International Conference on Water Resource

International Conference on Water Resource: Innovation in Quality and Quantity, Sustainable Development Challenges and Management

Sabu Joseph, A.P Pradeepkumar, E. Shaji, V. Salom Gnana Thanga, and D.S Jaya (eds)

March 2018 Department of Environmental Sciences & Department of Geology University of Kerala Trivandrum, India

Edited by Sabu Joseph, A.P Pradeepkumar, E. Shaji, V. Salom Gnana Thanga, and D.S Jaya

Editorial assistance Rajesh. S., Vishnu Sagar M. K, and Arunkumar P.S

Proceeding of the International Conference on Water Resource: Innovation in Quality and Quantity, Sustainable Development Challenges and Management

15-17 March 2018

Published by Dept of Geology, University of Kerala, Trivandrum, India.

ISBN 978-81-937053-0-8

Typeset, printed and bound by Prasanth Printers, Kazhakuttom, Kerala, India

Foreword Over the centuries, civilisations have relied on the availability of clean and inexpensive water for their sustenace and progress. This can no longer be taken for granted as the need for water continues to increase due to the pressure from growing global population, and an increasing demand for higher living standards. Agriculture and industry, the major users of water, are at the same time those that contribute to its contamination. Thus the quality of the freshwater resources as well as their per capita availability are decreasing. Water distribution network in urban areas, as well as soiled water collection systems, present serious problems consequent to a growing population, as well as the need to maintain ageing infrastructures. There is, thus, a need for effective water resources management strategies to meet the sustainable development challenges. Many technologically feasible solutions such as desalinisation and pumping systems are energy demanding, but as costs rise, the techniques currently developed need to be re-assessed. Policy makers need to be educated and advised on developing policies and regulations that will support the water systems of tomorrow. The role of society and its involvement with water is paramount. To meet the future demands for water, new standards, innovations, new training and additional support roles will best be delivered by those with expertise in the innovative technologies. The intention of this conference titled “Water Resources: Innovations in Quality and Quantity, Sustainable Development Challenges and Management (ICWR 2018)” is to bring together post graduates, researchers, academicians, scientists, and professionals working on various aspects of water resources under a common academic platform. This will enable them to learn and promote the discovery of knowledge and decision-making tools applied to the functioning and sustainable use of surface and groundwater sources. This volume of abstract proceedings of the conference will provide the readers a gist of the deliberations and engagements in the ICWR2018. Divided into two broad sections, viz., surface and ground waters, about 67 papers are presented under surface water covering 11 subthemes and 37 papers under groundwater covering 12 sub-themes. It is hoped that this volume will be of interest to researchers, experts, and policy makers in the fields of water management and conservation. Graduate students and those wishing to conduct research in these topics will find it a, invaluable resource. I take this opportunity to thank my co-workers and researchers in the Dept. of Environmental Sciences and Dept. of Geology to make this conference a reality and the University of Kerala for funding the conference.

Thiruvananthapuram 15/03/2018

SABU JOSEPH Organising Secretary

Abstracts Theme: Groundwater Sl. No

Title and Authors

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Hydrochemical evolution and aquifer studies of groundwater in parts of Peddavuramandal, Nalgonda district, Telangana, India. RamavathHari

1

Characterization of groundwater chemistry of Umrercoalmines area, Nagpur district, Maharashtra. Anil M Pophare, Alpashi L Sadawarti, Prasad M Muthal

3

Bacterial Pathogen Detection in the Groundwater sources of Valiathura-Muttathara areas of Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala. Jainy Varghese and D S Jaya

4

Ground water quality mapping of Kolasib district, Mizoram, India using GIS technique. John Blick, Lalruatfeli M, Lalbiakmawia F

5

Assessment of groundwater quality and saline intrusions in coastal aquifers of northern Kerala. Vrinda M, Kartheek M and M A Mohammed Aslam

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Groundwater resouce analysis using statistical techniques – A case of Vaippar river, Tamil Nadu. Rengan V, Kirithiga M and Parthasarathy G R

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luoride contamination of groundwater and its impacts on human health in Amangaland MadgulMandals, Ranga Reddy district, Telangana. Thirupathi Bookya and NarsingRao A

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Identification of groundwater prospective zones using remote sensing and GIS in the NarayanpurMandal, Yadadri district, Telangana, India. Vamshi Krishna G, Venkatesh B, Ravindar P and NarsingRao A

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A review of recent heuristic optimisers in inverse groundwater modelling. Alice Thomas, Eldho T I and Rastogi A K

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Application of geo-spatial technology for ground water quality mapping of Lunglei district, Mizoram, India. Marina Lalruatfeli and FLalbiakmawia

11

Quantitative Geomorphic Analysis for Assessment of Groundwater Potential in Yadamavina Hole Watershed using RS and GIS. Amal George, Krishnaiah C, Praveen G Deshbhandariand Santosh C

12

Groundwater prospect mapping using remote sensing and GIS techniques in ChhokraNala Raipur district, Chattisgarh, India. Indhulekha K and D C Jhariya

13

Assessment of physico-chemical and bacteriological characteristics of ground water near the clay mining sites of Azhoor gramapanchayat, Trivandrum. Alfiya Salam R and Sabu Joseph

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Hyderabad Ground Water Fluctuation Analysis Using GIS. AnandGopagani

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Hydrogeochemical studies ofNavikulam and adjoining areas, South Kerala, India. Kavyanjali KV and Binoj Kumar R B

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Groundwater quality of Alappad coast, Kollam district, Kerala, India: monitoring and evaluation. Ambili M S and V Sivanandan Achari

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Artificial Groundwater Recharge through Rice (OryzaSativa) Cultivation: A Systematic Review. Adarsh S

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Aquifer characterisation using integration of geophysical data from conventional and advanced techniques – A case study in Ankasandra watershed, part of Krishna river basin, Karnataka. G Krishnamurthy and S S Vittala

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Spatial analysis of groundwater potential using RS Payapparasubwatershed ofMeenachil river basin, Kerala, India. Vincy M V, Brilliant R, and Pradeepkumar A P

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and

GIS

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Geomorphology and groundwater potential in parts of Cuddapah district, Andhra Pradesh, India- A remote sensing &GIS approach. P R C Phani and S Balamurugan

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Hydro-chemical and geophysical investigations to delineate saline water intrusion in the southern coastal stretch of Kasaragod district, Kerala, India. Priya K

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Assessment of groundwater quality in munroe island, South India. Arsha Babu, Sonu Sasidharan and Jaya D S

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Semidiurnalvariations of selected groundwater quality parameters with special reference to data quality assurance. Kaladevi V, Preetha S S and Veenalekshmi P R

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Water quality analysis of groundwater for drinking purpose by using water quality index method in Azhoorgramapanchayath, Thiruvananthapuram. Anila George and Nivedi S M

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Struggle for water rights: lessons from anti coca cola agitation in Plachimada. Nowfal N

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Distribution of arsenic in ground water and management for drinking water in some rural parts of Raichurdistrict,Karnataka, India. Shwetha B and Puttaiah E T

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Drinking water accessibility in Kerala – Need of a paradigmshift. P Padma, E V Ramasamy, T Muralivallabhan and A P Thomas

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Challenges of artificial groundwater recharging in multiuser multilayered aquifers - A case study from Kottukal watershed, Thiruvananthapuram district, India. Lal Thompson and Arunchand A

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Impact of pit latrines on ground water quality. Sahil Mor

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Ground water level fluctuation of dug well samples from Perayamgramapanchayath, Kollam district, Kerala. Reji P G and Sabu Joseph

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Delineation of groundwater potential in Devikulamtaluk, Idukki district, Kerala using remote sensing, GIS and MIF Techniques. Suresh S and Rajesh S

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A case study on hydrogeological controls on morphometry by using geospatial technique in Pamba sub basin, Kerala, India. S Anitha Shyam, M Santhana Subramoni, S Shakti Murugan and E Shaji Hydrogeo-stratigraphic model of coastal sediments in the Kuttanad area of Kerala, India. V Kunhambu, D S Suresh Babu and N Vinayachandran Ground water governance in India: an overview with special emphasis on enforcement constraints. Sampath Kumar E, Kunhambu V,Vinayachandran N, and Vijesh V K

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Hydrochemistry and radon based groundwater inflow investigation in Killiyar river, Southern Kerala. Anu Rani, Sukanya S, Sabu Joseph and Noble Jacob

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Spatial distribution of groundwater radon and hydrochemistry of Karamana river basin, Kerala, India. Sukanya S, Akhil R V, Sabu Joseph and Noble Jacob

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Water conservation through managed aquifer recharge in hard rock areas– A case study from Kasargod district, Kerala, India. Nandakumaran P, Kunhambu V, Balakrishnan K & Raj Kumar C

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Appraisement of groundwater quality along Vembayam and Vamanapuram areas, Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala. G Sreenath and K Balakrishnan

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Role of information, education and communication in groundwater governance. VineethaV J , Faseeja N and Binoj Kumar R B

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Abstracts Theme: Surface Water

Sl. No

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Potential impacts of climate change on surface water quality ofPonnani estuary and lower reaches of Bharathapuzha. Arunkumar K S and Shahin K S

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Lipid peroxidation reaction, glutathione peroxidase and total peroxidase responses in anabas testudineus (BLOCH, 1792)exposed to laundry detergent. Thansi S and Akhila S Nair

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Pesticide mottled water bodies in the leading tributaries of Chalakkudy river, Thrissur district, Kerala. Allan Thomas, Thomas George, Usha C Thomas and Vagvala Suryaja

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On the effect of environmental changes induced by coastal megacities. Renjith Vishnu Radhan, Eldho T I and Divya David T

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Effective flocculation of different microalgae using chitosan as bioflocculant. Sajeetha S, Pramitha V S, Aiswarya Anil R, Fathima J A, BeegamSahinaSadik S and Alsif H

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Inferences derived from isotopic characterization of river water (Bhagirathi River) sampled near snout of GangotriGlacier in Western Himalaya. D Singh, S P Rai, S Kumar, M Arora, N Pant, S K Swain, R S Ahluwalia and H N Nainwal

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Lake water quality assessment in Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu, India. K P Ganesh, T Gomathi and L Arul Pragasan

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Isotopic and hydro-chemical evaluation of springs in Mandakini river catchment, Western Himalayas, India. S K Swain, S P Rai, Sudhir Kumar, D Singh, N Pant, Rajeev S Ahluwalia

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Study of physical and chemical parameters of soil and water from mangrove forest in the island of Edayilakkad, North Kerala, India. AshilaBabu P and M A Mohammed Aslam

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Catchment classification in data-scarce regions using a linear classification technique. AiswaryaKunnath-Poovakka and Eldho T I

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Quality assessment of water bodies in eruthenpathypanchayat of Palakkad district. Anusree N, Rejani V U, Umadevi P P, Akhil P S, Akhil Pisharody, Gopika Rajagopal and Jithin C V

52

Trend analysis of long-term rainfall and temperature data for Ethiopia. Karam A Elzopy, Ashish K Chaturvedi, K Madhava Chandran and U Surendran

53

Effect of physico-chemical parameters on species biodiversity with special reference to the phytoplankton from Kottakayal, South Kerala. Jensy Roshan F and Sreejai R

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A Spatial analysis of geomorphology in gadwal schist belt, Telangana State J P Vishnu and A Narsing Rao

