Informatics Publishing Limited

H. K. Sahu , S. K. Kar , S. K. Patnaik

Abstract

Chilika wetland ecosystem in Orissa provides an ideal habitat to a small population ofIrrawady river Dolphins Orcaella brevirostris. Its occurrence was first recorded in Chilika by Annandale during 1915 and subsequent studies confirmed their existence in this brackish water lake. The present study deals with status, movement, feeding, morphometry and behavioural aspects of this threatened cetacean and recommends preservation of this isolated population along with their habitats.

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S. K. Kar , H. R. Bustard

Abstract

no abstract

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P. G. S. Sethy ¹, G. Bulliyya ², T. R. Routray ³, S. K. Kar ²

Affiliations
1 Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, IN
2 Regional Medical Research Centre, ICMR, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, IN
3 Siksha-O-Anusadhan University, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, IN

Abstract

The present study deals with the status of serum lead (Pb) level among preschool children in Bhubaneswar Block, Odisha by proton induced X-ray emission (PIXE) analytical methodology. Among the study population, 20.1% children were detected with lead in their serum with mean lead level 0.29 ± 0.66 ppm.The study shows that this area is not contaminated with lead above normal level but lead contamination has started affecting. So precaution should be taken to make the area lead free for future generation.

Keywords

Lead, Serum, Preschool Children, PIXE.

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R. Shukla ¹, S. K. Kar ¹

Affiliations
1 Geological Survey of India, IN

Abstract

A clay bed is exposed near Garjia (Ramnagar) in the Nainital district of UP at the base of a gravel sequence akin to the Upper Siwalik Boulder Bed. Its principal clay constituent is represented by the smectite group of minerals of bentonitic composition derived from a volcanic source of silicic pyroclastic material. The clay shows similarity with the Toba ash.

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S. K. Kar ¹, G. Panigrahi ¹

Affiliations
1 Botanical Survey of India, Shillong, IN

Abstract

The paper presents the distribution and relative abundance of 123 taxa including 118 species belonging to 47 genera of the family Rubiaceae in Assam and North East Frontier Agency. The family is best represented in the tropical and subtropical evergreen and semievergreen forests, comparatively less abundant in deciduous forests and gressland vegetation, most poorly represented in temperate altitudes and altogether absent from subalpine and alpine situations. Hedyotis macrophylla Wall., Ixora finlaysoniana Wall. ex G. Don and Borreria ocymoides DC. have turned. up as new records for Eastern India. Similarly, Nauclea gageana King and Ophiorrhiza caudipetala C. B. Clarke not recorded by Hooker (1880, 1881), Cooke (1904), Gamble (1921), Haines (1922), Mooney (1950) and Kanjilal et al. (1939) in their respective floras, have also been collected from this area. The specie of economic importance have also been listed under different categories on the basis of utility.

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G. Panigrahi ¹, S. K. Kar ¹

Affiliations
1 Botanical Survey of India, Allahabad, IN

Abstract

The paper presents the distribution and relative abundance of 167 taxa belonging to 47 genera of the Compositae in Assam and North East Frontier Agency. The family is best represented in the tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen and again, in subtropical pine and mixed forests; it is much less abundant in temperate altitudes, very rarely extending up to sub-alpine zone in NEFA. Of the species enumerated, the number of species found common to other countries are indicated against each: Burma (45), Malaya (16), Java (25), China (25), Japan (24), Ceylon (21), Philippines (7), Africa (17), Australia (5), Europe (5) and America (5).

Ambrosia artemisiifolia Linn., Eupatorium trapezoideum Kunth, Erigeron annuus Pers. and Petasites albus Gaertn. appear to be new records of species for India. On the other hand, these species viz. Ainsliaea angustifolia Hook. f. & Thom., Brachycome assamica Clarke, Cnicus griffithii Hook. f., Inula kalapani Clarke etc. appear to be endemic to Assam and NEFA.

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Liansangpuii ¹, Ramesh Singh ², R. M. Singh ¹, K. N. Singh ³, S. K. Kar ⁴

Affiliations
1 Department of Farm Engineering, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221 005, IN
2 ICRISAT Development Centre, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, Patancheru 502 324, IN
3 Department of Soil and Water Engineering, IGKV, Raipur 492 012, IN
4 Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Indian Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Dehradun 248 001, IN

Abstract

Water harvesting is a critical component of any approach to alleviating India’s water crisis. Traditional rainwater harvesting systems are found in every region of the country. Haveli is one such system found in almost every village in the Bundelkhand region, Uttar Pradesh, India. A defunct Haveli in the Parasai–Sindh watershed of Jhansi district, Uttar Pradesh, was rejuvenated by providing a cement concrete core wall to the earthen embankment to address the problem of breaching, and the existing outlet was also expanded. This study was conducted from 2013 to 2019 to analyse the hydrology of the rejuvenated Haveli and to understand its impact on surface-water availability and recharging groundwater. The study period was divided based on long-term southwest monsoon (SWM) as wet (SWM > 20%), normal (SWM ± 20%) and dry (SWM < 20%) years. It was found that the Haveli could harvest about 1.91–2.0 times, 1.13–1.72 times and 0.2 times its capacity during a wet, normal and dry year, respectively. There was a 1.41 m difference in hydraulic head between pre- and post-Haveli rejuvenation in a wet year, whereas, a normal year, the difference was 2.71 m.

Keywords

Groundwater Resources, Hydrological Assessment, Southwest Monsoon, Traditional Rainwater Harvesting Structure, Water Scarcity.

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