Rhizobacteria, associated with the roots of plants in the ‘rhizosphere region’, have been uniquely identified as the basis for plant growth and development, offering a paradigm shift in agroforestry and environmental management. This can be significantly informative to scientists, arborists, agriculturists, and environmentalists on how these ‘soil’s secret helpers’ could revolutionise agroforestry and, through achieving ecological balance, build resilience in plants to stresses, enrich soil with nutrients, and, amongst others, address the critical challenges of the millennium like sustainable food production, enough forest produce for the global population of 10,000 million by 2050, and, not to forget, climate change further complicates this issue and demands a solution that boosts food production and protects our planet. There has been a loss of 8-10 lakh shisham trees in the Indian subcontinent, resulting in the economic loss of USD 800 million to USD 1 billion from timber-related businesses. It’s a wake-up call not just for researchers, government officials, and other organisations to combat its mortality throughout South India and neighbouring nations but also for authorities on an international scale to advance and advocate solutions in this predicament. This would be a stepping stone to prevent epidemics such as this in whichever part of the world from happening, as ‘The roots of the trees know no borders; its branches reach beyond nations.’ Leveraging microbial capacities in agroforestry provides a contemporary technique that optimises nutrient availability, increases disease resistance, improves soil quality, and assists in dealing with biotic and abiotic challenges. This review paper highlights the massive economic and ecological damage across the Indian subcontinent due to shisham wilt while advocating rhizobacteria as eco-friendly biocontrol agents working via mechanisms such as phytohormone production (IAA, GA), phosphate solubilisation, antimicrobial compounds (antibiotics, VOCs), and induced systemic resistance via JA/ET pathways. Its novelty lies in the proposal of futuristic strategies, such as CRISPR-edited resilient rhizobacteria consortia with mycorrhizae, aiming at sustainable agroforestry and addressing climate challenges and chemical pesticide alternatives.
The impact of climate change on various socio-economic and environmental domains has raised global concern among people about climate change and its potential consequences. Today the global community has unanimously accepted that human activities are primarily responsible for the substantial change in climate. The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from various human activities are indeed a major cause for the same. Urban forests and planned green infrastructure in cities widely serve as effective nature-based solutions for climate resilience and mitigation. This paper offers valuable insight with respect to the carbon sequestration potential of the newly constructed forest (Saghan Vann), which was established in September 2020 at Swami Shradhanand College, University of Delhi. The aim of the research is focused on the need to assess the terrestrial carbon pool created by a newly constructed forest (Saghan Vann), which can be proved significant for the future in building suitable action plans for the purpose of managing ecosystems. The carbon stock and carbon sequestration capacity of different plant species were assessed by quadrat sampling. The present study identifies a total of 20 different plant species in four quadrats of size 32.11 metres × 5.08 metres over a one-acre land area. It was observed that the trees present in the newly constructed forest, which appeared as woodland at the time of the study, had a height in the range of 5 to 10 metres. It was estimated that the Psidium guajava species showed the maximum contribution of 19.6%, followed by the Azadirachta indica, Pithecellobium dulce, Pongamia pinnata and Cascabela thevetia species with a contribution of 18.4%, 13.2%, 9.8% and 8.3%, respectively, in carbon sequestration. The study revealed the total capacity of one acre of “Shagan Van” to sequester 163.875 tonnes of carbon. The finding of the present research is significant for different stakeholders, primarily future researchers, planners and decision-makers engaged in building the climate resilience strategy.
Alternaria leaf spot of cabbage is one of the most important diseases, and its development is greatly influenced by various weather conditions. This disease is widely prevalent in cabbage growing areas, including the northeast region of Nagaland. Epidemiological factors that play a crucial role in the initiation and spread of Alternaria leaf spot disease on cabbage. However, epidemiological studies on this disease have not been reported from Nagaland, particularly with regard to the quantitative assessment of weather variables influencing disease progression. The study carried out randomized block design with four replications and a susceptible cabbage seed, 'Pride of India', to examine the impact of weather variables like temperature, humidity, and rainfall on Alternaria blight using correlation coefficient and regression. Results showed that disease severity (PDI) was positively correlated with maximum temperature (0.367), though their impact was not significant, while minimum temperature (0.605) was positively correlated and found to be significant. About the relative humidity, RH max (-0.405) was negatively correlated but not significant, whereas RH min (0.536) was positively correlated as well as significant. The temperature from 9.0-16.6ºC and relative humidity of 86 -96% during above mentioned seasons apparently favored disease development. The contribution of regression (R2) indicates that 13.5-36.6% of the changes are due to temperature, 16.4-28.7% of the changes in disease severity are due to relative humidity, and 0.16% of the changes are due to rainfall. The findings provide region-specific epidemiological insights that can support forecasting and timely disease management strategies in foot hills of Nagaland.
