future LULC changes were projected for 2030, 2050, 2075, and 2100 using the Markov chain–cellular automata technique. Between 1988 and 2016, the urban area increased by 4.13 percent, while plantation and forest coverage decreased by 1.5 percent. At this rate, by 2100, the urban area is expected to grow by 16.45% while plantations and forest area will shrink by 13.7% compared to 1988. The effects of these changes on SF and SY were found to be minimal at the watershed outlet; however, at the spatial scale of sub-watersheds, the changes varied up to 70% for surface runoff and 200% for SY. These findings highlight the potential impacts of LULC changes in a monsoon-dominated watershed and may contribute to the development of successful LULC-based watershed management strategies for prevention of flooding and sediment loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The climate trend is one of the most dominant factors likely to affect the structure and function of the wetlands of Keoladeo and Bhitarkanika. This study compares the climate conditions and trends of two Ramsar sites in India, the Bhitarkanika and Keoladeo wetlands. Forty-year climate data (1980-2020) were used to identify and measure the strength of possible climate change in these habitats. Mann-Kendall's test, Sen's slope estimates and Sequential Mann-Kendall's (SQMK) test were used to study the long-term and short-term trends of rainfall and climate of Bhitarkanika and Keoladeo. The results of this study matched those of earlier studies conducted at a larger geographical scale. The study indicated significant changes in the parameters of rainfall and temperature trends. A significant increase in annual rainfall (Sen's slope = 5.24E+00, New p value = 2.75E-02) was observed at Bhitarkanika, while the trend at Keoladeo was positive but insignificant. Both ecosystems are getting warmer. Seasonal changes were also identified in the rainfall and temperature. The summer temperature rise was comparatively stronger at Keoladeo (Tmax: Sen's slope=2.33E-02, New p value=2.45E-02; Tmin: Sen's slope=2.68E-02, New p value=1.39E-02). An increase in monsoon temperature was also recorded in both ecosystems. Both wetland ecosystems are vulnerable to climate change, but the Keoladeo wetland is at higher risk because stronger temperature changes have occurred in the past four decades. The SQMK test also suggests a more erratic climate in the Keoladeo wetlands. The study highlights the comparative changes occurring in both ecosystems. This is the first study identifying both long-term and short-term changes in these wetlands at a smaller geographical scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analytical data of fluoride concentration in groundwater collected from various geological formations in Gujarat, India, have been studied to assess their spatial distribution characteristics and related potential chronic health risks. Decadal analysis of groundwater was attempted for precise quantification and a realistic ground representation of fluoride concentration in the entire state. This exercise involved collection of 6407 samples over a period of 10 years (2009–2018), from 641 representative locations, distributed evenly throughout the state (6407 = 641 locations × 10 years). The analytical results indicate that 19% of the sample locations have fluoride concentration higher than the permissible limit and 42% of the locations have fluoride concentration much below the desirable limit, thereby exposing children to a higher risk of associated dental morbidities. Monte Carlo simulation integrated with sensitivity and uncertainty analysis was applied for an accurate and realistic assessment of the non-carcinogenic health risk. Model results indicated that groundwater fluoride exposure through consumption is way higher than the exposure due to dermal absorption pathway. It is inferred that 94 locations (15%) have total hazard index greater than the unity value for all population groups, thereby increasing the vulnerability of the local populace to dental and skeletal fluorosis. Total hazard index in 210 locations (36%) and 188 locations (29%) are beyond the permissible limit for the population comprising infants and children. Populaces living in these locations are susceptible to health hazards that stems from high fluoride concentration. Children and infants are at greater risk due to groundwater fluoride toxicity when compared to the adult populace. The order of the geographic stratification of vulnerability is Mainland regions > Saurashtra region > Kachchh region. Ingestion rate and fluoride concentration are the sensitive parameters with high impact and residents of these vulnerable locations should be advised to abstain from direct intake of groundwater and resort to defluoridised groundwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intra-basin variations in sediment supply provide clues for understanding the erosion process and the role of local topographic features and climatic factors. Hence in this study, Bharathapuzha (BP) basin from tectonically quiescent Western Ghats (WG) was selected to examine the role of topography and climate on the sediment erosion process across its sub-basins. Multi-years daily water discharge and sediment load data of five monitoring stations were combined with morphometric parameters to visualize the local variability in sediment erosion rates. The average annual water discharge and sediment load of the BP basin to the Arabian Sea are 4.71 km3 and 0.37×106 tons. Interestingly, Kunthipuzha (KP) sub-basin, despite covering 17% of the total basin area, contributes around 41% and 27% of water discharge and sediment flux, respectively. The sediment yield (erosion rate) from the KP sub-basin is ten times higher than the same sized sub-basin within the BP catchment. For comprehending the role of topography and climate on these local variations, geomorphic indices such as Hypsometric integral (HI) and stream length (SL) index were calculated for the BP basin and sub-basins. Further, multiple regression was used to explore the quantitative relationships among the influencing factors. Results suggest that the rainfall and topography critically influenced basin erosion and explained 93% of the total variance. This study demonstrates the importance of intra-basin scale processes even for small mountainous rivers and signifies the role of local variations in topography and climate in erosion and material transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earth observation data provides an exceptional opportunity to study the temporal dynamics of large rivers. The availability of spatially continuous, synoptic and temporally repetitive satellite data allows the reconstruction of historical dynamics of large rivers along with the identification