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Environmental impact of coal mining production on Surface and groundwater quality in and around Manuguru Area, BhadradriKothagudem district, Telangana. Tahmeena Begum and A Narsing Rao

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Use of aquatic insects for monitoring water quality of Chalakudi river, Kerala, India. Banazair O A and Christopher G

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Marine pollution and its impacts: Scrutinising existing legal instruments in India. Jyothi Thomas

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Wetland hydro-ecology of Veli lake Fouzia J and G Prasad

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Bioremediation of perchlorate contaminated water Sheeja S, Sreelekshmi V S, Gopika S K and Mini I

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An eyeball upon Cauvery water dispute, A case study in human rights landscape Nair Swathy Balasaraswathi

61

Evaluation and assessment of water quality parameters of Poovar estuary Kerala, south west coast of India. Divya P C and H Mary Helen

62

Assessment of water quality parameters of water collected from Kadiyapattanam estuary, south west coast of India. Sreekala S and Mary Helen H

63

The effect of drumstick seed, MoringaOleifera, in water Purification. P G Lekshmi Ganesh, P Pournami, L Lekshmi and Surya Suresh

64

Effect of the Neonicotenoid Insecticide, Imidacloprid, on antioxidant enzymes of the fish Nile Tilapia, (OreochromisNiloticus) (L) Ajitha B S and C A Jayaprakas

65

Evaluation of phytoplankton diversity and environmental implications of two lacustrine wetlands, located in midlandand lowland critical zones of Kerala, India. Revathy Das and A Krishnakumar

66

Studies on the evaluation of water samples of Manakudyestuary with adjoining rivers, South West coast of India. V Lola Catherine and H Mary Helen

67

Solar driven photocatalytic performance of ZnO/MoS2 nanocomposites for the degradation of methylene blue dye from waste water. A Mahesh, I N Jawahar and V Biju

68

Prioritization of micro-watersheds in the Sampakhand sub-watershed based on morphometric analysis : A geospatial approach. Jayaram G N, Justin D, Praveen G Deshbhandari and Gangadhara R

69

Integrated rural urban water management for climate based adaptations in Indian cities. MonalisaSen

70

Application of sequencing batch reactor (SBR) for treatment of waste water from textile industry. Jeevan Koli

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Assessment of physico-chemical parameters and heavy metals in Sasthamkotta lake ecosystem in Southern Kerala. L Lekshmi and S Sheeba

72

In-vitro regeneration of Eichhorniacrassipes as a potential tool for treating textile effluent Pavithra M, HinaKousar, Dhanushree M S, Navitha K R and Akshatha K U

73

Potential application of β-1, 3 glucanase from brackish water isolate of Pseudomonas aeruginosa MCCB 123 in fungal DNA extraction. Divya Jose, P Jayesh, Prem Gopinath, A Mohandas and I S Bright Singh

74

Comparative studies of lineaments extraction from ASTER-DEM, SRTM and cartosatdem for Jilledubanderu river basin, Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh by using remote sensing and GIS. M Rajasekhar, G Sudarsana Raju, R Siddi Raju, M Ramachandra, B Pradeep Kumar

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Application of phytoplankton indices as pollution indicators in Poovar estuary, Southern Kerala. Anzamol B S and Sabu Joseph

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Impact of water pollution on health and its remedial measures. Greeshma R K

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Environmental concern of landdegradtion and desertification areas of Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh. B Pradeep Kumar, K Raghu Babu and P Padma Sree

78

Influence of environmental variables on the diversity of Gastropods and bivalves in Ashtamudi lake sediment, Kerala,India. Prince S Godson, Binimol T S and Salom Gnana Thanga V

79

Modeling a rudimentary information system for Phytoremediation of waste water (PRIS). Ponni Ganesan and A B Sagar

80

Surface and ground water contamination in connection with seasonal mass gathering: A study from Pamba river and nearby wells. Joice K Joseph, Anand Zacharias, Karunakaran Akhildev and AP Pradeepkumar

81

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GNOME model of MV Seraya oil spill, Karwar. Sowmya K, K S Jayappa and Prasad S J

82

42

Assessment of surface and ground water quality in Periyarriver basin with special reference to its upper catchments, southern western ghats. Jeenu Jose, Reshma Raj V, A Krishnakumar and Anoop Krishnan K

83

Optimisation of sulphonatedazo dye decolorisation by sulphate reducing bacteria. Sreelekshmi V and Salom Gnana Thanga V

84

Water quality and community health status of a wetland area receiving non-point source contamination: A case study fromKuttanad, Kerala. Sylas V P and Vigimol P V

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Ichthyo-diversity in sewage fed lentic ecosystems of Bangalore. Sincy V, Asulabha K S, Jaishanker R and Ramachandra T V

86

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Micro algal diversity in select lakes of Vrishabhavathi valley, Greater Bangalore. Asulabha K S, Sincy V, Jaishanker R and Ramachandra T

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‘kayalkuthu’: A history of reclamation in Kuttanad, India. Santhosh T Kaleb

88

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Studies on sea water intrusion in coastal aquifers in relation with urban activities. Libia Hazra, Ch Ramakrishna, A Ram Sailesh and N Srinivas

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Wastewater treatment using chrysopogonZizanioides and Phragmiteskarka in a constructed wetland. Nandani Pari Ghimire, Sunil Babu Khatryand Ramji Bogati, Ramjee Shrestha, Bhoj Raj Pant

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The impact of climate change on water resources: A case study from Rajasthan, India. Rajeev M M and Vishnu K Santhosh

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Morphometric analysis of gowri hole, South Canara district, Karnataka, India. Pranit B Gajbhiye, Sharath Raj B and Chetan Laxman Hulsure Vedic river Saraswati: Mythology vs. Geology. Mahanish Panda, Mohit Singh and Sarath Raj B

52 53

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Water quality assessment of selected sites of Ithikkara river with special reference to bacteriology. Anila George, P Bindu and Sreethi Krishnan

94

Morphometric analysis of the Thalapady river basin of southern Karnataka, India - A GIS and remote sensing approach. Priya K and Praveena Kumar N

95

Saltwater intrusion on freshwater coastal aquifers withrespectto consecutive tidal variations in kadakkavoorpanchayat, Thiruvananthapuram. Preetha S S, Kaladevi V and Arya N S

96

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Characteristics and pollution potential of urban municipal solid waste leachate. Arunbabu V and E V Ramasamy

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Surface water resources of India: Interlinking of rivers vs. rejuvenation of lakes. Mahanish Panda, Mohit Singh, Sthitaprajna Devi and Sharath Raj B

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Removal of dye from aqueous media using coir pith and modified coir pith. Swarnalatha K, Lea Mathew, Anuranjana Jaya J G, Das Anitha Ravindranath and S Radhakrishnan

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Bio control of pathogenic Vibrio harveyi in shrimp larval rearing water using lytic bacteriophages. I S Surekhamol and I S Bright Singh

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Fly ash adsorption technique in waste water treatment. Nitasha Vig, Suman Mor and Ravindra Khaiwal

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Evaluation of treated effluent from electroplating industry and their impact on aquatic environment using Chlorella vulgaris and Daniorerio as model organisms. Ajitha V, Sreevidya C P , Jayesh P, I S Bright Singh and Mohandas A

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Removal of Pollutants from Wastewater Using Different Types of Nanoparticles/fibres. Akshi Goyaland Suman Mor Evaluation on the benthic environment of Sasthamkotta lake in relation to microbial stress. Munisha Murali S and S Sheeba

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Screening of Vibrio harveyi phages based on amplification of unfavorable genes and infection characteristics for phage therapy in Aquaculture. I S Surekhamol, V F Sanu, Divya Jose and I S Bright Singh

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Land-use pattern and water quality characteristics of Neyyarriver basin, Kerala, India. Badusha M and Santhosh S

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LasB protease from Pseudomonas aeruginosa MCCB 123 isolated from brackish water environment. Divya Jose, Manjusha K, Seena Jose, A Mohandas and I S Bright Singh

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Functionality analysis of the agro-ecosystem of Riparian tributaries of Chalakkudy river. Allan Thomas, Usha C Thomas, Sreelakshmy S and Suryaja V

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Nutrient dynamics and pollution status of Ashtamudi lake, a ramsar site in Kerala, south west coast of India. Vishnu Sagar M K, Arunkumar P S, Sabu Joseph, Sheela A M and Andrea Ghermandi

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Mapping surface water dynamics in sub-upper Krishna basinusing normalized difference water index. Avinash S Ashtekar, Avinash S Ashtekar and Ali RazaMoosvi

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Groundwater governance in Kerala - an overview Shaji E

110a

Ramavath Hari

Hydrochemical evolution and aquifer studies of groundwater in parts...

Hydrochemical evolution and aquifer studies of groundwater in parts of Peddavura mandal, Nalgonda district, Telangana, India Ramavath Hari Dept. of Geology, University College of science, Osmania University Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Introduction: Groundwater resources and their quality are the most important aspects in their utilization for different purposes. Hydro-chemical evolution reveals the rock-water interaction including the quality of water that is suitable for drinking, agriculture and industrial purposes. Other than rock-water interaction, water quality is also depends on anthropogenic influence like industrialization. The major and trace elements of groundwater play a significant role in classifying and assessing water quality.Residual sodium carbonate (RSC) can be used as a criterion for finding the suitability of irrigation waters. It was observed that the criteria used in the classification of waters for a particular purpose considering the individual concentration may not find its suitability for other purposes and better results can be obtained only by considering the combined chemistry of all the ions rather than individual or paired ionic characters. Chemical classification also throws light on the concentration of various predominant cations, anions and their interrelationships. A number of techniques and methods have been developed to interpret the chemical data. Study Area: The study area is covered in Survey of India toposheet number 56 P/2 is part of Peddavura schist belt (PSB) which is a NW-SE trending narrow linear belt extending for over 60 km from Juvvigudem in the NW in Nalgonda district to Tummurukota in the SE in Guntur district southern part of the traverse. The PSB can be visualized as mega-xenoliths in the granite terrain. Its hook-shaped southerly extensions are concealed partly by the Proterozoic cover sequence, but spectacular windows of the PSB are exposed through the sedimentary cover near NagarjunaSagar. Geology of the Area: From the information of the geology of the study area, collected from various sources is discussed. The Nalgonda district is located in the north eastern part of the Proterozoic Cuddapah basin is located between latitudes 16o 15'N to 17o 45'N and longitudes 78o 45' E to 80o E. The district covers an area of 17,170 Sq.Km and is bounded on the north by Medak and Warangal districts, on the east by Khammam and Krishna districts, on the south by Guntur and Mahabubnagar districts. The geological formations in the area include unclassified granites and gneisses of Archaean age, Cumbumshales, Phyllites, Srisailam quartzites of the Cuddapah super group, and shales of the younger Kurnool group of rocks. The hornblende schists and amphibolites (Older Metamorphics) which are oldest rocks occur, as rafts, enclaves and discontinuous linear bands, within the Peninsular Gneissic Complex. The distinct comprises migmatities, granites granodiorite, tonalitic-trondhjemite suite of rocks and hornblende-biotite schist, metabasalts, meta-rhyolite and banded hematite quartzite and Dharwar super group are exposed as linear belts near Peddavura on the Hyderabad-Nagarjunasagar road and also around Fatepur of Miryalgudamandal. In the southern part of the district along the northern Sabu Joseph, A.P Pradeepkumar, E. Shaji, V. Salom Gnana Thanga, and D.S Jaya (eds) International conference on water resource: Innovation in quality and quantity, sustainable development challenges and management, Dept of Environmental Sciences and Dept of Geology, University of Kerala, India, 15-17 March 2018, 110p ISBN 978-81-937053-0-8 1