The present long-term study was conducted for the first time to assess the change in barren land cover in all the districts of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh in India between 1985 and 2023, using the LANDSAT series and SENTINEL – 2 satellite datasets through random forest-based supervised classification with different decision tree combinations. The results of the study revealed that barren land cover has increased by 1808 square kilometre in Jammu and Kashmir while more than twenty-five thousand square kilometre in Ladakh. Between 1985 and 2005, barren land could not be identified by the satellite in most of the districts, except Anantnag, Kargil, Kathua, Kishtwar and Leh. Barren land cover increased significantly in the region from 2005 onwards in all the districts. In Kishtwar, the barren land cover increased from 2.65 sq. km in 2005 to 1731.85 sq. km in 2016. Similarly, high rise in barren land cover was observed in Anantnag (17.08 sq. km – 228.06 sq. km), Badgam (7.26 sq. km – 46.05 sq. km), Bandipore (70.24 sq. km – 268.38 sq. km), Kathua (4.1 sq. km – 21.91 sq. km), Kulgam (27.45 sq. km – 114.6 sq. km) and Rajouri (1.62 sq. km – 13 sq. km) within a decade (2005 – 2016). However, decline in the barren land cover was observed in all the districts between 2016 and 2023. Results revealed that built-up area has also increased significantly in the recent past in Jammu and Kashmir (6062 sq. km) and Ladakh (548 sq. km). The barrenness index (2023) varied from 0.0002 (Udhampur) to1.45 (Leh), while the built-up index for the year 2023 ranged between 0.004 (Kargil) and 0.93 (Poonch). Constructions in the border area and strategically important locations are indispensable for the national security. However, rapid, illegal and unplanned construction in the urban and peri-urban areas may attract many unavoidable events like urban floods. Results from the present study also emphasise the role of environmental governance in the region. Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh have international border areas with strategically important locations. Therefore, the concerned authorities should develop and implement effective targeted policies to control urban sprawl in the region and promote sustainable development.
The present study focuses on the effectiveness of solar-power photocatalysis in treating wastewater generated by the textile industry, using a CuO-TiO₂ composite. Synthesised CuO-TiO₂ material in a 1:3 ratio, along with pure CuO and pure TiO₂, is characterised by methods such as FE-SEM, XRD and EDS. Notably, its optical band gap was measured across a high range, between 1.2 & 3.2 electron volts. To gauge the composite's performance, methyl orange dye served as a model contaminant under natural sunlight with a catalyst dosage of 0.5 g/L. Experimental results described that, compared to CuO & TiO₂, the CuO-TiO₂ composite is far more effective with 95.89% photocatalytic efficiency. This enhanced photocatalytic activity is evaluated through detailed calculation of BOD & COD. The removal efficiency recorded for the CuO-TiO₂ composite is 94% and 83.33% for COD and BOD, respectively. These outcomes suggest that the CuO-TiO₂ composite is a promising catalyst for solar-driven purification processes, offering a practical solution for industrial wastewater management.
Khadi is “any cloth woven on handlooms in India from cotton, silk or woollen yarn hand-spun in India or from a mixture of any two or all of such yarns”. Based on the material or fibre used in yarn, there are three varieties of Khadi, namely, Cotton Khadi, Woollen Khadi and Silk Khadi, which contributed 74.25%, 15.41% and 10.34%, respectively, to the total quantity (1643.32 lakh square metres) of Khadi production valued at Rs. 250.33 crore during 2022-23. It is evident that Cotton Khadi dominates the entire Khadi sector. Khadi is comparatively more environmentally sustainable than most of the other natural or synthetic fabrics. Synthetic fibres, primarily used in the textile industry, are a significant contributor to water pollution among various types of microplastics. Hence, the promotion of Khadi is the promotion of a clean environment (air and water). Being a labour-intensive industry, Khadi is also a solution to the major problem of unemployment in the world’s most populated country, India. In fact, the Khadi industry meets the requirements of sustainable development goals set by the United Nations, especially with respect to ‘Climate Action’, ‘Water and Sanitation’, ‘Excellent Health and Well-Being', and ‘Decent Work and Economic Growth’. However, the sale of spurious Khadi has been a major issue prevailing ever since the introduction of Khadi as a livery of freedom by Gandhi Ji. The present method of testing the authenticity of Khadi is a completely manual, invasive, and time-consuming process involving physical visits to production centres and laboratory tests employing burn, chemical, and microscopic tests. We present a novel method using artificial intelligence to identify genuine Khadi with the help of a macro imaging device for smartphones and an Android app.