of the causal factors. An absolute paucity of information on the effect of hydrogeomorphic processes on the dynamics of the Upper Ganga River (UGR), especially upon its entry in the plains, motivated this research. This study aims to analyse morphological changes in the river channel, map temporal changes in the land use/land cover (LULC) within the riverscape and thereby understand the landscape dynamics in the UGR (Haridwar to Narora) during 1993–2017 by means of earth observation data. The analysis showed that the river remains straight with a sinuosity index of < 1; however, the braiding increased considerably (from 3.79 to 4.53). Erosion being more prominent on the left bank in comparison to the right bank with 85.89 km2 eroded on the left bank in comparison to 59.21 km2 eroded along the right bank. Riverine landscape has been observed to have a higher rate of accretion in comparison to erosion (8.09 km2 yr−1 and 6.04 km2 yr−1, respectively). Morphological change has brought a transition in the land use patterns with marked variation in vegetation and agriculture along with built-up. Significant changes in the composition of the LULC are largely due to the manifold increase in the agriculture extent (≈ 12 times), built-up (5 times) and the decrease in vegetation cover from 43.9% in 1993 to just 10.94% in 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbes in groundwater play a key role in determining the drinking water quality of the water. The study aims to interpret the sources of microbes in groundwater and its relationship to geochemistry. The study was carried out by collecting groundwater samples and analyzed to obtain various cations and anions, where HCO3−, Cl− and NO3− found to be higher than permissible limits in few samples. Microbial analysis, like total coliform (TC), total viable counts (TVC), fecal coliforms (FC), Vibrio cholera (V. cholerae) and total Streptococci (T. streptococci) were analyzed, and the observations reveal that most of the samples were found to be above the permissible limits adopted by EU, BIS, WHO and USEPA standards. Correlation analysis shows good correlation between Mg2+–HCO3−, K+–NO3−, TVC- V. cholerae and T. streptococci-FC. Major ions like Mg+, K+, NO3, Ca2+ and PO4 along with TS and FC were identified to control the geochemical and microbial activities in the region. The magnesium hardness in the groundwater is inferred to influence the TVC and V. cholerae. The mixing of effluents from different sources reflected the association of Cl with TC. Population of microbes T. streptococci and FC was mainly associated with Ca and Cl content in groundwater, depicting the role of electron acceptors and donors. The sources of the microbial population were observed with respect to the land use pattern and the spatial distribution of hydrogeochemical factors in the region. The study inferred that highest microbial activity in the observed in the residential areas, cultivated regions and around the landfill sites due to the leaching of sewage water and fertilizers runoff into groundwater. The concentrations of ions and microbes were found to be above the permissible limits of drinking water quality standards. This may lead to the deterioration in the health of particular coastal region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to interpret management student's motivation to adopt m-learning and assesses the determinates impacting the behavioral intent of m-learning adoption. A comprehensive research archetype is proposed by integrating two prominent theoretical models, namely UTAUT and UGT. The research model is tested using multi-analytic structural equation modeling (SEM) and advanced neural network (ANN) approach. The quantitative data was gathered and measured from 220 management students. The study outcomes reported that affective need, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions positively impacted the student's intent to use m-learning, whereas cognitive need was found to be insignificant in predicting and explicating the m-learning adoption. The results of sensitivity analysis revealed that effort expectancy showed the highest normalized importance (100%) followed by performance expectancy (97.2%) in explicating the m-learning adoption. The research archetype was able to elucidate 66% of variance in student's intent towards m-learning adoption. In addition to that, Cohen's f-square statistic resulted in effect size as 0.771 indicating that the study findings were relevant and substantial with the empirical data collected. Conclusively, the theoretic and managerial implications are described for the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that can impact the adoption of mobile apps for teaching-learning process focusing on the girls' school in rural India. The hypotheses were proposed and a conceptual model has been developed. There is a survey work conducted to collect the data from different respondents using a convenience sampling method. The model has been validated statistically through PLS-SEM analysis covering feedbacks of 271 effective respondents. The study highlights the impact of different antecedents of the behavioural intention of the students of using mobile applications for teaching-learning process. The results also show that among other issues, price value has insignificant influence on the intention of the girl students of the rural India. During survey feedbacks have been obtained from the 271 respondents, which is meagre compared to vastness of the population and school of rural India. Only few predictors have been considered leaving possibilities of inclusion of other boundary conditions to enhance the explanative power more than that has been achieved in the proposed model with the explanative power of 81%. The model has provided laudable inputs to the educational policy makers and technology enablers and administrators to understand the impact of the mobile applications on the rural girls' school of India and facilitate the development of m-learning. Very few studies been conducted to explore the impact of mobile applications on the school education of rural India especially focusing on the girls' schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The varieties of water-borne disease are caused by pathogens transmitted and spread by different routes. The spread of such infection increases while the water quality affected by external sources. Changes in the quality of water can influence the dynamics of microbial pathogens which can also influence the prevalence and transmission dynamics of water-borne diseases. The present study highlighted on selected chemical parameters of ground water to signify the water quality index and mapping of water-borne diseases susceptibility areas in Kolkata Municipal Corporation, India. The