Ramavath Hari

Hydrochemical evolution and aquifer studies of groundwater in parts...

bank of Krishna river the rocks of Archaean Peninsular Gneissic complex are unconformable overlain by sedimentary rocks of 1100-600 Ma, constituting the Cuddapah super group and Kurnool group. The Cuddapah super group in the district is predominantly made up of erinaceous and argillaceous sediments respectively, represented by quartzite and shale of Cumbum formation and Srisailam quartzite. The Kurnool group of rocks comprised calcareous sediments and quartzite. Objectives: The objective of the present research work is to discuss the rock-water interaction in turn giving themajor ion chemistry of groundwater in parts of PeddavuraMandal of Nalgonda District. • To delineate shallow and deeper ground water potential zones. • To generate hydrogeological and hydrochemical database. • For development of a hydrochemical model of the study area and to generate hydrochemical thematic maps to understand the state of different constituents of ground water. • Determination of trends of water quality variation with references to drinking and irrigation suitability. • To find the water table level and the ground water flow direction. • Methodology: The following are the investigations proposed in methodology to achieve the aim of the objectives: • Field investigations: • Detailed geological and structural mapping of the study area. • Collection of the groundwater samples from the various sources in the study area. • Conduct of pumping tests. Laboratory investigations: • Interpretation of pumping tests data collected from the field. • Analysis of the groundwater samples collected from the field. • Preparation of the detailed groundwater quality map. • Preparation of the hydrochemical thematic maps. • Water quality variation studies with reference to drinking and irrigation suitability. • Interpretation of the water table levels and ground water flow directions. • There are number of methods to interpret and classify the chemistry of groundwater in hard rock terrains. Different classification methods will be used to studycritically the hydrochemical characteristics of groundwaterinthe study area. • Final output of this research will be much useful to the society particularly to the people living this area for their use of drinking water, irrigation and industrial purposes. This study will also be helpful in the construction of check dams, water harvesting structures in turn improves the groundwater occurrences.

Sabu Joseph, A.P Pradeepkumar, E. Shaji, V. Salom Gnana Thanga, and D.S Jaya (eds) International conference on water resource: Innovation in quality and quantity, sustainable development challenges and management, Dept of Environmental Sciences and Dept of Geology, University of Kerala, India, 15-17 March 2018, 110p ISBN 978-81-937053-0-8 2

Anil M Pophare et al.

Characterization of groundwater chemistry of Umrer coalmines area, Nagpur district...

Characterization of groundwater chemistry of Umrer coalmines area, Nagpur district, Maharashtra Anil M Pophare*, Alpashi L Sadawarti, Prasad M Muthal Dept. of Geology, RTM Nagpur University, Law College Square, Nagpur-440 001, India *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the groundwater quality of the villages in the vicinity of Umrer coal mines area, Nagpur district, Maharashtra. Total 15 samples each from pre-monsoon and post-monsoon season of 2016 were collected from various bore wells and dug wells at different location. These samples were analysed to ascertain their suitability for drinking and irrigation purposes. Various physio chemical parameters were determined for the collected samples such as pH, EC, TH, TDS, etc. To check the suitability of groundwater for potability purpose, the acquired analytical results were compared with that of the specifications recommended by BIS and WHO. All the parameters are well within the specified values of the standards, except for Cl- (1 sample from pre monsoon season has value of 320mg/l) and NO3- (5 samples from pre monsoon and 3 samples from post monsoon season have values above the permissible limit). The study revealed that the samples are suitable for irrigation purpose based on the classifications given by SAR, Kelley’s ratio, U.S. Salinity Laboratory Diagram, Magnesium ratio, etc. On the basis of this study and analytical results, it is concluded that the coal mines does not have any adverse environmental impact on the quality of groundwater of the villages under study. Identification of hydrochemical facies of groundwater has been carried out on the basis of chemical analysis. The plot of Piper’s trilinear diagram show that groundwater samples for both pre monsoon and post monsoon seasons fall in region 1, 3, and 4 indicating the dominance of alkaline earths (Ca2+ + Mg2+) over the alkalies (Na+ + K+). The weak acid (HCO3-) exceeds strong acids (SO4- + Cl-) and the plot fall in region 1 and 3. Keywords: Groundwater quality, Hydrochemical facies, Umrer coal Mines, Nagpur


Jainy Varghese and D S Jaya

Bacterial Pathogen Detection in the Groundwater sources of Valiathura...

Bacterial Pathogen Detection in the Groundwater sources of Valiathura-Muttathara areas of Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala Jainy Varghese* and D S Jaya Dept. of Environmental Sciences, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram-695 581 *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Safe drinking water for all is one of the major challenges of the 21st century. The presence of microbial pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, pathogenic protozoa and helminthes in groundwater pose a great risk to public health. Pathogenic microorganisms can spread through drinking water and cause water borne diseases such as cholera, jaundice, gastroenteritis, diarrhoea, etc. The major objective of the study was to assess the bacterial pathogens in the groundwater sources of Valiathura-Muttathara areas of Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala. Water samples were collected from 42 groundwater samples (29 dug wells and 13 tube wells) in the surroundings of the Valiathura Sewage Farm during the period January 2010 to December 2010 covering the pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. The bacteriological analysis of the collected water samples was carried out to assess the total coliforms and faecal coliform counts. For the determination of pathogenic bacteria in the contaminated well water samples, 500 ml of water samples were collected in aseptic conditions from selected 22 dug wells and 8 tube wells in the study area which recorded high values of total coliforms and faecal coliforms counts in all the three seasons studied. Results of the study on pathogens revealed that 26.6% of the groundwater sources (16.6% dug wells and 10% tube wells) were contaminated with Salmonella sp., Shigella sp., Vibrio cholerae and Yersinia enterocolitica. This may be due to the leaching of waste water from soak pit/septic tanks, Sewage Farm and Parvathy Puthanar canal to the groundwater sources in the study area. The study also revealed the intensity of occurrence of different pathogenic bacteria in groundwater samples of the study area is in the order: Shigella sp. > Yersinia enterocolitica > Salmonella sp. > Vibrio cholerae. Therefore the study points out that groundwater sources in the study area was contaminated with waterborne pathogens and residents in the area may have chance to get infected with diseases like dysentery, cholera, typhoid and gastroenteritis due to the consumption of raw water from the wells. Hence Kerala State Health Department authorities should take stringent measures to create awareness among the residents to adopt methodologies for personal hygiene, good sanitation practices, solid waste management and periodic cleaning of wells using suitable disinfectants. Keywords: Groundwater, Pathogenic bacteria, Water borne diseases, Valiathura


John Blick et al.

Ground water quality mapping of Kolasib district, Mizoram, India using GIS technique

Ground water quality mapping of Kolasib district, Mizoram, India using GIS technique John Blick1*, M. Lalruatfeli2, F. Lalbiakmawia2 1

Dept. of Geology, Mizoram University, Aizawl, Mizoram, India 2 Public Health Engineering Department, Mizoram, India *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

One of the most important natural resources which is extremely crucial for our daily life is water. Surface water and ground water are the two types of sources from which we obtain this essential resource. Erratic and irregular availability of surface water leads to exploration and utilization of ground water for irrigation, industrial and domestic purposes. Therefore, the quality of ground water is equally important as its quantity. The present study utilizes Geographical Information System (GIS) technique to map the spatial variation of ground water quality in Kolasib district, Mizoram. Ground water samples were collected from 30 point sources randomly distributed within the area. The concentration of major water quality parameters namely pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC), Total Dissolved Solids, Total Alkalinity, Total hardness, Iron, Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Nitrate Sulphate and HCO3 have been analyzed in a laboratory for all the samples. The spatial variation maps of these ground water quality parameters were generated and utilize as thematic layers. Different classes within each thematic layer were assigned weightages in numerical rating from 1 to 3 as attribute values in GIS environment. Summation of attributes values of the thematic layers were utilize to generate the final ground water quality map. This final map shows the different classes of ground water quality within the district which can be utilize to provide a guideline for the suitability of ground water uses. Keywords: GIS, Ground water, Water quality, Kolasib district


Vrinda M et al.

Assessment of groundwater quality and saline intrusions in coastal aquifers of northern Kerala

Assessment of groundwater quality and saline intrusions in coastal aquifers of northern Kerala Vrinda M1*, Kartheek M1 and M A Mohammed Aslam2 Department of Geology, Govt. College, Kasaragod, Kerala Department of Geology, Central University of Karnataka, Gulbarga-585367, Karnataka. 1

2

Groundwater is a vital and essential component of any life support system. High population growth, industrialization and unplanned urbanization ended up with over exploitation of groundwater resources and its degradation particularly along the coastal habitats. Among the fresh ground water resources, the unconfined aquifer systems are the most vulnerable ones, along the coastal habitats, since the exploitation is much easier and inexpensive. But they are highly susceptible to contamination, either from seawater or nearby point sources of pollution, because of the highly porous sandy/ sandy-loam medium which allows quick horizontal movements to compensate the water levels due to the vertical exploitation. The present hydro-geochemical study was confined to coastal aquifers of Northern Kerala were selected for an assessment of its groundwater quality and impact of saline water intrusion. A total number of 18 groundwater samples were subjected to various physicochemical analyses. Results obtained were compared with permissible values for WHO standards and it revealed that almost all the water samples were significantly hard and conductance of water samples are within the limit. The salinity was delineated by measuring sample’s chloride concentration and total dissolved solids. Based on the total hardness and TDS 56% of the groundwater samples are not suited for drinking purpose. Keywords: unconfined aquifer, groundwater quality, hydro-geochemical assessment, saline water intrusion, physicochemical analysis


V Rengan et al.

Groundwater resouce analysis using statistical techniques–A case of Vaippar river, Tamil Nadu

Groundwater resouce analysis using statistical techniques – A case of Vaippar river, Tamil Nadu V. Rengan*, M. Kirithiga and G.R. Parthasarathy Department of Geography, Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur – 610005 *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Land and water are most important and precious elements of panja boothas in the world, because they form the base for all living and nonliving things. The world land and water share is about 29% and 71% respectively. Of these 71% of water has forms different ways like, Ocean River, Lake and underground water also. Only 2.5% of the planet’s abundant water is available to us as fresh water through both ground and surface water resource. India is a tropical country it is depends on monsoon rainfall, more than 75% of rainfall accruing during the monsoon season. The rainfall is primary source for water and it is characterized by its amount, intensity and distribution in time. Rainfall is the main determining factor for the amount of the groundwater in any area. Geology also plays a dominant role for groundwater storage. In the past a drop of water is flexible. At present a drop of water is powerful. In the future a drop of water is in demand. It clearly mentions about the importance of water resources for the present world situation. India is not an exception to this. Southern part of Tamil Nadu State basically semi-arid region. Vaippar river basin is an important water source in Virudhunagar and adjacent, districts. The study was conducted to evaluate groundwater quality in Vaippar basin. Groundwater level is systematically measured in the wells which can be conveniently studied by means of maps and graphs. For the present study both dugwells and borewlls are taken for groundwater level analysis. The paper describes an attempt to analyze the status of groundwater level of the study area. In order to understand the level of groundwater and their fluctuations also have been analysed through Arc GIS environ and SPSS. Key words: Groundwater, Vaippar, GIS, SPSS and Resource


Thirupathi Bookya and A Narsing Rao

Fluoride contamination of groundwater and its impacts on human...