Wood charcoal has been an important secondary fuel source in Northeast India. This paper presents information on the production and household consumption patterns of charcoal in the Serchhip district of Mizoram. Six charcoal producers from the district were interviewed to obtain information on various aspects of charcoal production and its economics. To assess the consumption pattern, 3 sites corresponding to rural, semi-urban, and municipal areas were selected within the district, wherein 30 households from each site were randomly selected for data collection, covering the household details and annual household energy consumption. Charcoal production is a seasonal activity employing the traditional pit method. There is a substantial contribution to household income from charcoal sales, ranging from 7.40 to 68%. The average annual charcoal produced is 3775 kg, while household consumption ranged between 6 and 18 kg/household/year, being significantly higher in urban houses. Charcoal contributes <10% of the total household energy consumed in all sites. Yet the disproportionately high charcoal production for commercial establishments necessitates a more in-depth survey throughout the state for a clearer assessment of the production and consumption pattern.
The oxidative stress theory of diabetic complications has emerged in recent times with considerable success. It is now clear that diabetes mellitus results from oxidative stress in the pancreas. Herbal medicines rich in antioxidants have been widely studied for their therapeutic applications. To investigate the antioxidant properties of petroleum ether extracts (PEE) and hydro-alcoholic extracts (HAE) of Cichorium intybus leaves and relate them to antidiabetic properties. Extraction of leaves was done using petroleum ether and hydroalcoholic solvent. Phytochemical screening was done for the isolation of major bioactive constituents, whereas quantitative determination was done for the entire phenol and flavonoid content. Antioxidant action was estimated using the following tests: DPPH free radical scavenging assay, nitric oxide allowed radical scavenging test, and hydrogen peroxide scavenging test. HAE showed high antioxidant properties due to PEE because of its low IC₅₀ values for DPPH, nitric oxide, and hydrogen peroxide at 33.36 µg/mL, 46.48 µg/mL, and 26.23 µg/mL, correspondingly. These findings were confirmed by increased TPC and TFC, which were measured at 72.1 mg GAE. It can be shown that the hydroalcoholic extraction method is better than others in terms of separation of antioxidants from the plant, indicating that Cichorium intybus can be used successfully to manage oxidation-based diseases, including diabetes. Keywords: Antioxidant activity, Cichorium intybus, hydroalcoholic extract, petroleum ether extract, total phenolic content.
Solid waste management (SWM) has become a critical environmental and public health concern as India rapidly urbanises. Whereas prevailing household-level studies on solid waste management are largely descriptive or perception-based, they provide constructive statistical evidence on how awareness translates into actual disposal behaviours and their accompanying health and environmental impacts. To remit this gap, the present study advances the literature by applying Structural Equation modelling (SEM) to hypothetically validate the causal relationship between household awareness, waste disposal practices and the repercussions of inefficient waste management. Primary data were gathered from 100 urban households in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, and examined using descriptive and inferential statistics, factor analysis, and structural equation modelling. The analysis reveals three key attitudinal dimensions – environmental responsibility, incentives, collective responsibility and community engagement. The SEM findings indicate that improper waste management significantly affects household health risks, disposal behaviour and environmental impacts, thereby highlighting a persistent awareness-practice gap, despite relatively high awareness levels. The originality of this study lies in moving beyond descriptive evaluations by establishing a validated causal framework that connects household awareness and behaviour with tangible health and environmental effects. By demonstrating that awareness alone is insufficient without institutional support, reliable municipal services, and incentive-based mechanisms, the study offers evidence-based insights that enhance urban waste governance and support sustainable policy interventions in the Indian context.