main objective of present study was to demonstrate the significance of geographical information system based Geostatistical technique for identifying water-borne diseases susceptibility by taking different ground water parameters, water quality index and reported water-borne diseases into consideration. Using Kriging interpolation, the spatial map of water parameters, water quality index and reported disease cases were prepared and reclassified by putting risk rank to generate susceptibility map of water-borne diseases. The accuracy of the result was assessed through error estimation and spatial autocorrelation. The result from error estimation, it was found that the root mean square error between diseases susceptibility and selected chemical parameters, water quality index and reported water-borne diseases are 0.0847, 0.1182 and 0.0640 respectively which is always < 1. The correlation of diseases susceptibility with chemical parameters has resulted highly positive (r2 = 0.97) and with water quality index has also resulted positive (r2 = 0.82). The study result also suggests the applicability of geographical information system in other types of diseases susceptibility analysis by setting proper objectives and selecting suitable study criteria with spatial justification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is aimed to study the influence of religiosity on the behavior of buying sports apparel in the Muslim market segment of India. The data was collected from 1000 Muslim respondents from four states: Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Uttarakhand, and Jammu & Kashmir. The paper has found that religion plays no role when Muslims buy sports apparel. They shop as any other religious person does. No other factor, even fashion and religious obligation, is influenced by religion, except for shopping enjoyment responsiveness, which is influenced by intrapersonal Islamic religiosity. The paper's perspective in studying the religious influences will assist sporting apparel manufacturers to design new products that will meet the requirements of the large Muslim segment in India, which is neglected so far. It will help marketers to save their effort and energy which would be utilized for Muslim Population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Himalayan Mountains are the source region of one of the world's largest supplies of freshwater. The changes in glacier melt may lead to droughts as well as floods in the Himalayan basins, which are vulnerable to hydrological changes. This study used an integrated glacio-hydrological model, the Glacier and Snow Melt – WASMOD model (GSM-WASMOD), for hydrological projections under 21st century climate change by two ensembles of four global climate models (GCMs) under two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5) and two bias-correction methods (i.e., the daily bias correction (DBC) and the local intensity scaling (LOCI)) in order to assess the future hydrological changes in the Himalayan Beas basin up to Pandoh Dam (upper Beas basin). Besides, the glacier extent loss during the 21st century was also investigated as part of the glacio-hydrological modeling as an ensemble simulation. In addition, a high-resolution WRF precipitation dataset suggested much heavier winter precipitation over the high-altitude ungauged area, which was used for precipitation correction in the study. The glacio-hydrological modeling shows that the glacier ablation accounted for about 5 % of the annual total runoff during 1986–2004 in this area. Under climate change, the temperature will increase by 1.8–2.8 ∘ C at the middle of the century (2046–2065), and by 2.3–5.4 ∘ C until the end of the century (2080–2099). It is very likely that the upper Beas basin will get warmer and wetter compared to the historical period. In this study, the glacier extent in the upper Beas basin is projected to decrease over the range of 63 %–87 % by the middle of the century and 89 %–100 % at the end of the century compared to the glacier extent in 2005. This loss in glacier area will in general result in a reduction in glacier discharge in the future, while the future streamflow is most likely to have a slight increase because of the increase in both precipitation and temperature under all the scenarios. However, there is widespread uncertainty regarding the changes in total discharge in the future, including the seasonality and magnitude. In general, the largest increase in river total discharge also has the largest spread. The uncertainty in future hydrological change is not only from GCMs, but also from the bias-correction methods and hydrological modeling. A decrease in discharge is found in July from DBC, while it is opposite for LOCI. Besides, there is a decrease in evaporation in September from DBC, which cannot be seen from LOCI. The study helps to understand the hydrological impacts of climate change in northern India and contributes to stakeholder and policymaker engagement in the management of future water resources in northern India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study on a devastating rainfall-induced landslide at Malin, India, which resulted in 160 deaths including the destruction of an entire village in July 2014 has been presented. The area was under a massive rainstorm which lasted for 3 days before the tragedy. The seepage into the slope due to the rainfall infiltration and the corresponding factor of safety of the slope at Malin has been quantified using a two-dimensional numerical model. The study indicates that the continuous rainfall infiltration develops a perched water table near the slope surface which results in the saturation and the positive pore water pressure build up at a shallow depth. With the increasing intensity and the rainfall duration, this depth of saturated zone increases rapidly. Though the Malin slope has an adequate factor of safety of 1.6, initially, but with continuous rainfall and increase in rainfall intensity, the factor of safety reduces to less than one on the day of tragedy. The parametric study indicates that the factor of safety of the Malin slope is adequate after 24 h of 2 mm/h, 5 mm/h and 10 mm/h of rainfall. But it drops rapidly to less than 1 after 7, 6, 6, 3, 2 and 1-h of 20 mm/h, 30 mm/h, 40 mm/h, 50 mm/h, 60 mm/h and 70 mm/h of rainfall, respectively. The slope, on which the Malin village is located, is initially safe but the debris from the upper portions of the slope moves downward destroying the residential area of the Malin village. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rainfall anomaly during crop-growing season can have large impact on the agricultural output of a country, especially like India, where two-thirds of the crop land is rain-fed. In such situation, decreased agricultural production not only challenges food security of the country but directly and immediately hits the livelihood of its farming community. In a vast country like India, rainfall or its anomalies hardly follow a specific pattern, rather it is having high variability in spatial domain. This study focused on the trends of national and regional rainfall anomalies (wetness/dryness) along with their interrelationship using time series data of past 158 years. The significant reducing wetness trend (p < 0.05) over north mountainous India was prominent with an increasing trend over southern peninsular India (p < 0.10). However, long-term annual wetness was increasing over entire peninsular India. The results of change point tests indicate that major abrupt changes occurred between early to mid-twentieth century having regional variations. The regional interrelationship was studied using principal component, hierarchical clustering, and pair-wise difference test, which clearly indicated a significantly different pattern in rainfall anomalies for north east India (p = 0.022), north central India (p = 0.022), and north mountainous India (p = 0.011) from that of the all India. Result of this study affirmed high spatial variability in rainfall anomaly and most importantly established the unalike pattern in trends of regional rainfall vis-à-vis national level, ushering towards paradigm shift in rainfall forecast from country scale to regional scale for pragmatic planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimation of flood intensity for a desired return period is of prime importance for flood management through flood plain zoning. Flood frequency analysis enables estimation of the probability of occurrence of a certain hydrological event of practical importance by fitting a probability distribution to one that is empirically obtained from recorded annual maximum discharge and/or stage data. This case study considers the use of four probability distributions, namely Gumbel's extreme value distribution (EV-I), extreme value distribution-III (EV-III), log-normal (LN) and Log-Pearson Type III (LPT-3) in flood modelling of monsoon-dominated Ajay River and illustrates the applicability of goodness of fit (GOF) and D-index tests procedures in identifying which distributional model is best for the specific data. Twenty-five years (1985-2009) of existing and estimated annual peak discharge ( Q) data have been used for analyzing the trend of flood occurrence. After identifying the best fit model, the peak gauge height data ( h) are then analysed combining with geographic information systems (GIS) for predicting flood affected area and preparing inundation map at a specific return period ( T). Results of the study showed that the LPT-3 distribution is better suited for modelling flood data for Ajay at Nutanhat in West Bengal. The computed Q for LPT-3 distribution are slightly higher as compared to the results obtained by EV-I, EV-III and LN which are used for vulnerability assessment. The analysis also predicts that the affected area will be ranging from 235 to 290 km in near future (at 25- to 200-year T). These findings provide clear picture for the pattern of hydrological fluxes and aftermath in the next decades in lower Ajay River Basin (ARB). Sustainable planning and developmental measures that consider the modelled pattern of hydrological fluxes of the study area were recommended for decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Head and neck cancers (HNC) are one of the most common cancers in India. Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been identified as an emerging risk factor for HNC. METHODS: The present study was carried out to determine the active form of HPV-16 using a combination of PCR, viral load determination, HPV-16 E7 mRNA expression, p16, p53, and pRB immuno-histochemistry (IHC). RESULTS: A total of 226 HNC patients were enrolled in the present study. Sixty-seven (29.7%) of HNC cases were found to be HPV DNA positive. Thirty-two (14%) cases were HPV-16 DNA positive and 20 (9%) cases expressed HPV-16 E7 mRNA. HPV-16 mRNA/p16 positive cases had significantly increased viral load and integrated HPV-16 DNA. In summary, of total HNC patients, 6% cases were positive for both HPV-16 DNA and p16, and 5% were positive for both E7 mRNA and p16 IHC. We observed similar HPV-16 DNA/E7mRNA prevalence in oropharynx and oral cavity sites, however, oropharynx SCC had significantly higher viral load. CONCLUSION: Our results show low prevalence of active HPV-16 in North Indian HNC patients. HPV-16 E7 mRNA expression correlated with p16 nuclear positivity and increased viral load. Therefore, E7 mRNA expression may be used as a good surrogate indicator for active form of HPV-16 infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arid regions of Rajasthan in India are characterized by harsh environments, fragile ecosystems, and limited water resources and arable lands. Desertification is one of the major land-degradation problems in these regions. Recent changes in the regional climatic regime and the low availability of water in this northwestern state of India, pose the threat of desertification in the agriculturally productive part of the state. This study aims to delineate the environmentally sensitive areas to desertification in the districts of Jhunjhunun and Sikar in Rajasthan, India. It uses geospatial data from various sources, and combines them to calculate an environmental sensitivity index ( ESI), which will allow the quantification of the area's vulnerability to desertification. The study uses the analytical hierarchical process ( AHP) to assign respective weights to individual factors for each index calculation. Land-cover maps and socio-economic data have been used to understand their relationship with ESI. Results showed that 13 percent and 45 percent of the study area are under highly sensitive and moderately sensitive zones, respectively. Mapping and monitoring of environmentally sensitive areas in such arid regions are critical to sustainable use and planning of natural resources namely water and land-cover and are helpful in determining priority actions and their successful implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the summer of 2011, in the wake of some of India’s worst corruption scandals, a civil society group calling itself India Against Corruption was mobilizing unprecedented nation-wide support for the passage of a strong Jan Lokpal (Citizen’s Ombudsman) Bill by the Indian Parliament. The movement was, on its face, unusual: its figurehead, the 75-year-old Gandhian, Anna Hazare, was apparently rallying urban, middle-class professionals and youth in great numbers—a group otherwise notorious for its political apathy. The scale of the protests, of the scandals spurring them, and the