Fluoride contamination of groundwater and its impacts on human health in Amangal and Madgul Mandals, Ranga Reddy district, Telangana Thirupathi Bookya* and A. Narsing Rao Department of Geology, Osmania University Hyderabad 500007 *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Groundwater forms the major source of drinking water in the rural areas of most of the developing nations in the world. Fluoride content in groundwater that is greater than the WHO limit of 1.5 mg/l, causes dental and skeletal fluorosis. In India, several states are affected with excess fluoride in groundwater. Presence of high concentration of fluoride in groundwater is a major problem in many countries as it causes health related problems. The problem is aggravated due to the lack of appropriate and user friendly defluoridation technology. The present study was carried out with the objective of determining the causes for higher fluoride concentration in groundwater in parts of Amangal and Madgul Mandals of Ranga Reddy District, Telangana, India. Fluoride concentration in groundwater of this area was analysed by collecting 33 representative groundwater samples from surface water, dug wells and Bore wells. Samples were collected during post-monsoon period in 2016. The concentration of fluoride in the study area during the period of study varies from 0.79 mg/l to 4.75 mg/l in post-monsoon period, 59% of the samples are above the maximum permissible limit.The possible sources of fluoride in groundwater are weathering and leaching of fluoride bearing minerals from the basement granitic rocks of this region under alkaline environment. By nature, the granitic rocks of this area possess fluoride values greater than the world average content in granitic rocks. 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 Amangal and Madgul and also to assess the possible causes for high concentration of fluoride in groundwater. Keywords: Groundwater, Fluoride contamination, Human health, Amangal & Madgul.


Vamshi Krishna G et al.

Identification of groundwater prospective zones using remote sensing and GIS...

Identification of groundwater prospective zones using remote sensing and GIS in the Narayanpur Mandal, Yadadri district, Telangana, India Vamshi Krishna G1*, Venkatesh B3, Ravindar P2 and Narsing Rao A2 1

District Groundwater Officer, Groundwater Department, Hyderabad 2 Deaprtment of Geology, Osmania University, Hyderabad 3 Deaprtment of Geography, Osmania University, Hyderabad *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

This paper mainly deals with the integrated approach of remote sensing and Geographical systems (GIS) to delineate ground water prospective zones in Narayanpur Mandal in Nalgonda district. The various thematic layers generated for delineating groundwater potential zones are geomorphology, geology, Lineament, Lineament Density, Drainage, Drainage Density, Slope and Land use/Land cover (LULC). Weighted index overlay (WIO) technique is used to investigate a number of choice possibilities and evaluate suitability according to the associated weight of each unit. The integrated map of the area shows different zones of groundwater prospects, viz. very good (0.58% of the area), good (1.89% of the area), moderate (50.03% of the area) and poor (47.46% of the area). The study area occurs in the western part of Nalgonda district and lies between latitudes 170 02′ - 170 12′ N and longitudes 780 46′ - 780 59′ E covering Survey of India toposheet no 56 k/16. Major part of the investigated area falls in western part of the Yadadri district. The study area covering of 252 Sq.km comprises 14 revenue villages. The climate in this region is generally hot because it falls under semi arid climate. The average maximum temperature in the summer months generally varies between 350 C to 420 and the average minimum temperature between 100 C and 220 C. The average rainfall of the study area is about 725 mm. The study area is underlain by basement granitic/granitic gneisses of late Archaean are exposed in most part of this area. They are generally medium to coarse grained. These rocks are traversed by numerous dolerite dykes and quartz veins. Groundwater is the major source for all purpose and is being exploited mainly through dug wells (12 to 21 mts) and shallow bore wells (up to 35mts) for drinking and irrigation purposes. Keywords: Ground water prospective zones, Remote sensing, GIS, Nalgonda


Alice Thomas et al.

A review of recent heuristic optimisers in inverse groundwater modeling

A review of recent heuristic optimisers in inverse groundwater modeling Alice Thomas*, T I Eldho and A K Rastogi Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Scientific assessment of aquifer parameters such as transmissivity, hydraulic conductivity, storativity and areal recharge, is of utmost importance for the proper management of groundwater resources. The accuracy of groundwater flow and transport model prediction relies on the ability to accurately and reliably quantify these (difficult to obtain) parameters. Hence parameter estimation in groundwater using inverse modeling (IM) is a major component of groundwater flow and contaminant transport modeling. The inverse problem aims at the optimal assessment of these aquifer parameters by the observation of state variables collected over a period of time and space domain. Inverse solutions substantially reduce the time required for obtaining parameter estimates. Simulation-optimization (S-O) models are extensively used in previous studies to estimate aquifer parameters by IM approach where the groundwater flow and transport processes are simulated by Finite Element (FEM), Finite Difference Boundary Element and Analytical Element Methods. Software based on these methods like GMS (FDM), COMSOL (FEM) etc. have been frequently used by researchers in the recent past. In the S-O model, the optimization model repetitively calls the simulation model suggesting parameters to reduce the difference between the simulated and field observed values. Many heuristic optimization algorithms, such as Genetic algorithm-GA, Differential Evolution-DE, Particle Swarm Optimization-PSO and Ant Colony Optimization-ACO have been used for aquifer parameter estimation by inverse modeling. Particular advantage with the Heuristic optimization methods is that they do not require derivative calculations or initial point to start search processes unlike traditional gradient based methods. These methods are reported to have lesser chance to get trapped in a local optimum and have high probability to find a near-optimal solution. This paper reviews the recent heuristic optimization techniques like GA, DE, ACO and PSO applied to parameter estimation problem, stating the advantages and challenges of each of the optimization methods. Also, application of PSO for a hypothetical case study is demonstrated for the parameter estimation of transmissivity in a confined aquifer. Keywords: Groundwater parameter estimation, Inverse modeling, Heuristic optimization algorithms


Marina Lalruatfeli and F Lalbiakmawia

Application of geo-spatial technology for ground water quality mapping...

Application of geo-spatial technology for ground water quality mapping of Lunglei district, Mizoram, India Marina Lalruatfeli1* and F Lalbiakmawia2 Mizoram University, Mizoram, India PHE Department/ Mizoram University, Mizoram, India *Corresponding author email: [email protected] 1

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Ground water is one of the most important natural resources in India which has been utilized extensively in agriculture and industrial sectors as well as for domestic purposes. Anthropogenic activities and dynamic climatic condition pose a threat to the quality of ground water in several parts of the world. Therefore, the present study intends to assess the quality ground water quality in Lunglei district of Mizoram, India using geo-spatial technology. This technology has been recently applied by several researchers not only for ground water studies but also for mapping various natural resources. Ground water samples were collected from 84 point sources randomly distributed within the study area. The concentration of major water quality parameters such namely pH, Total Dissolved Solids, Alkalinity, Total hardness, Iron, Chloride, Nitrate and Fluoride have been assessed for all the sampling locations. The spatial variation maps of these ground water quality parameters were utilize as thematic layers. Different classes within each thematic layer were assigned different classes as Desirable, Permissible and Non-potable giving weightages in numerical rating as 1, 2 and 3 respectively which are utilized as attribute values in GIS environment. Summations of these attributes values were applied to generate the final ground water quality map. This final map shows the different classes of ground water quality within the district which may give a guideline for the suitability of ground water uses. Key words: GIS, Ground water, Water quality, Lunglei district.


Amal George et al.

Quantitative Geomorphic Analysis for Assessment of Groundwater Potential in Yadamavina...

Quantitative Geomorphic Analysis for Assessment of Groundwater Potential in Yadamavina Hole Watershed using RS and GIS Amal George, Krishnaiah C, Praveen G Deshbhandari* and Santosh C Department of Marine Geology, Mangalore University, Mangalagangothri, Karnataka, India– 574 199 *Corresponding author email: [email protected] The RS and GIS are the efficient tool for effective planning and management of groundwater resources of the basin. The present study focused on the morphometric analysis of Yadamavina Hole using GIS techniques in the prioritization of groundwater potential zones. The study area was divided into ten micro-watersheds for comparative assessment of morphometric parameters. The linear, areal and relief parameters of micro-watersheds are calculated and priority is assigned in relation to groundwater potential. According to results two micro-watersheds are showing high, four micro-watersheds are showing moderate and remaining four micro-watersheds are showing low groundwater potential. Keywords: GIS, Watershed, Groundwater, Yadamavina Hole


Indhulekha K and D C Jhariya

Groundwater Prospect Mapping Using Remote Sensing and GIS techniques...

Groundwater prospect mapping using remote sensing and GIS techniques in Chhokra Nala Raipur district, Chattisgarh, India Indhulekha K* and D C Jhariya Department of Applied Geology, National Institute of Technology Raipur, G.E.Road Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India- 492 010 *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Groundwater is one of the most precious natural resources, which is a very much important and dependable source of water supply in all climatic regions over the world. Due to increasing demand of water supply in industrial & agriculture activities and domestic uses there is strong need for proper utilization and management of available groundwater source and also need to identify the groundwater prospect zones for further groundwater exploration to fulfill the demand. In this context remote sensing and GIS techniques play vital role to map groundwater prospect zones. Preset study has been carried out in Chhokra Nala, Raipur District, Chhattisgarh, India. In this study satellite imagery, along with other data sets, has been utilized to develop different thematic layers such as geology, drainage, groundwater level, rainfall, land use land cover, slope and soil texture were prepared. All the information layers have been integrated through GIS analysis and the groundwater prospect zones have been delineated. The weighted index overlay method has been followed to delineate groundwater prospect zones. The groundwater potential zone map of the study area is categorized into five different zones, namely very low, low, moderate, high and very high. Keywords: Groundwater Prospect Zone, Groundwater Investigation, Groundwater Development & Management, Remote Sensing and GIS


Alfiya Salam R and Sabu Joseph

Assessment of physico-chemical and bacteriological characteristics of...