The study deals with the relationship between the increase in the population and its impact on changes in land use patterns and environmental degradation in different agro-climatic regions of Uttar Pradesh. It attempts to examine the impacts of increasing population and changes in land use patterns on the sustainability of agriculture. This research has used secondary data collected from various institutions like government reports, the National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA), etc., for the period from 1971 to 2021. Methods like ranking, composite indexing, and PCA have been used to analyse the level of land degradation. The results reveal that there has been a rise in the population from 140.23 million in 1991 to 199.58 million in 2011, which is predicted to increase to 220 million by 2021, thereby putting a great deal of strain on the land resource availability. The net sown area decreased by around 10%, from 200.5 to 190.2 lakh hectares, owing to urbanisation and industrialisation. The problem of land degradation is prevalent in the region; for instance, soil erosion occurs in 36.82 lakh hectares of land, waterlogging in 7.30 lakh hectares of land, and salinity in 7.63 lakh hectares of land. Moreover, groundwater exploitation has gone up from 30% in 1987 to 57% in 2021, with a drop in water level from 10.5 m to 16.0 m. However, fertiliser usage has been increased, although there is a reduction in its efficiency due to an imbalance in nutrients.
Hydrocarbon-contaminated sites can be a source of various microbes that help remediate the problems associated with hydrocarbons. Microbes from such sites can degrade spilt hydrocarbons on land and in water bodies. In the current scenario, spillage of crude oil, i.e., hydrocarbons, has made the ecosystems vulnerable. Exposure to spilt hydrocarbons in mammals and fishes affects the production of eggs in fish and their normal growth. Effectively separating highly viscous crude oil from a mixture is a globally challenging problem. Chemical dispersants and mechanical recovery (skimmers and separators) are the common techniques used to separate oil spills. This study investigates the isolation and characterization of hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms from oil-polluted sites in Madhya Pradesh, from automobile repair workshops, petrol filling stations, refineries, etc. Soil and oil samples were obtained from a depth of 2-8 cm to identify microbial strains capable of degrading hydrocarbons. A total of eight unique bacterial strains were isolated out of 30 samples screened, demonstrating significant potential for bioremediation applications. Eight bacterial isolates were sent for 16s rRNA gene sequencing, and different bacteria were obtained with maximum similarity percentages (e-values) of 98.42%, 96.55%, 97.22%, 97.75%, 99.08%, 99.78%, 93.47% and 89.46%, belonging to different families from the samples. The nucleotide sequences of these isolates were successfully submitted to the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and the DNA Data Bank of Japan (DDBJ), confirming their novelty. The findings highlight the importance of microbial diversity in the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons and contribute to the development of sustainable environmental remediation strategies by providing a biological approach to cleaning up oil-contaminated sites, which could help reduce the long-term environmental impact of hydrocarbon spills.
Holoptelea integrifolia is an important tropical medicinal plant belongs to the family Ulmaceae. It has been used as source of medicine to cure various ailments like inflammation, malaria, eczema, rheumatism, scabies, malaria etc. It also has great nutritional value therefore tribals from various part of India used it as food to fulfils their requirements. The present study was conducted in Rajaji tiger reserve at an altitude of 250–1100 m and coordinates of 29°15' to 30°31' N, 77°52' to 78°22' E. It is an important part of Western Himalaya, represent a combination of both the dominant and codominant species. The study analysed the floristic diversity, community structure, distribution of Tree, shrub and herb in a Holoptelea-dominated forest located in the Rajaji landscape of the Western Himalayan region. The maximum value of Shannon-Weaver index was recorded for 2.059 for tree species, the Simpson index was 0.268 for saplings, the Margalef richness index for tree species (3.496), and the Jaccard index (evenness) was 0.852. In contrast, for shrub species, the Shannon-Weaver index was 2.08, the Simpson index was 0.16, the Margalef richness index was 2.70, and the Jaccard index (evenness) was 0.75. Furthermore, the study also has emphasized the structural analysis of the forest along with the diversity indices which explored the ecological status of the tropical deciduous ecosystems and suggest the various conservation strategies in the tiger reserve.
Agriculture produces large-scale waste like crop residue, animal waste, agricultural industry waste and its various by-products. If these are left unattended, they can cause water and soil pollution, increase greenhouse gas emissions, and affect the environment. Using the traditional disposal methods like burning and landfilling is unsustainable, and those can cause damage to humans' and animals’ health and the environment. But using sustainable waste management practices, like the conversion of biomass into biochar, compost and bioenergy, helps in climate resilience, resources and nutrient management. The goal of this study is to assess various biochar production methods that convert agricultural biomass for sustainable farming. Biochar is a carbon-rich material which is produced by the process of pyrolysis under anaerobic conditions, and it improves soil health and increases carbon content and improves nutrient management. Biochar is produced by various methods through thermochemical processes that include pyrolysis (under 700°C), hydrothermal carbonisation (180-250°C), gasification (700-1300°C), and torrefaction (300-500°C) under controlled conditions in which the yield and quality of the product are affected by different factors that include feedstock type, temperature, pressure, and residence time. By using these methods, agricultural waste can transform into valuable resources like biochar. It contains approx. 70–75 wt% carbon with the remaining % of hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen that help in enhancing soil health, conserving resources, improving overall fertility, and promoting sustainable use of resources.