intensity of media attention generated nothing short of a spectacle: the sense, if not the reality, of a united India Against Corruption. Against this background, we ask: what shared imagination of corruption and political dysfunction, and what political ends are projected in the Lokpal protests? What are the class practices gathered under the “middle-class” rubric, and how do these characterize the unusual politics of summer 2011? Wholly permeated by routine habits of consumption, we argue that the Lokpal protests are fundamentally structured by the impulse to remake social relations in the image of products and “India” itself into a trusted brand. Taking “corruption” as a site at which the middle class discursively constitutes itself, we trace the idioms and mechanisms by which the Lokpal agitation re-articulates the very terms of politics, citizenship, and democracy in contemporary India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat forms the basic ingredient for various bakery and traditional products. Wheat-based flat breads are one of the traditional products prepared in different parts of the world. Different regions of the world have inherited different preparation methods since time immemorial, which has led to the existence of traditional flat breads’. Being traditional, only a few have been extensively studied scientifically. India, being the second largest producer of wheat, has a great saga of traditional flat breads with different tastes and texture. This review is a compiled information related to the research studies carried out on some of the wheat-based traditional flat breads of India namelychapati, puri, tandoori roti, parantha(whole-wheat flour based)and parotta, naan, bhatura, kulcha(refined wheat flour based) which indicates the magnitude of attention they have drawn among the food scientists. The review delves upon the developments and improvements brought about in the storage stability and realization of large-scale production of few of these flat breads which has helped considerably to cater to the growing demand in the domestic as well as international markets. The review also indicates the possibility and the tremendous scope available for technological developments for traditional flat breads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The price war and intense competition in Indian banking industry have exposed banks to one of the major threat of switching. Consumers are now more price and service conscious in their financial services purchasing behaviour. They are more prone to change their banking behaviour as banking products and services are nearly identical in nature. The purpose of this paper is to provide an insight of the drivers that lead a customer switch from one service provider to another in Indian banking industry using exploratory design. Design/methodology/approach – The impacts of the influencing factors have been studied and tested empirically using exploratory factor analysis. Quantitative data have been collected by means of questionnaire employed from Clemes et al. and administered to 296 banking customers of Rajasthan utilizing convenience sampling. Findings – Results reported that price, reputation, responses to service failure, customer satisfaction, service quality, service products, competition, customer commitment and involuntary switching have their significant effect on customers’ switching behaviour. Research limitations/implications – The findings of present study can be used by the Indian banks for their product and service designing strategies, marketing strategies and customer services practices in order to reduce customer switching. It would help them in improving their service operations and also in increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty by understanding the banking behaviour of their customers. Originality/value – The originality lies in the fact that this study is one of few which have focused on the drivers leading to the switching intentions of Indian banking customers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RATIONALE The contribution of tropical coastal rivers to the global carbon budget remains unmeasured, despite their high water dynamics, i.e. higher run-off with their basin characteristic of warm temperature. Two rivers draining the western part of the Western Ghats, the Swarna (length 80 km) and Nethravati (147 km) Rivers, were studied for water and carbon cycles. METHODS The stable isotope ratios of oxygen (δ18O values), hydrogen (δ2H values) and carbon (δ13C values) were used to understand the water circulation, the weathering processes and the carbon biogeochemical cycle. The river water samples were collected during the dry post-monsoonal season (November 2011). RESULTS The δ18O and δ2H values of river water suggested that the monsoonal vapour source and its high recycling have a dominant role because of the orographical and tropical conditions. The absence of calcareous rocks has led to dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) mainly originating from atmospheric/soil CO2, via rock-weathering processes, and the low soil organic matter combined with high run-off intensity has led to low riverine dissolved organic carbon (DOC) contents. The δ13C values increase from upstream to downstream and decrease with increasing pCO2. There is a positive relationship between the δ13CDIC values and the DOC concentrations in these two rivers that is contrary to that in most of the studied rivers of the world. CONCLUSIONS The higher evapotranspiration supported by tropical conditions suggests that there are higher vapour recycling process in the Swarna and Nethravati basins as studied from the water δ18O and δ2H values. The basin characteristics of higher rainfall/run-off accompanied by warm temperature suggest that the δ13C value of riverine DIC is mainly controlled by the weathering of source rocks (silicates) with variation along the river course by CO2 degassing from the river water to the atmosphere and is less dominated by the oxidation of DOC. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has affected the temperature and rainfall characteristics worldwide. However, the changes are not equal for all regions and have localized intensity and must be quantified locally to manage the natural resources. Orissa is an eastern state in India where agricultural activities mainly depends on the rainfall and thus face problems due to changing patterns of rainfall due to changing climate. In the present study, attempts were made to study temporal variation in monthly, seasonal and annual rainfall over the state during the period from 1871 to 2006. Long term changes in rainfall characteristics were determined by both parametric and non-parametric tests. The analysis revealed a long term insignificant decline trend of annual as well as monsoon rainfall, where as increasing trend in post-monsoon season over the state of Orissa. Rainfall during winter and summer seasons showed an increasing trend. Statistically monsoon rainfall can be considered as very dependable as the coefficient of variation is 14.2%. However, there is decreasing monthly rainfall trend in June, July and September, where as increasing trend in August. This trend is more predominant in last 10 year. Based on departure from mean, rainfall analysis also showed an increased number of dry years compared to wet years after 1950. This changing rainfall trend during monsoon months is major concern for the rain-fed agriculture. More over, this will affect hydro power generation and reservoir operation in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field geomorphology and remote sensing data, supported by Optical Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating from the Mandakini river valley of the Garhwal Himalaya enabled identification of four major glacial events; Rambara Glacial Stage (RGS) (13 ± 2 ka), Ghindurpani Glacial Stage (GhGS) (9 ± 1 ka), Garuriya Glacial Stage (GGS) (7 ± 1 ka) and Kedarnath Glacial Stage (KGS) (5 ± 1 ka). RGS was the most extensive glaciation extending for ~6 km down the valley from the present day snout and lowered to an altitude of 2800 m asl at Rambara covering around ~31 km area of the Mandakini river valley. Compared to this, the other three glaciations (viz., GhGS, GGS and KGS) were of lower magnitudes terminating around ~3000, ~3300 and ~3500 m asl, respectively. It was also observed that the mean equilibrium line altitude (ELA) during RGS was lowered to 4747 m asl compared to the present level of 5120 m asl. This implies an ELA depression of ~373 m during the RGS which would correspond to a lowering of ~2°C summer temperature during the RGS. The results are comparable to that of the adjacent western and central Himalaya implying a common forcing factor that we attribute to the insolation-driven monsoon precipitation in the western and central Himalaya. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to estimate the possible rate of land subsidence of Kolkata City including Salt Lake City and the adjoining East Kolkata Wetlands located at the lower part of the deltaic alluvial plain of South Bengal basin. Demand of groundwater for drinking, agricultural and industrial purposes has increased due to rapid urbanization. The subsurface geology consists of Quaternary sediments comprising a succession of clay, silty clay and sand of various grades. Groundwater occurs mostly under confined condition except in those places where the top aquitard has been obliterated due to the scouring action of past channels. Currently, the piezometric head shows a falling trend and it may be accelerated due to further over-withdrawal of groundwater resulting in land subsidence. The estimated mean land subsidence rate is 13.53 mm/year and for 1 m drop in the piezometric head, the mean subsidence is 3.28 cm. The surface expression of the estimated land subsidence is however, cryptic because of a time lag between the settlement of the thick low-permeable aquitard at the top and its surface expression. Therefore, groundwater of the cities and wetland areas should be developed cautiously based on the groundwater potential to minimize the threat of land subsidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The singing of ballads to the accompaniment of the instruments tūmbā and algozā forms a distinct genre of Punjabi music which was once a primary form of entertainment for rural Punjabis. However, its role in the history of the region's music has yet to be documented. This article aims to rectify that, breaking ground with sundry details of who is known to have participated and what exactly they sang. The genre appears to have at least two different regional styles, based in Majha and Malwa. Information has been gathered from living exponents, especially from the Malerkotla area, and from the recordings made by prior generations of artistes. The latter constitute a significant part of the early popular music in Punjab. A selection of texts from tumba-algoza ballad compositions compliment the cultural description of the art. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Himalayan basins have considerable snow- and glacier-covered areas, which are an important source of water, particularly during summer season. In the Himalayan region, in general, the glacier melt season is considered to be from May to October. Changes in hydrological characteristics of the runoff over the melt season can be understood by studying the variation in time to peak and time lag between melt generation and its emergence as runoff. In the present study, the runoff-delaying characteristics of Gangotri Glacier, one of the largest glaciers in the Indian Himalayas, have been studied. For this purpose, hourly discharge and temperature data were collected near the snout of the glacier (4000 m) for three ablation seasons (2004-2006). The diurnal variations in discharge and temperature provided useful information on water storage and runoff characteristics of the glacier. In the early stages of the ablation period, poor drainage network and stronger storage characteristics of the glaciers due to the presence of seasonal snow cover resulted in a much delayed response of melt water, providing a higher time lag and time to peak as compared to the peak melt season. A comparison of runoff-delaying parameters with the discharge ratio clearly indicated that changes in time lag and time to peak are inversely correlated with variations in discharge. Impact of such meltwater storage and delaying characteristics of glaciers on hydropower projects being planned/developed on glacier-fed streams in India has been discussed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serious problems are faced in several parts of the world due to the presence of high concentration of fluoride in drinking water which causes dental and skeletal fluorosis to humans. Nalgonda district in Andhra Pradesh, India is one such region where high concentration of fluoride is present in groundwater. Since there are no major studies in the recent past, the present study was carried out to understand the present status of groundwater quality in Nalgonda and also to assess the possible causes for high concentration of fluoride in groundwater. Samples from 45 wells were collected once every 2 months and analyzed for fluoride concentration using an ion chromatograph. The fluoride concentration in groundwater of this region ranged from 0.1 to 8.8 mg/l with a mean of 1.3 mg/l. About 52% of the samples collected were suitable for human consumption. However, 18% of the samples were having less than the