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Heritage Institute of Technology, Anandapur, Kolkata-700 107, India E-mail: sonalihazra.das@heritageit.edu Manuscript received online 28 January 2019, accepted 25 March 2019 Chromium contamination has increased in the last few years in industrial effluents. Environmental Protection Act has set an enforceable Criteria Maximum Concentration (CMC) level of total chromium in freshwater as 16 µg/L. The aim of this study was to investigate the CrVI adsorption on used and dried tea leaves (Camellia sinensis). The parameters used to study the adsorption behaviour of chromium on tea leaves were pH of the reaction mixture, initial chromium concentration, dried biomass of tea leaves and agitation speed. The batch kinetic studies showed that adsorption had increased with increase in dried biomass and decrease in pH. No significant variation in the removal efficiency was seen with the increase in agitation speed. Response Surface Methodology was used as a tool of varying multiple experimental parameters simultaneously to get the output. Maximum removal efficiency (84.57%) was obtained after 24 h at pH 5.7; initial chromium concentration of 19.9 mg/ L, agitation of 4.2 rpm and dried biomass of 1.5 g. Successful adsorption by tea leaves had been further confirmed by Scanning Electron Microscope, which showed the appearance of smoother surface after adsorption.

Una cuenca es una unidad geohidrológica que drena en un punto común. Esta unidad natural ha evolucionado a través de la interacción del agua de lluvia con la masa de la tierra, que comprende típicamente de cultivo, las tierras no cultivables y las líneas naturales de drenaje en las zonas de sequía. La producción sostenible depende de la salud, la vitalidad y la pureza de un entorno particular en que la tierra y el agua son componentes importantes. Un estudio piloto se llevó a cabo tanto el estudio de la geomorfología, sistemas de uso de la tierra y su impacto en la gestión de los recursos hídricos en la microcuenca de Umbaniun en Meghalaya. En esta micro-cuenca (3.951,18 ha), el cuerpo de agua tiene una superficie de 5.69ha (0,14%). El presente documento resalta el vínculo entre la geomorfología, usos del suelo y su impacto en la calidad de los recursos hídricos en la microcuenca Umbaniun de Meghalaya. Las características topográficas y físico-químicas, tales como temperatura, el pH, conductividad, oxígeno disuelto, la turbidez y el agua, fueron utilizados como indicadores de la degradación del medio ambiente A watershed is a geohydrological unit draining at a common point. Such natural unit has evolved through rain water interaction with land mass, typically comprising arable land, non-arable land and natural drainage lines in rain-fed areas. Sustainable production depends on the health, vitality and purity of a particular environment in which land and water are important constituents. A pilot study was thus undertaken to study the geomorphology, land-use systems and their impact on water resource management on the Meghalaya Umbaniun micro-watershed. In this Micro-watershed (3951.18 ha), water body covers an area of 5.69ha (0.14%). The paper highlights the linkage between geomorphology, land use systems and its impact on quality of water resources on the Umbaniun Micro-Watershed, Meghalaya. Topographical and physical-chemical characteristics, such as pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and water temperature, were used as environmental degradation indicators

Based on an empirical study in West Bengal, this paper attempts to examine whether women‟s involvement in the microcredit programme through SHGs makes any positive change on women‟s empowerment that appears from the assessment on various indicators of power, autonomy and self-reliance, entitlement, participation , awareness and capacity-building. The study suggests that if women participating in the microcredit programme through SHGs sustain for some longer period (eight years or more), such a programme might contribute to higher level of women‟s empowerment than all types of control groups under study