Through this review paper, the authors aim to examine global development policies under which-despite the significant contribution of resources from the Third World Countries to the development process- these countries are not only deprived of its fruits but are also compelled to bear the brunt of the resulting climate and environmental crises. Drawing upon secondary literature, the authors have also endeavoured to analyse the process of the thirdworldization of environmental crises, while simultaneously delineating the limitations of newly emerging, mining-centric globalization policies- policies that have given rise to countless instances of discontent and social movements across various countries of the Third World. An effort has been made to cite examples of this discontent wherever possible in order to demonstrate how the environmental crisis is inextricably intertwined with socio-economic crises. To frame this discourse, three countries from the Third World have been selected, namely- Nigeria, Mexico, and Bangladesh- representing Africa, Latin America, and Asia respectively, all of which stand as major victims of climate injustices. Given the inherent limitations in accessing comprehensive research literature on the aforementioned subject, citing contemporary references at various points throughout this paper may, at times prove challenging.
The role of environmental variables on the abundance and distribution of benthic diatoms was determined in the river Belan (approx. 180 km long) from the Vindhyan Highlands in Central India. Standard methods were adopted to collect water and benthic diatom samples seasonally from five different stations during November 2021 and October 2022. The mean diatom density decreased from S1 (626.93 ± 78.95 cells mm⁻²) to S5 (511.19 ± 59.99 cells mm⁻²) except S4 (913.02 ± 229.56 cells mm⁻²), while diversity declined from headwater (S1; 90) to mouth section (S5; 61) and was extremely low at S3 (48) along the river length. The abundant benthic diatom taxa varied seasonally from S1 to S5. Aulacoseira granulata (Ehrenberg) Simonsen was the most abundant taxon in the winter season, but Cymbella affinis Kützing and Cymbella tumida (Brébisson) Van Heurck were abundant in the summer and monsoon seasons, respectively. The impact of environmental variables was evaluated by using an ordination technique (CCA) and found that electric conductivity, current velocity, chloride, free CO₂ and phosphate were important environmental variables responsible for the distribution of the diatom community. It indicated that chemical environmental variables were highly responsible for distribution rather than the physical variables.
Cadmium (Cd) contamination of agricultural soils posses a serious threat to crop productivity and food safety due to its high mobility, bioaccumulation potential, and toxicity. The increasing concern of heavy metal contamination in agricultural soils has necessitated the need to identify tolerant genotypes for sustainable crop production and phytoremediation strategies. The present investigation was undertaken to evaluate the impact of cadmium stress on growth parameters of Brassica juncea varieties Varuna and SVJ-64, widely cultivated in the Gwalior region of Madhya Pradesh as an important rabi-season crop, to assess the varietal differences for relative tolerance to Cd stress. This study was conducted under varying levels of cadmium chloride (CdCl₂) concentrations of 56, 84, 112 and 140 mg/kg and control conditions in clay pots for 45 days. Comparative analysis of growth parameters such as plant shoot length (PSL), plant shoot fresh weight (PSFW), plant shoot dry weight (PSDW), root fresh weight (RFW) and root dry weight (RDW) of both varieties revealed that the Varuna variety has enhanced tolerance and performed better for all growth parameters under the different concentration of Cd in comparison to SVJ-64. SVJ-64 showed a decline in PSL up to 47.85% and 64.51%, whereas in Varuna the decline observed was 34.82% and 53.28% in 112 mg/kg and 140 mg/kg, respectively, as compared to the control. Similarly, reduction in PSFW and PSDW, the decline in SVJ-64 was 66.5% and 66% in 140 mg/kg, while Varuna showed a 58.69% and 62% reduction. A higher percentage reduction was observed in RFW and RDW in SVJ-64, which was 89.75% and 69.33%, while in Varuna it was 57.4% and 45% at a higher concentration of Cd (140 mg/kg). Cadmium stress significantly reduced growth in Brassica juncea, with Varuna showing greater tolerance than SVJ-64, emphasising the role of varietal differences in Cd stress adaptation.