Assessment of physico-chemical and bacteriological characteristics of ground water near the clay mining sites of Azhoor grama panchayat, Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala Alfiya Salam R* and Sabu Joseph Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Kerala, Trivandrum - 695581 *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Ground water is an important component of our nation’s fresh water resources. The use of ground water is of fundamental importance to human life and is also significant to economic vitality. Ground water quality can be adversely affected or degraded as a result of human activities that introduce contaminants into the environment. It can also be affected by natural processes that result in elevated concentrations of certain constituents in the ground water. The potential for a contaminant to affect ground water quality is depend upon its ability to migrate through the overlying soils to the underlying ground water resource. The present study was done for the assessment of physico-chemical and bacteriological characteristics of ground water near the clay mining sites in the selected areas of Azhoor Grampanchayat, Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala. The ground water samples were collected during post-monsoon (December, 2014) and pre-monsoon (May,2015). Clay mining significantly affect the water quality of the study area. Large pits are created as a result of mining. These large pits become storage of water and this lowers the ground water table and thus the wells are very deep in the area. The mines sometimes pumps out water from the pits for carrying out further mining. This initiated water scarcity in the study area. The physical parameters evaluated during the study period includes temperature, colour, odour and taste and the chemical parameters analyzed includes pH, electrical conductivity, ORP, TS, TDS, TSS, Total alkalinity, acidity, free carbon dioxide, DO, BOD, Total hardness, Calcium hardness, Magnesium hardness, sodium, potassium, chloride, salinity, sulphate, nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, total iron and fluoride. Bacteriological quality of ground water is also conducted by the Most Probable Number (MPN) method. Total and faecal Coliforms were analyzed using MPN method. Irrigational suitability of ground water can be done by using evaluated chemical parameters. The suitability of ground water from irrigation can be conducted by calculating Sodium percentage, Sodium Adsorption Ratio, Exchangeable Sodium Percentage, Magnesium Hazard and Kelly’s Ratio. The study revealed that most of the physico-chemical parameters of ground water samples collected in the study area were within the permissible limits prescribed by WHO (1993) and BIS (1991) standards for drinking water quality except pH, acidity, sulphate and iron. Bacteriological analysis reveals that some wells on the study area shows bacterial contamination during both the seasons. Irrigational suitability of ground water were calculated during both the seasons for ensuring the suitability of water for irrigation.Therefore the present study reveals that the depletion of ground water quality occurs mainly because of indiscriminate mining occurring on the study area and the leachates from mining alters physical and chemical properties (pH, acidity, sulphate , iron) of ground water.


Anand Gopagani

Hyderabad Ground Water Fluctuation Analysis Using GIS

Hyderabad Ground Water Fluctuation Analysis Using GIS Anand Gopagani* Department of Geography, Osmania University, Hyderabad- 500007 *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Today India is becoming one of the fastest urbanization countries in the World. According to officials records present more than 45% of population is living in urban areas. The city Hyderabad is a beautiful blend of historical past and the vibrant dynamism of 21st century metropolis. It is one of the leading mega cities of India the primate city of Telangana state and strategically located software and industrial center in south India. Hyderabad is located in the heart of Deccan table land at an altitude of about 540 m. It has metamorphosed from a feudal city to a cyber-hi-tech city. Unprecedented urbanization has resulted in several adverse environmental issues and challenges like depletion of water resources, green cover and one such issue is related to falling underground water tables. Here is an attempt made for analysis of underground water tables fluctuation influenced by the amount of rainfall received, spatial variation in the underground water levels in urban land scape, density of built up area nearness to water body. Key words: Ground Water, GIS, Deccan, Hyderabad


Kavyanjali K V and Binoj Kumar R B

Hydrogeochemical studies of Navikulam and adjoining areas...

Hydrogeochemical studies of Navikulam and adjoining areas, South Kerala, India Kavyanjali K V* and Binoj Kumar R B Department of Geology, University of Kerala, Karyavattom Campus, Trivandrum *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Water is the most precious gift of nature and the most crucial for sustaining life. Water and life are closely linked. No enzymes work in the absence of water molecule. No other liquid can replace water. The present work mainly aims to understand the general hydrogeochemical conditions of Navaikulam and adjoining areas emphasizing the quality aspects. The study involves the evaluation of groundwater quality for drinking, domestic and agricultural purposes. Water samples were collected from 40 open wells for analyzing pH, EC, TDS, Total hardness and other major cations and anions, by following the standard procedure. Comparison of the groundwater chemistry of water samples from the study area with the BIS guideline values revealed quality of water. Spatial variation maps of hydrogeochemical parameters were prepared with the aid of GIS software. The pH values of certain portions of the study area were found to low indicating an acidic trend. Electrical conductivity and TDS concentration in water samples from the study area are exceeding the desired limits recommended by BIS. The fundamental data used in the determination of water quality are obtained from the chemical analysis of water in the laboratory. Through the analysis the changes occurred in composition of freshwater during the transport through soil and rock and the effects of particular suspended material can be determined. Generally pH of water is mainly influenced by geology of the area and in the study area most of the wells are constructed in lateritic aquifers. Low pH in groundwater can be attributed to acidic lateritic soil and the use of fertilizers like ammonium sulphate and super phosphate of lime for agriculture. The acidic nature of water causes rusting of pipes, intestinal problems and alters the taste of water once contaminated, it is impossible to regain to what went before. Chemical contaminant in groundwater will cause dangerous diseases and are more likely to have medium to long term toxic effects, including cancer. Hence a proper water management strategy needs to be adopted to conserve the precious freshwater resources in the area.


Ambili M S and V Sivanandan Achari

Groundwater quality of Alappad coast, Kollam district...

Groundwater quality of Alappad coast, Kollam district, Kerala, India: monitoring and evaluation Ambili M S* and V Sivanandan Achari School of Environmental Studies, Cochin University of Science and Technology, Kochi-682022 *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Hydrogeochemistry of the groundwater sources of coastal Kerala are a focus of research due to incidents of natural and human interventions. Study of water quality behaviour over a period of time provides more insight into incidence of groundwater contamination. Alappad coast situated in Kollam district, Kerala, India is severely devastated by 26 December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami killing 149 people and saline contamination caused severe ecological damages in the year 2005. Thereafter, continuous evaluation of hydrochemistry of the coastal region is being done. Economic developments, local population and exploration of the Alappad coastal area as renowned tourist destination increased the demand of groundwater as a source of fresh water. Rich black mineral sand deposits make this region geologically and economically significant, more vulnerable to mining exploitation. The need for scientific investigation of the total environmental quality becomes essential for planning. In the present study groundwater samples are collected from 15 shallow dug wells for a period of January to December 2012. Results of this study provide an over view of the hydrochemical processes occurring in the shallow coastal aquifers of this area. Physicochemical parameters pH, electrical conductivity (EC), total hardness (TH), total Alkalinity (TA), calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), chloride (Cl-), sulphate (SO42- ), phosphate (PO43- ), iron (Fe), nitrate (NO3-), sodium (Na), potassium (K) and total dissolved solids (TDS) were analysed following the standard analytical procedures to report the general water quality of the region. From the Hill-Piper plots the hydrochemical facies of the study area is found to be Ca2+- Mg2+- HCO3- and the water type comes in temporary hardness water type with non-dominant cation to bicarbonate anion water. The groundwater soil interaction reveals ion-exchange process prevailed throughout the year except in few sites where reverse ion exchange occurred due to instances of moderate seawater intrusion (Revelle’s coefficient, R>1). Gibbs diagrams, representing both cation ratio and anion ratio suggest that the groundwater quality is influenced by the chemical weathering of rock- forming minerals. Keywords: Groundwater quality, hydrochemical facies, Hill-Piper trilinear plot, Revelle’s co-efficient, Gibbs diagram.


Adarsh S

Artificial Groundwater Recharge through Rice (Oryza sativa) Cultivation: A Systematic Review

Artificial Groundwater Recharge through Rice (Oryza Sativa) Cultivation: A Systematic Review Adarsh S Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University, Padannakkad, Kasaragod, Kerala, 671314 Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Rice cultivation aids ground water recharge. Rice requires continuous supply of water through irrigation. Around 60% of the irrigation water is used by the plants; remaining 40% filters through soil recharging the aquifer below. Yet, this concept was vague in its meaning, which renders its implementation difficult. In this paper, an attempt is made to understand the concept; perspective to its essentiality through structured literature review thus trying to identify the overall ideas associated with the topic. The results from studies using soil water balance approach revealed rice as the best recharge potential crop for fallows, rice and nonrice cropped areas for three cropping seasons. Clays with a little salinity is better to recharge groundwater from irrigated paddy field. Increase in relative humidity with decrease in sunshine hours cause rise in groundwater recharge. Water table rise positively in monsoon counterbalanced by lower during winter. Agricultural practices with modified cropping pattern mitigates salinization and waterlogging issues. Rice water management integrates three-dimensional surface and subsurface groundwater level. Production function approach in valuing groundwater recharge shows that dry season agriculture depends on groundwater. Improved insitu water-saving by System of Rice Intensification (SRI) certifies that field irrigation requirement of SRI was lower than traditional irrigation according to 3-D finite element groundwater model (FEMWATER) studies. Keywords: Rice, irrigation, groundwater recharge, system of rice intensification


G Krishnamurthy and S S Vittala

Aquifer characterisation using integration of geophysical data...

Aquifer characterisation using integration of geophysical data from conventional and advanced techniques – A case study in Ankasandra watershed, part of Krishna river basin, Karnataka G Krishnamurthy* and S S Vittala Central Ground Water Board, South Western Region, Bengaluru, India-560 102 *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

The study is carried out in Ankasandra watershed covering geographical area of 375 sq.kms falling in parts of Tiptur and C.N.Halli taluks of Tumkur district, Karnataka which is a hard rock terrains of Southern India. There are three principal aquifer (hark rock aquifers) were identified viz., Gneisses, Schists and Granites which belong to Archaean group of formations. The area is experiencing the over exploitation of ground water, deep ground water levels, low rainfall, prevailing drought conditions. The watershed is drained by 1st to 5th order streams which forms part of Vedavathi sub-basin of Krishna basin. The drainage pattern is dendritic to sub-dendritic in nature with flow direction from south to north, ultimately joining Torehalla stream. The Sky TEM survey carried out in collaboration with NGRI with flight lines that covers the line spacing of 150 m having 171 fly lines along northeast-southwest direction of the study area. There are about 125 VES were carried out in grid pattern with the station interval of 2 km. The results have revealed that the lateral and vertical extent of weathered zone, depth to hard rock, fractured formations and massive formations, which were clearly demarcated based on distinct geophysical signatures. In order to achieve one of the main objectives of mapping the Principal aquifers, the study has established an approach for translating the geophysical results into the hydrogeological models. In order to compare with litho log, drill time log, aquifer depth details, etc., the geophysical results from ground and airborne survey were collated together with the control site information. These results were analysed for site specific correlation and better understanding the area. The interpreted results were taken in to consideration and correlated with lithological information. The results obtained from the low fly-line data of Sky TEM heliborne survey have been considered for analysis and an attempt has been made to analyse the geophysical survey response model in terms of lithological information. The fractures associated aquifer at two different depths and the reported occurrence of intrusive rocks of the same nature are the interesting features to be traced in geophysical survey results. Due to the limitation on detection of thin conducting layers at depths by geophysical VES surveys, a new interpretation technique has been developed through gradient / slope analysis of processed geophysical data. The gradient behavior has been supplemented with the geophysical results while correlating with or identifying the feasible zones. Keywords: Hard rock, Drought, VES, Sky-TEM, Tumkur


Vincy M V et al.

Spatial Analysis of groundwater potential using RS and GIS in a Payappara...