required limit of 0.6 mg/l, and 30% of the samples possessed high concentration of fluoride, i.e., above 1.5 mg/l. Weathering of rocks and evaporation of groundwater are responsible for high fluoride concentration in groundwater of this area apart from anthropogenic activities including irrigation which accelerates weathering of rocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accumulation of fluoride (F) in groundwater is a common phenomenon in India and worldwide. Its location can be identified through a direct hydrochemical analysis, which was carried out in Kurmapalli watershed (located 60 km SE of Hyderabad city), Nalgonda district, Andhra Pradesh, India affected by F contamination. The results of the hydrochemical analysis showed that F varied from 0.71 to 19.01 mg/l and its concentration exceeded the permissible limit (i.e., 1.5 mg/l) in 78% of the total 32 samples analyzed. The highest F value (19.01 mg/l) was found near Madnapur village, which is located in the central part of the watershed. Resistivity and induced polarization (IP) surveys were also carried out to reveal the zones where elevated F-contaminated groundwater exists. The objective of this paper was to highlight the utility of resistivity and IP surveys, using hydrochemical constituents as constraint, for the successful delineation of such contaminated/polluted groundwater zones in the granite area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, hundreds of women are killed every year in the name of honour. Such a barbaric and inhuman custom has existed in the subcontinent for many centuries yet under the pre-colonial criminal justice system of India; the perpetrators of such killings were dealt with like the other offenders of murder; without any exception or impunity from prosecution and punishment. However, it was the Indian Penal Code drafted by the British in 1860 that brought in the tradition of treating the offenders of honour killings with leniency and latitude. In 1990, Pakistan introduced its version of 'Islamic''criminal law which allowed for compromise between the parties of a murder case. The 'new law' reconceptualised the law of culpable homicide and murder in this country. Under the 'new law' the offence of murder was not defined as a crime against the legal order of the State but as against the legal heirs of the victim. Since in most honour related crimes the women are killed by their own family members, the new law provided a virtual immunity to the culprits of honour killings. During the past few years, thousands of men and women have been killed in honour-related crimes. This piece of research surveys the history and escalation in honour killings after the enforcement of Islamic criminal law in Pakistan. It also argues that it is not the Sharia that encourages such killings but rather the misunderstanding and misapplication of the Sharia that abets and allows such a practice and fails to deal with its perpetrators effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This article examines signage as a site for the negotiation of meaning between the potential intentionality of the creator and the potential readings of the target audience. Data is drawn from 2 major sources: sociologically and economically differentiated geosemiotic landscapes of Delhi and the advertisements of a large, well-known Indian company. The latter signage is multi-site and carefully designed, with massive investments; the former is created within and defined more by its geosemiotic space. The signs use more than 1 language and sometimes more than 1 script in constituting the meanings that may be read into them. The analysis shows languages being used contrastively, as well as in ways that challenge established ideas of discrete languages and scripts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a research on rainfall pattern changes during the 20th century in the Indian Himalayas. It notes that the India Meteorological Department (IMD) used the 80-year-old data from 30 rain gauge stations to explore the pattern changes. It explores the change implications in terms of its percentage.

Landslides are among the most costly and damaging natural hazards in mountainous regions, triggered mainly under the influence of earthquakes and/or rainfall. In the present study, Landslide Hazard Zonation (LHZ) of Dikrong river basin of Arunachal Pradesh was carried out using Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS). Various thematic layers namely slope, photo-lineament buffer, thrust buffer, relative relief map, geology and land use / land cover map were generated using remote sensing data and GIS. The weighting-rating system based on the relative importance of various causative factors as derived from remotely sensed data and other thematic maps were used for the LHZ. The different classes of thematic layers were assigned the corresponding rating value as attribute information in the GIS and an “attribute map” was generated for each data layer. Each class within a thematic layer was assigned an ordinal rating from 0 to 9. Summation of these attribute maps were then multiplied by the corresponding weights to yield the Landslide Hazard Index (LHI) for each cell. Using trial and error method the weight-rating values have been re-adjusted. The LHI threshold values used were: 142, 165, 189 and 216. A LHZ map was prepared showing the five zones, namely “very low hazard”, “low hazard”, “moderate hazard”, “high hazard” and “very high hazard” by using the “slicing” operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, Karso watershed of Hazaribagh, Jharkhand State, India was divided into 200 x 200 grid cells and average annual sediment yields were estimated for each grid cell of the watershed to identify the critical erosion prone areas of watershed for prioritization purpose. Average annual sediment yield data on grid basis was estimated using Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE). In general, a major limitation in the use of hydrological models has been their inability to handle the large amounts of input data that describe the heterogeneity of the natural system. Remote sensing (RS) technology provides the vital spatial and temporal information on some of these parameters. A recent and emerging technology represented by Geographic Information System (GIS) was used as the tool to generate, manipulate and spatially organize disparate data for sediment yield modeling. Thus, the Arc Info 7.2 GIS software and RS (ERDAS IMAGINE 8.4 image processing software) provided spatial input data to the erosion model, while the USLE was used to predict the spatial distribution of the sediment yield on grid basis. The deviation of estimated sediment yield from the observed values in the range of 1.37 to 13.85 percent indicates accurate estimation