Research Papers
Geospatial and geostatistical approach for groundwater potential zone delineation
Mallick Javed, Singh Chander Kumar, Al-Wadi Hussein, Ahmed Mohd, Rahman Atiqur, Shashtri Satyanarayan, Mukherjee Saumitri
| 2015
Over the past few decades, groundwater has become an essential commodity owing to increased demand as a result of growing population, industrialization, urbanization and so on. The water supply situation is expected to become more severe in the future because of continued unsustainable water use and projected change in hydrometeorological parameters due to climate change.
Formation and characterisation of aerobic sludge aggregates in a lab-scale activated sludge system
Chowdhury Parinita, Basu Subhankar, Tewari Prahlad Kumar, Batra Vidya S. Balakrishnan Malini
| 2015
Sludge aggregates were developed under ambient conditions in the aeration tank of a lab-scale activated sludge system. Different strategies were employed to accelerate the aggregation process viz.: i) initiating aggregation with large-dense flocs; ii) supplementing sewage with food-waste leachate containing readily biodegradable substrates; iii) periodic aerobic starvation; iv) addition of support materials to nucleate aggregate formation.
For Sustainable SDGs: Righting Through Responsibilities
Nawn Nandan
| 2015
Sustainability of SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) are contingent on both ‘ weak sustainability ’ and ‘ strong sustainability. ’ Rights- based approach, the most prevalent one in the international policy space towards sustained realization of development goals, is unlikely to ensure either of the sustainability notions. Rather it has to be the (moral) responsibility of the State, communities, and even individuals.
Financing large scale wind and solar projects-A review of emerging experiences in the Indian context
Swarnalakshmi Umamaheswaran, Seth Rajiv
| 2015
Renewable energy can play a strategic role in India in meeting the country’s growing energy demands, as well as combating climate change. Policymakers have recognized this potential and over the last decade have intensified their efforts towards creating a conducive regulatory and policy framework. Policy instruments such as renewable obligations, feed-in-tariffs and generation based incentives have specially aided the transformation towards large scale generation, enabling higher efficiency and lower costs of generation.
Factors influencing Spatio-temporal Variation of Methane and Nitrous oxide Emission from a Tropical Mangrove of Eastern Coast of India
Chauhan Rita, Datta Arindam, Chauhan R, Ramanathan AL, Adhya T K
| 2015
We have studied the seasonal and tidal variation of methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emission from the intertidal sediment of Bhitarkanika mangrove in the east coast of India. Seasonal variability study was conducted at five sites (three replicate of each site) inside the core area of the national park during three different seasons (summer, monsoon and winter) whereas tidal variation was studied at three different sites outside the core area during monsoon and winter season.
Estimation of outcrossing rates in interspecific backcross plants of Jatropha curcas (L.) using AFLP and SSR markers
Sinha Pratima, Aminul Islam Md, Negi Madan Singh, Tripathi Shashi Bhushan
| 2015
In this paper, we report the estimates of outcrossing rates using open-pollinated progeny arrays of 40 BC1 individuals of Jatropha developed as a result of interspecific hybridization between J. curcas and J. integerrima. For analysis PCR-based dominant AFLP and codominant SSR markers were used. The multilocus outcrossing rate (tm) estimated from AFLP markers (0.892 ± 0.112) are almost in the same range with SSR (0.884 ± 0.293) markers which indicate a high level of heterozygosity.
Estimating biomass and carbon mitigation of temperate coniferous forests using spectral modeling and field inventory data
Wania Akhlaq Amin, Joshi P K, Singh Ombir
| 2015
Realizing the importance of forest carbon monitoring and reporting in climate change, the present study was conducted to derive spectrally modeled aboveground biomass and mitigation using Landsat data in combination with sampled field inventory data in the coniferous forests of Western Himalaya. After conducting preliminary survey in 2009, 90 quadrats (45 each for calibration and validation) of 0.1 ha were laid in six forest types for recording field inventory data viz. diameter at breast height, height, slope and aspect.
Environmental Policy in a Federation with Special Interest Politics and Inter-Governmental Grants
Datt Divya, Mehra Meeta Keswani
| 2015
The paper explores the potential effect of intergovernmental grants (IGG) on subnational (local) environmental policy in a federal structure. In the model, a politically-inclined local government receives campaign contributions from the polluters’ lobby in return for lower pollution taxes.Abenevolent federal government uses IGG as an incentive to reduce the resulting distortion in the local pollution tax.
Enhancing viability of biofuel-based decentralized power projects for rural electrification in India.
Palit Debajit, Malhotra Ramit, Mande Sanjay
| 2015
Decentralized power generation, using locally available biofuels from nonedible oil seeds, is an option for rural electrification in many developing countries. However, due to prevailing high price of non-edible oil seeds, such as Jatropha curcas, the cost of electricity generation is very high. This paper provides detailed financial analysis of straight vegetable oil (SVO)-based decentralized power project and proposes an innovative model for enhancing their financial viability.
Energy and material flows of megacities
Kennedya Christopher A, Stewarta Iain, Facchini Angelo, Cersosimo Igor, Mele Renata, Chen Bin , Uda Mariko, Kansal Arun...(etc..all)
| 2015
Understanding the drivers of energy and material flows of cities is important for addressing global environmental challenges. Accessing, sharing, and managing energy and material resources is particularly critical for megacities, which face enormous social stresses because of their sheer size and complexity. Here we quantify the energy and material flows through the world’s 27 megacities with populations greater than 10 million people as of 2010. Collectively the resource flows through megacities are largely consistent with scaling laws established in the emerging science of cities.