Spatial analysis of groundwater potential using RS and GIS in a Payappara subwatershed of Meenachil river basin, Kerala, India Vincy M V1*, Brilliant R2, and Pradeepkumar A P3 1 Department of Zoology, St. Berchmans College, Changanacherry, Kerala Department of Environmental Sciences, St. John’s College, Anchal, Kerala 3 Department of Geology, University of Kerala, Kariavattom, Kerala *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

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This paper summarizes the findings of groundwater potential zonation mapping at the Payappara subwatershed of Meenachil river basin, Kottayam district of Kerala with the aid of GIS tools and remote sensing data. To meet the objectives, remotely sensed data were used in extracting lineaments and drainage pattern which influence the groundwater sources to the aquifer. The digitally processed satellite images were subsequently combined in a GIS with ancillary data such as topographical (slope, drainage), geological (litho types and lineaments), hydrogeomorphology, landuse/land cover and constructed into a spatial database using GIS and image processing tools. In this study, six thematic layers were used for groundwater potential analysis. Each thematic layer’s weight was determined, and groundwater potential indices were calculated using groundwater conditions. The present study has demonstrated the capabilities of remote sensing and GIS techniques in the demarcation of different groundwater potential zones for a tropical subwatershed. Keywords: Groundwater potential zones, remote sensing, GIS, Raster calculator, Meenachil river basin


P R C Phani and S Balamurugan

Geomorphology and groundwater potential in parts of Cuddapah...

Geomorphology and groundwater potential in parts of Cuddapah district, Andhra Pradesh, India- A remote sensing & GIS approach P R C Phani* and S Balamurugan Cyient Limited, Hyderabad, India *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Various geomorphological units and their groundwater potential in the drought prone areas of Rayachoti, Chittur, Lakkireddipalli, in the hard granitoid terrain of Cuddapah district have been studied. The terrain is predominantly made up of Archaean country (Peninsular Gneissic Complex- PGC) made up of granites, granodiorites, gneisses intruded with felsic and mafic dykes. In the NE part of the study area, shales and quartzites of Lower Cuddapah age overlie on the Archaeans. Lithologically, the Archean rock types include very coarsegrained, greay and pink granites and gneisses whereas the Proterozoic Lower Cuddapah rocks include alternate sequences of arenites and argillites. The granitoid rocks are traversed by a number of mafic dykes trending in NW-SE, NE-SW and EW directions, which is supported by satellite image interpretation of three major sets of lineaments with similar trends. The mafic dykes also possess N20oW- S20oE, S70oW and NS trends at palces. A number of silicified zones represented by felsic pegmatitie veins trending NW and slightly to N30oE are also observed. In the southern part of the area, EW trending mafic dykes are very common. In such a hard rock terrain the occurrence and movement of ground water are essentially controlled by the topography, degree ofweathering, fracture density of the hard rock. The terrain is rugged with inselbergs, residual hills, pediment, pediplain, linear ridges, hogbacks, plateaus, valleys and valley fills. The drainage flows from SW to NE direction which appears to be structurally controlled. The felsic and mafic dykes are emplaced along these weak zones. By examining existing open wells and tube wells, it is observed that the groundwater in the study area occurs under shallow water table condition, especially in the weathered and fractured zones. The groundwater flow appears to be highly controlled by the dense mafic dyke network in the SW part. In the prem-monsoon period, the depth to water table ranges from 5 to 18 meters whereas that in the post-monsoon ranges from 3 to 11 meters. The depth of tube wells, in general, ranges from 51 to 75 meters with a yield of 2500 to 15000 lph (litres per hour) possessing static water level at 11 meters. The tube wells piercing into weathered and fractured rocks are found to give better yileds than those in the hard massive granite. By integrating lithounits, lineament interpretation, geomorphic units from remotely sensed data and field data such as hydrologic inventory and wathered profiles in the GIS environment, groundwater potential of hard rock terrain of the study area has been presented in this paper. Keywords: Structure, Geomorphology, Groundwater, Remote Sesning, GIS, Rayachoti


Priya K

Hydro-chemical and geophysical investigations to delineate saline water intrusion...

Hydro-chemical and geophysical investigations to delineate saline water intrusion in the southern coastal stretch of Kasaragod district, Kerala, India Priya K* Dept of Marine Geology, Mangalore University, Mangalagangotri, Karnataka, India *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Saline water intrusion is a major concern along the coastal stretch of Kerala. In this study, an integrated hydro-chemical and geophysical approach was carried out to delineate salt water intrusion along the southern coastal stretch of Kasaragod district, Kerala, India. The study area includes various geomorphic units viz., sandy beaches, tidal flats, estuaries and rocky cliffs. Twenty one ground water samples were collected during the pre- monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons of 2016. Hydro-chemical parameters viz., pH, EC, TDS, Salinity, Calcium (Ca2+), Magnesium (Mg2+), Sodium (Na+), Potassium (K+), Chloride (Cl-), Total Hardness (TH) and Total Alkalinity (TA) were determined to understand the saline water intrusion phenomena and results were compared with the drinking water standards of BIS (2012) and WHO (2006). Seasonal variation in the ground water quality is noticed throughout the study area. Vertical electrode sounding (VES) reveals the presence of four resistivity layers consisting of topsoil, fresh water saturated zone, a transition zone with brackish water and zone with fractured crystalline rocks. Fresh and saline water interface varied from 1.02 to 8 meters during the pre-monsoon season and it is 1.5 to 8.9 meters during the post-monsoon season. QH, HA and HK type sounding curves are observed indicating the presence of salt water towards the bottom. AK type sounding curve is encountered in one of the locations with deep fresh water aquifer. The differences in the resistivity of the subsurface formations are associated with the lithologic contrast, variations in the water saturation and the quality of water in the interstices. From this integrated study, prevailing groundwater conditions and chemical quality of groundwater is identified. Various physico-chemical parameters reveal the presence of poor to good ground water quality. The areas adjacent to Chithari, Kariyil, Achamthuruthy, Mavilakadappuram and Kaithakkad are under moderate to high salinity hazards. The potability of groundwater is questionable in most of the regions. Keywords: saline water intrusion, resistivity, ground water, coastal stretch, brackish water


Arsha Babu et al.

Assessment of groundwater quality in munroe island, South India

Assessment of groundwater quality in munroe island, South India Arsha Babu, Sonu Sasidharan* and Jaya D S Dept of Environmental Sciences, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala - 695581 *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

The groundwater, a prime resource of water for drinking and irrigation is easy to deplete and pollute. Groundwater quality comprises the physical, chemical and bacteriological qualities. The present study was conducted to assess the physico-chemical and bacteriological quality of the dug well water in the Munroe Island, Kollam district, Kerala, South India. The water samples were collected from randomly selected dug wells from the seven stations in the study area during the post monsoon and pre monsoon seasons of the year 2015. The physicochemical analysis of well water showed that the pH, chloride and iron in majority of dug wells during pre monsoon season were above the permissible limit of water quality standards by BIS. 85.7% of the well water samples in the study area are contaminated by iron content. Bacteriological analysis showed that all the well water samples are highly contaminated with total coliforms and faecal coliforms in both seasons. Percentage sodium and Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) of the well water were calculated for evaluating the suitability of water samples for irrigation purposes. Percentage sodium values showed that 28.5% of well water samples studied are good for irrigation. However, based on SAR values the well water in the study area is good for irrigation purposes. Therefore the present study points out that the water in the dug wells of Munroe island showed acidic pH and are polluted with iron and coliforms during both the seasons studied. It was also found that due to bacteriological contamination and salt water intrusion from the Ashtamudi lake to the wells in the residential area of Munroe island, the people in that area are suffering from the shortage of good drinking water and suffering from different types of diseases. Keywords: Bacteriological, Groundwater, Munroe Island, Physico-chemical quality


Kaladevi V et al.

Semidiurnalvariations of selected groundwater quality parameters...

Semidiurnalvariations of selected groundwater quality parameters with special reference to data quality assurance Kaladevi V1*, Preetha S S2 and Veenalekshmi P R1 1

Dept of Environmental Sciences, St.John’s College, Anchal, Kerala, India 2 Dept of Botany,St.John’s College, Anchal, Kerala, India *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

The quality of water may depend on geology of particular area and also vary with depth of water table and seasonal changes. The present study were carried out to examine semidiurnal variations of water samples, and to study the changes occurring due to the different seasons in different land areas. In this study nine water samples were collected from 3 different land areas like low land, midland and high land areas selected for the study. Both summer and winter season results were analyzed and to observe with respect to the seasonal variations, hourly variations and the land variations in the quality of ground water. Parameters like pH, Conductivity, TDS, Salinity, Alkalinity, Hardness, Iron, and Manganese were analyzed. Most of the parameters are coming under the desirable limits of BIS. Seasonal changes or the temperature variations, time durations and in the geology of land area are also varies the quality of water. In the present study work concluded that the quality of ground water were influenced by the different factors like holding time, geography of the area and seasonal variations. So the water quality testing was carried out by the prescribed conditions of the specifications of BIS on quality of drinking water and to maintain aquifers with the changing environment. Keywords: semidiurnal, landuse change,BIS, seasonal variation, parameters.


Anila George and Nivedi S M

Water quality analysis of groundwater for drinking purpose by using water...

Water quality analysis of groundwater for drinking purpose by using water quality index method in Azhoor grama panchayath, Thiruvananthapuram Anila George* and Nivedi S M Dept of Environmental, St.John’s College, Anchal, Kerala, India *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Groundwater is considered as purest and majorly available source of water. Improving quality of life in the villages is one of the developmental goals for new world. Groundwater quality assessment has become necessary because most of the peoples depend upon groundwater for drinking purpose without any prior treatment. The present study has been conducted to assess the quality of groundwater for the purpose of drinking in Azhoor Grama panchayath, Thiruvananthapuram. Here 18 groundwater samples collected from 18 wards of the Azhoor Grama panchayath during November 2016.Each of the groundwater samples were analyzed for various physicochemical and biological parameters such as temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, salinity, acidity, total alkalinity, total hardness, sulphate, phosphate, nitrate, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and total coliforms. On comparing the result against BIS standard for drinking water,the values of potassium, phosphate and iron exceeds the permissible limit in most of the groundwater samples. Presence of total coliforms in most of the samples is important finding in this study. The Water Quality Index (WQI) provides composite influence of different water quality parameters. The Computed WQI of groundwater samples in the study area ranged from 0.37 to 73.23. The 72% of groundwater samples are fall under the category of “partially clean”. This investigation revealed that groundwater of the study area needs some degree of treatment before consumption and it also needs to be protected from the perils of contamination. Keywords: Ground water, Water quality index, physic chemical