The objective of the present study was to isolate and identify endophytic fungi inhabiting various tissues (leaf, stem, bark, seed and petiole) of Jamun (Syzygium cumini L.Skeels). All the samples for the study were collected from four districts of Garhwal Mandal (Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri Garhwal, and Pauri Garhwal), Uttarakhand. Standard surface sterilisation methods were used to process the samples, and endophytic fungi were isolated on appropriate culture media. Fungal isolates were identified using morphological and microscopic features. 50 isolates were collected on various plant tissues. Among 50 isolates, 19 isolates were non-sporulating (mycelia sterilia) and 31 were sporulating isolates (genera: Fusarium, Colletotrichum, Penicillium, Aspergillus, Chaetomium, Alternaria, Trichoderma, Paecilomyces, and Phomopsis). The colonisation frequency and isolation frequency of the highest percentages (72.92 and 14.58) were observed in the stem samples of Pauri Garhwal. The research shows the variations in the endophytic fungi that have been found in various tissues of Jamun in the Garhwal region.
Excessive use of synthetic fertilizers may negatively affect overall soil health and the environment. There is a need to come up with alternative strategies to ensure competitive yields of crops and at the same time maintain soil ecological balance. The use of soil microorganisms as microbial inoculants in agriculture is considered an alternative approach to enhance crop growth. Soil is a good source of microorganisms that are capable of producing different beneficial enzymes such as silicase, phosphatase and other growth-promoting enzymes which are important in crop growth. Soil beneficial microorganisms such as silicate-solubilizing bacteria play an important role in solubilizing insoluble forms of silicates that are important in crop growth as well as Plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) significantly increased seed germination percentage, seedling length, vigor index, and biochemical parameters compared to control. crop productivity as well as plant protection. This study was conducted to identify and profile silicate-solubilizing bacteria (SSB) and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in soils and to evaluate the effect of PGPR and SSB on germination and biochemical parameters of rice seedlings of Rice (Oryza sativa) plants. In present study, the highest germination percentage, vigour index, seedling length, seedling fresh and dry weight was recorded in consortium treatment of Azospirillum + Bacillus + Pseudomonas + Silicate solubilizing bacteria. The gradual improvement of all the parameters of paddy seedling was recorded from single, dual when compared to control.
Rapid urbanisation, brass industry wastes, and untreated sewage in Moradabad have directly severed the Ganga River, which degrades its water quality. As previous studies suffered from short-term data and limited parameters, leaving critical gaps in seasonal and spatial pollution patterns. The present study overcomes these limitations with an extensive annual (February 2022-January 2023) investigation based on physicochemical parameters (temperature, pH, conductivity, turbidity, TDS, DO, BOD & COD) in four sampling sites by applying standard APHA testing methods along with BIS (IS 10500:2012) standards. The results revealed a significant deterioration in water quality downstream, with elevated conductivity (up to 470.8 µS/cm), turbidity (up to 100 NTU), TDS (up to 340.4 mg/L), BOD (up to 25 mg/L), and COD (up to 180.4 mg/L), alongside reduced DO levels (as low as 3.6 mg/L). Pearson correlation analysis indicated strong positive relationships among turbidity, TDS, conductivity, BOD, and COD (r > 0.85), suggesting common pollution sources, while DO showed negative correlations with these parameters. The findings indicate substantial organic and industrial pollution, primarily from untreated sewage and industrial effluents. The study establishes a baseline dataset and emphasises the necessity of effective wastewater management and continuous monitoring to restore the ecological health of the river.
With increased water scarcity and competition for water resources for agriculture sector with domestic and industrial sectors, efficient irrigation strategies have become essential for sustainable agriculture. This study, conducted for the Malda division in West Bengal, India, employs the FAO CROPWAT 8.0 model to estimate maize crop water requirements. Utilizing the Penman-Monteith method for evapotranspiration calculation and considering 50% of critical soil moisture depletion for irrigation decisions, the simulation study provides daily, decadal, and monthly crop water requirements at various growth stages for maize. The estimated values indicate a crop water requirement of 383.9 mm and an irrigation requirement of 340.9 mm. The study indicates that the maize crop needs six irrigations (at sowing, 20, 42, 63, 82, and 98 days after sowing) at 50% depletion during the rabi season in sandy loam soil (New Alluvium). The CROPWAT 8.0 estimated the daily ET0 of 2.89 mm/day in December to 5.98 mm/day in March.