of sediment yield from the watershed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What makes `corrupt' children such efficacious or nodal symbols? How and why is it that certain groups of children take on this signifying function? How do narratives about corrupt children provide people with a way of mediating and articulating more general anxieties about social change or rupture? This article begins to explore these questions by analyzing how people in the city of Banaras, India talked about the corruption and consumption of the lower caste and lower class boys who worked in the informal sector of the foreign tourism industry. Through the invocation of two culturally paradigmatic `useless' figures, the loafer (awaaraa) and the addict (nasheybaaz), people in Banaras not only critiqued these youngsters' consumptive practices and their new found purchasing power in the bazaar, but they also articulated larger fears about the way that foreign tourism was `consuming' these children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the challenges in rainfall-runoff modeling is the identification of an appropriate model spatial resolution that allows streamflow estimation at customized locations of the river basin. In lumped modeling, spatial resolution is not an issue as spatial variability is not accounted for, whereas in distributed modeling grid or cell resolution can be related to spatial resolution but its application is limited because of its large data requirements. Streamflow estimation at the data-poor customized locations is not possible in lumped modeling, whereas it is challenging in distributed modeling. In this context, semi-distributed modeling offers a solution including model resolution and estimation of streamflow at customized locations of a river basins with less data requirements. In this study, the Hydrologic Engineering Center-Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) model is employed in semi-distribution mode on river basins of six different spatial resolutions. The model was calibrated and validated for fifteen and three selected flood events, respectively, of three types, i.e., single peak (SP), double peak (DP)- and multiple peaks (MP) at six different spatial resolution of the Sabari River Basin (SRB), a sub-basin of the Godavari basin, India. Calibrated parameters were analyzed to understand hydrologic parameter variability in the context of spatial resolution and flood event aspects. Streamflow hydrographs were developed, and various verification metrics and model scores were calculated for reference- and calibration- scenarios. During the calibration phase, the median of correlation coefficient and NSE for all 15 events of all six configurations was 0.90 and 0.69, respectively. The estimated streamflow hydrographs from six configurations suggest the model's ability to simulate the processes efficiently. Parameters obtained from the calibration phase were used to generate an ensemble of streamflow at multiple locations including basin outlet as part of the validation. The estimated ensemble of streamflows appeared to be realistic, and both single-valued and ensemble verification metrics indicated the model's good performance. The results suggested better performance of lumped modeling followed by the semi-distributed modeling with a finer spatial resolution. Thus, the study demonstrates a method that can be applied for real-time streamflow forecast at interior locations of a basin, which are not necessarily data rich. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most of the Indian cities, around half of the urban water requirement is fulfilled by groundwater. Recently, seasonal urban droughts have been frequently witnessed globally, which adds more stress to groundwater systems. Excessive pumping and increasing demands in several Indian cities impose a high risk of running out of groundwater storage, which could potentially affect millions of lives in the future. In this paper, groundwater level changes have been comprehensively assessed for seven densely populated and rapidly growing secondary cities across India. Several statistical analyses were performed to detect the trends and non-stationarity in the groundwater level (GWL). Also, the influence of rainfall and land use/land cover changes (LULC) on the GWL was explored. The results suggest that overall, the groundwater level was found to vary between ±10 cm/year in the majority of the wells. Further, the non-stationarity analysis revealed a high impact of rainfall and LULC due to climate variability and anthropogenic activities respectively on the GWL change dynamics. Statistical correlation analysis showed evidence supporting that climate variability could potentially be a major component affecting the rainfall and groundwater recharge relationship. Additionally, from the LULC analysis, a decrease in the green cover area (R = 0.93) was found to have a higher correlation with decreasing groundwater level than that of urban area growth across seven rapidly developing cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water resource assessment is important for integrated water resources management of a basin to which rainfall is a vital component. Generally, semi-distributed to distributed models are used for water resource management studies. Higher data requirement and simulation time restrict the use of these models. Lumped conceptual models are drawing attention these days owing to their simplicity and minimum data requirement. In the present study, the performance of conceptual models Génie Rural à 4 paramètres Journalie (GR4J) and Australian Water Balance Model (AWBM) was evaluated in comparison with semi-distributed Soil and Water Analysis Tool (SWAT) model. The selected study area, Upper Godavari River Basin, is in the windward side of Western Ghats in India, which receives heavy rainfall during south-west monsoon season. However, this region faces water scarcity issues in non-monsoon period due to lack of proper water management scenarios. Five catchments in upper Godavari basin are used for the analysis. Spatiotemporal analysis of rainfall is done to understand its effect on streamflow at the catchment outlet. The efficacy of model predictions has been analysed statistically in terms of Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency, coefficient of determination (R2) and percentage bias. Flow duration curves and time series diagram of streamflow predictions are also compared to better understand the results. All three models predicted streamflow with reasonable accuracy. Considering structural simplicity, less data requirement and simplicity in calibration process, this study proposes conceptual models over SWAT in the regions facing data scarcity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]