Nowfal N

Struggle for water rights: lessons from anti coca cola agitation in Plachimada

Struggle for water rights: lessons from anti coca cola agitation in Plachimada Nowfal N* Department Of Political Science, University of Kerala, Trivandrum - 695581 *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Water is an essential prerequisite for the survival of mankind. Water Rights revolves around the concepts of human rights and environmental rights. Free and fair access to unpolluted Water sources form the core of water rights. Even though a number of laws pertaining to the protection of water rights exists, instances of rigorous violation of right to have unpolluted water continues. What makes the anti-coca cola agitation in Plachimada, a tribal hamlet in Perumatty Panchayath of Palakkadu unique is that the struggle created a comprehensive awareness about water rights among the most deprived sections like tribals, who continue to remain as the victims of the human centric developmental model which gives room for environmental exploitation. Hindustan Coca Cola Beverages Pvt. Ltd, the Indian subsidiary of the Atlanta based manufacturer of cool drinks established its factory in 38 acre plot at Plachimada in 1999. Itwas reported that the American satellite network discovered the rich ground water resource in this area and the cola company started operation in this area just to exploit the abundant ground water and the water availability facilitated by dams in the region. No environmental impact assessment was made before the study. Company was allowed to extract 5 lakh liters of water daily for the manufacturing purpose. But later it became evident that from the six bore wells dwelled in the compound the company had been extracting more that 1.5 million liters of ground water for the daily manufacturing purpose. Water availability in the area receded and did the quality of ground water. Detailed sampling of the water collected from the region revealed high concentration of calcium and magnesium ions. Presence of a large number of dissolved minerals, above the desirable limit was identified in the collected water sample by researchers from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Gradually, impact of overwhelming water extraction on the quality and quantity of water became evident. Quality of well water and ground water was effected, creating a real crisis in the day to day life and livelihood of the people living in the region, with more than 60% depending merely on agriculture for livelihood. Well water turned brackish and milky white and no longer fit for drinking, cooking and bathing. Tribals of the land formed Adivasi Dalit Samara Samithi and raised protest against the negligence of their water right. Political parties and civil-society organizations all over the world as well as environmentalists extended their whole hearted supported to the struggle enabling it to capture worldwide attention. The struggle raised the issue of determining exploitation of ground water by multinational corporations in developing countries which challenges the water rights and the related right to life of common people including marginalized sections. The struggle shed light on the inadequacies in the laws to protect water rights, clearly exploring the negligence and incapacity of political democracy in addressing the goal of sustainable development. After years of protests and legal battle the local people succeeded in the closure of coca cola plant which later became a landmark in the environmental struggles, especially the struggles aimed at ensuring water rights of the people This paper has the following objectives. 1. To delineate the multifaceted dimensions of water rights violation inflicted by Hindustan Coca Cola Beverages private Ltd in Plachimada


Nowfal N

Struggle for water rights: lessons from anti coca cola agitation in Plachimada

2. To find out the ways by which anti coca cola struggle in Plachimada gave impetus to the goal of protecting water rights and ensuring sustainable development allover the world 3. To identify the role that civil society organizations and political parties can play in protecting water rights of the people which forms a part of environmental rights. Keywords: Rights, Environment, Ground Water, Exploitation, Tribal, Struggle, Land


Shwetha B and Puttaiah E T

Distribution of arsenic in ground water and management for drinking water...

Distribution of arsenic in ground water and management for drinking water in some rural parts of Raichur district, Karnataka, India Shwetha B* and Puttaiah E T Department of Environmental Science, Kuvempu University, Shankarghatta, Shimoga *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

The primary objective of the project included monitoring the quality of water after identification of problems. This work is based on a study to assess the extent of arsenic contamination in the study area by testing tube well water using field kit and Laboratory methods determine the arsenic contamination of soil and to define the impact of arsenic on human health in the representative watershed of the study area and elaborate recommendations for arsenic removal practices in groundwater based on the scientific findings which is being carried out at Lingasugur Taluk , Raichur, Karnataka,IndiaRaichur, Karnataka The High arsenicconcentration in groundwater activity has been found at Lingasugur Taluk Raichur District. Presence of Arsenopyrite in geogenic form and their interaction with water is considered to be the main cause for arsenic contamination in groundwater. The Acute Arsenic toxicity has been established in some ground water samples. In order to study the Arsenic contamination of groundwater and to assess its quality, ground watersamples from tube wells have to be collected monthly from the study area and subject to analysis. Analysis was carried out with field test kit on the spot and has to be compared with Atomic ICQPMS (inductively coupled plasma quadrupole mass spectrometry ) method to develop a standard procedure and to detect the concentrations of As in Tube Well water .An assortment of rain water harvesting with application of low cost treatment for safe drinking water and use of Arsenic Removal techniques are the good management practice for drinking water of the villagers Keywords: Arsenopyrite, Geogenic, Rain water harvesting


P Padma et al.

Drinking water accessibility in Kerala – Need of a Paradigm shift

Drinking water accessibility in Kerala – Need of a paradigm shift P Padma1*, E V Ramasamy1, Muralivallabhan T V3, and A P Thomas2 1

2

School of Environmental Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, India Advanced Centre of Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development - An inter university Centre (ACESSD), Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India 686 560. 3 Director of economics programme, Marian College, Kuttikkanam, Idukki, Peermade, Kerala 685531 *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Water - difficult to purify; expensive to transport and impossible to substitute- is very essential for economic development of the nation /state. Its availability in sufficient quantity is one of the foremost necessity of the well being of a society. Besides, quantity the quality of the water is also important as far as potable water is concerned. Therefore proper management of fresh water sources and the water supply system in the state becomes highly significant. In this context the current study was conducted using the existing data from Economic Survey2007-08 & 2013-14 published by Government of India, with an objective of assessing Kerala’s position in safe drinking water accessibility among the major states of India during 1981-2011. The development of water accessibility pattern in the state of Kerala during 1981-2011 reveals the following features: Kerala occupies the last position among the major Indian states during study period. The state has exhibited an increasing trend in improving the water accessibility during this period. An increase of 21.3% points in water accessibility has been achieved in Kerala which is, however, lesser than the national average increase (47.3% points). Even though Kerala is remaining in the last position among major states, its efforts in improving the accessibility of water to public is enormous. That is, the rate of growth in improving water accessibility in the state during this period is much higher (174.59%) than the national average growth (123.82%). At the same time negative population growth noticed in the state during the last decade also contributed to the rate of growth in water accessibility. The findings of the study further indicate that despite of negative population growth the efforts of the Government in improving the water accessibility have not reached the expected level. Then the state remains in the last position among major Indian states. All purpose use of public distribution system (PDS) water by the public could be one of the major reasons which impedes the growth of water accessibility in the state. In summary, a paradigm shift in water usage, recycling of domestic wastewater specifically grey water recycling etc are the efficient measures to be adopted for a sustainable future. Keywords: Water consumption, Water accessibility, Water sustainability, Potable water, Water use, Sustainable consumption


Lal Thompson and Arunchand A

Challenges of artificial groundwater recharging in multiusermultilayered...

Challenges of artificial groundwater recharging in multiusermultilayered aquifers - A case study from Kottukal watershed, Thiruvananthapuram district, India Lal Thompson* and Arunchand A State Groundwater Department, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, S India *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

The groundwater pollution stemming from artificial groundwater recharge is not fully recognized as a hazard. In Kerala, various artificial groundwater recharging methods are being employed by individuals, groups and local bodies focusing groundwater replenishment. But most of these methods are only surface treatments evolve largely as experimental models fostering groundwater potential without considering post impact scenarios. This is particularly true in Kottukal micro watershed, where effects of terrain improvements targeted for irrigation and groundwater recharge in the unconfined aquifer creates potential risk for local drinking water supply. The long term trend analysis of groundwater level in the unconfined aquifer in the upper watershed boundary depicts an overall steady trend of 0.043m/yr indicating effective groundwater recharge. However the discharge end has an overall falling trend of -0.383m/yr indicating over extraction. The water quality analysis during pre-monsoon period depicts an alkaline trend with low EC and TDS values ranging from 48 to 224 mmhos/cm in the upper unconfined aquifers and 29 to 134mg/L in stream water samples respectively indicating the water samples are chemically fresh. The study further indicates high coliform contamination of > 1600MPN in 88 % of the water samples and elevated presence of Fe above the maximum permissible limit of 1mg/L in 50% of the samples. However, difference in EC values, absence of microbial elements and acidic nature of groundwater in the tube wells indicates the contamination has not extended deep in to the subsurface layers of semi-confined aquifers. Keywords: artificial groundwater recharge, over exploited area, groundwater quality


Sahil Mor

Impact of pit latrines on ground water quality

Impact of pit latrines on ground water quality Sahil Mor Dept of Environment Science and Engineering, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology, Hisar, Haryana Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Present study aims at identifying the impact of Pit latrines on groundwater quality. Sanitation with good hygiene is essential element for health of the people. As per WHO, 2.6 billion people around the world lack access to proper sanitation facilities .Government of India launched the Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) in the year 1999 to end open defecation and to promote use of pit latrines (Onsite sanitation) for hygienic and healthy living environment and improved social dignity and privacy. A survey of the study area was conducted to know the existing sanitation practices. Water samples in the vicinity of pit latrines were collected and analysed to investigate quality status. Water samples found to be in medium and high saline range and almost 50% water samples exhibited Total Dissolved Solids value above the desirable limit. 31% of the samples were brackish in nature. Water samples were found to lie in the category of hard to very hard as per Durfor (1964) classification. High potassium content in some of water sample is of serious concern and can also be considered as a tracer element of contamination. High concentration of magnesium in sample is also of concern, as long term consumption of this water can lead to cathartic and diuretic effect. Presence of ammonical nitrogen is 74 % in studied samples is an indicator of organic contamination of water. Presence of Chemical oxygen demand in water samples clearly indicates toward the organic contamination of water sources. Presence of coliforms in 68 % of samples clearly indicates towards faecal contamination of water and indicates towards health risks to users. The present study identifies that groundwater in the vicinity of pit latrines is affected by the percolation of leachate formed from the excretal waste. Presence of coliforms indicates contamination of water due to organic matter especially faecal material. Keywords: groundwater, sanitation, pit latrines


Reji P G and Sabu Joseph

Ground water level fluctuation of dug well samples from Perayam...

Ground water level fluctuation of dug well samples from Perayam grama panchayath, Kollam district, Kerala Reji P G* and Sabu Joseph Dept of Environment Science University of Kerala, Thiruvanathapuram, Kerala-695 581 *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

As a result of increased population growth, industrialization and modern agricultural practices, groundwater resources faces severe challenges with respect to quantity aswellas quality. The present study deals with the spatial variability of water level fluctuation in the sampled dug wells from different areas of Perayam Gramma Panchayath (PGP). PGP is one among the 70 gramma panchayaths in Kollam district of Kerala,India. PGP is located between two lobes of the Ashtamudy estuary, viz., the Kanjirakkottu Kayal and the Kumbalam Kayal. Major water resources of PGP are the estuary, streams, ponds (surface water), dug wells (groundwater). The western, north western and south western portions of PGP are bounded by Kumbalam and Kanjirakkottu Kayals (two main lobes of Ashtamudy estuary. Ashtamudy estuary is one of the three Ramsar sites in Kerala and supports rich biodiversity. Higher order streams (which can be mapped at 1:25,000 scale) mainly drain the north east and south east segments of PGP. The panchayath is located in the downstream portion of the Kallada river basin, one of the largest river basins of southern Kerala. The depth of Dug well water samples (N=20, DW1 to DW 20) and water table data were collected during monsoon (MON), and pre-monsoon (PRM) seasons in 2008 and 2009. The spatial variability of water level fluctuation in the sampled dug wells was generated using spatial analyst module of ArcGIS 9.3.The results showed that the relative change of groundwater level in PGP, implies higher water level fluctuations in the eastern parts of the panchayath while relatively lower fluctuations in the western portions that is adjacent to the Ashtamudy estuary. Keywords: Ground Water, Fluctuation, Estuary


Suresh S and Rajesh S

Delineation of groundwater potential in Devikulam taluk, Idukki district...

Delineation of groundwater potential in Devikulam taluk, Idukki district, Kerala using remote sensing, GIS and MIF Techniques Suresh S1* and Rajesh S2 1 Department of Geography, Kannur University, Kannur, India Department of Geology, University of Kerala, Trivandrum, India *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

2

Water is a vital natural resource which is indispensable for the existence of all living matter, plant, animal and man. The available surface and groundwater resources are inadequate to meet all the water requirements for all the purpose. Due to continuous increase in population and industrial developments, vast number of wells using powerful pumps draw huge volumes of ground water to the surface which is greatly altering balance of groundwater discharge and recharge. Sufficiently thick weathered zone forms groundwater storage in bedrock areas but often may not provide regular supply of groundwater. The conventional approaches on groundwater investigation are ground based surveys and exploratory drilling which are time consuming and uneconomical. The traditional methods of searching sites for drilling of bore wells have not only had a poor success rate but even the places where such efforts have succeed, the bore wells are known to have dried up in a short period of time. Hence an integrated approach of remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) can help to demarcate groundwater potential zones in hard rock areas more easily and with accuracy. The present study has been conducted in Devikulam Taluk in Idukki District of Kerala. Survey of India Toposheet (1:25,000), Geological Survey of India (GSI) maps, Google Terrain map, Google Satellite image downloaded from Google earth web application, Soil Map, and Landsat OLI images are the important spatial data used to generate various thematic layers. Weightage has been assigned for each thematic layer which are closely associate to explore the groundwater potential demarcation. Multi criteria analysis has been adopted for weighted layering in Geospatial Platform and the final result has evolved to depict the groundwater potential in Devikulam. Keywords: Groundwater, Multi-influencing techniques, GIS, Remote Sensing and Devikulam


T S Anitha Shyam et al.

A case study on hydrogeological controls on morphometry by using...

A case study on hydrogeological controls on morphometry by using geospatial technique in Pamba sub basin, Kerala, India T S Anitha Shyam1*, M Santhana Subramoni1, S Shakti Murugan1 and E Shaji2 Central Ground Water Board (CGWB),Kerala region, Trivandrum 2 Dept of Geology , University of Kerala, Trivandrum *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

1

Hydrological behavior of a watershed depends upon geomorphology and rainfall of the catchment. Assessment of morphometric characteristics of Pamba Sub Basin, a tributary of Pamba River has been carried out in terms of linear, aerial and relief aspects. Attempt has been made to relate the morphometric patterns developed by the analysis with the hydrogeology of the Pamba Sub Basin. Sub-watersheds are delineated by Arc-Gis 10.2 software as per digital elevation model (DEM). Assessment of drainages parameters such as stream order, stream length, stream frequency, drainage density, texture ratio, form factor, circulatory ratio, elongation ratio, bifurcation ratio and compactness ratio has been calculated separately for each sub-watershed using the Geospatial techniques. The analysis reveals that total number of stream seg#ment of all order is 6332 in the sub basin. The stream order varies from 1 to 6 with the first-order stream covering maxi#mum area. The study emphasizes the control of geomorphology on the morphometric characteristics of Pamba Sub basin.


V Kunhambu et al.

Hydrogeo-stratigraphic model of coastal sediments in the Kuttanad...

Hydrogeo-stratigraphic model of coastal sediments in the Kuttanad area of Kerala, India V Kunhambu1*, D S Suresh Babu 2 and N Vinayachandran1 Central Ground Water Board (CGWB),Kerala region, Trivandrum, India National Centre for Earth Science Studies, Akkulam, Trivandrum, India *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

1

2

The coastal sediments in the Kuttanad area mainly consists of Recent alluvium unconformably underlain by thick Tertiary sediments. Hydrogeologic and stratigraphic characterization of a multi aquifer system embedded in this coastal sedimentary sequence was conducted using mapping and analysis of lithological and geophysical logs from 125 boreholes and based on hydro-chemical analysis of water samples collected from multiaquifer systems. The lateral and vertical variations in the litho-stratigraphy and a conceptual model of the hydrogeology of the area could be established from the study. The isopach maps of stratigraphic formations indicate off shore extension of aquifer systems. The hydraulic gradients in the confined aquifers are indicative of offshore freshwater interface. The storage and transmissive properties analysed from 25 pumping tests shows wide variations within each aquifer system attributable to variations in lithology and hydrology. The transmissivity ranges from as low as 6 m2 /day in the eastern peripheral areas to 3856 m2/day in deep confined aquifers is observed. Storativity of Tertiary aquifers ranges of 1.2 x 10-3 to 4.4 x 104. The hydrochemical analysis of water samples indicates different facies of water in the aquifer systems attributable to the hydro-chemical evolution of waters in the aquifer systems. Keywords: Multi aquifer system, Conceptual model, Tertiary sediments, Hydrogeology


Sampath K E et al.

Ground water governance in India: an overview with special emphasis...

Ground water governance in India: an overview with special emphasis on enforcement constraints Sampath Kumar E1, Kunhambu V2* Vinayachandran N2, and Vijesh V K2 1 Central Ground Water Board, Faridabad Central Ground Water Board (CGWB),Kerala region, Trivandrum, India *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

2

Water is not only an essential element for our survival but is also an important vehicle for economic development of the nation. Although water is a renewable resource, its reserve in nature is limited and therefore, we have to plan for its sustainable development and efficient management so that the growing demands of rising population, expanding industries and rapid urbanization are adequately met. To ensure the equity in distribution and ensure availability-sustainability balance, water governance should also emerge as an inevitable tool for water resource management.The National Water Policy was formulated by the Ministry of Water Resources of the Government of India to govern the planning and development of water resources and their optimum utilization. The first National Water Policy was adopted in September, 1987. It was reviewed and updated in 2002 and later in 2012. In India the surface water sector is bestowed with appropriate legal frame work for adjudication; however ground water which caters around 60% of irrigated agriculture and more than 80% of drinking water needs remain untouched as it enjoyed the privilege of appendage with land ownership as per the Indian easement act 1882. The drastic upsurge in groundwater withdrawal during the past few decades has ended with deterioration in water quality and quantity. To address these issues, since 1970 the Central Government has been directing the states to adopt a new groundwater law by publishing ‘model’ groundwater bills, with the latest version published in 2016. The prime objective of the final draft of the National Water Framework Bill, 2016 is to manage water in a better and efficient way. The comprehensive draft bill proposes model law for all states. However, water being a State subject under the Constitution, proper legal frame work is to be formulated by respective State government. This paper principally deals with the salient features of National water policy and latest development in the ground water legislation, legal frame work, strength and weakness of the enforcement mechanisms.


Anu Rani et al.

Hydrochemistry and Radon Based Groundwater Inflow Investigation in Killiyar River...

Hydrochemistry and radon based groundwater inflow investigation in Killiyar river, Southern Kerala Anu Rani1, Sukanya S1* , Sabu Joseph1 and Noble Jacob23 1,2

Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Kerala, Trivandrum Isotope Applications Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

3

The present study was conducted in Killiyar river (n= 5th, L= 24 km, A= 104 km2), the main tributary of Karamana river, in southern Kerala. The study aimed to determine the physicochemical characteristics of river, determine the spatial variation of radon concentration and groundwater discharge along the river. The surface water samples were collected from ten stations from upstream to downstream during dry season (January, 2017). The parameters like Ca, Mg, Na, K, TDS, salinity, conductivity and the nutrients like total phosphorus, inorganic phosphorus and organic phosphorus shows a sharp increase in the downstream station (i.e., Kalladimukham). The chemical compositions were found to be mainly controlled by rock weathering. The radon concentration along the river was found to increase in three stations namely Pazhakutty(4588 Bq/m3),Puthanpalam(1788 Bq/m3) and Vazhayila (1373 Bq/m3). The presence of relative high radon concentration indicates the groundwater discharge in that area mainly baseflow and these sites coincide with the lineaments crossing the river, signifying the role of structural control in radon distribution. The different physicochemical parameters show high positive correlation among themselves, but radon does not show correlation with any of the physicochemical parameters. The lower reaches of the river were more polluted mostly due to anthropogenic activities. These critical areas need immediate attention to restore the fragile ecosystem.


Sukanya S et al.

Spatial distribution of groundwater radon and hydrochemistry of Karamana river...

Spatial distribution of groundwater radon and hydrochemistry of Karamana river basin, Kerala, India Sukanya S1* , Akhil R V1 Sabu Joseph1, and Noble Jacob2 1

Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Kerala, Trivandrum Isotope Applications Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

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Radon, a radioactive noble gas, emanate from rocks and soils as result of alpha decay of its parent Radium (226Ra). Out of the 37 radioactive isotopes of radon (193Rn to 229Rn), 222Rn is the most stable (t1/2= 3.8 days) and is highlighted in this study. It readily dissolves in groundwater and hence its content in groundwater is higher compared to surface water.This paper focuses on spatial radon distribution in groundwater of Karamana River Basin-KRB (A=702 km2), Kerala. A total of 71 dug wells were identified in a grid pattern (interval= ~3.0 km) covering highland, midland and lowland region. The spatial radon distribution as well as hydrochemical features of the aquifers of KRB were examined during pre monsoon of 2017 to understand the various factors controlling radon composition and hydrochemistry in groundwater of the basin.Radon was detected in all the dugwells studied and anomalous high concentrations (above USEPA limit for radon in drinking water i.e., >11,000 Bq/m3) were found in isolated pockets of highland, midland and lowland regions of KRB (except coastal region). Most of these high value regions coinciding with the lineaments of the basin. Radon does not show any correlation with physico-chemical parameters except pH of groundwater. From the present study, it has been found that geology of the basin and lineaments play a pivotal role in governing the spatial distribution of radon in KRB.


Nandakumaran P et al.

Water conservation through managed aquifer recharge in hard rock areas...

Water conservation through managed aquifer recharge in hard rock areas– A case study from Kasargod district, Kerala, India Nandakumaran P*, V Kunhambu, K Balakrishnan and C Raj Kumar Central Ground Water Board, Kerala region, Trivandrum *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

In recent years, Kerala has earned the dubious distinction of a State with acute, though localized, water scarcity problems in spite of receiving average annual rainfall exceeding 3000 mm. Undulating topography, steep slopes, a largely massive substratum and profligate use of water have been cited as the main reasons for this paradoxical situation. Conservation of monsoon runoff through scientifically designed techniques of managed aquifer recharge has been proven to be effective in mitigating the situation. Central Ground Water Board has done pioneering work in the area of managed aquifer recharge in Kerala through implementation of demonstrative artificial recharge schemes suitable for different physiographic and hydrogeological settings in the State. Details of one such scheme, implemented in the laterite terrain of the water-scarce Kasargod district of Kerala has been discussed in this paper.


Vineetha V J et al.

Appraisement of groundwater quality along Vembayam and Vamanapuram areas...

Appraisement of groundwater quality along Vembayam and Vamanapuram areas, Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala Vineetha V J*, Faseeja N and Binoj Kumar R B Department of Geology, University of Kerala, Trivandrum *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Water is the fundamental element for the existence of life on earth. It is the leading component in determining the quality of life. Most people today are keeping apprehension about the quality of the water they drink, and for other domestic purposes. The availability of an adequate supply of clean, freshwater is especially important for achieving sustainable development in any region. The present work was carried out with a view to understand the the quality of groundwater confined to shallow aquifers along Vembayam and Vamanapuram areas, Thiruvananthapuram district. The quality and geochemical processes were studied by determining the geochemical characteristics of 36 groundwater samples which were collected from open wells. Groundwater samples collected systematically from the study area and were analyzed as per standard procedure to determine various parameters such as pH, EC, TDS, total hardness and all major cations and anions. Anomalous pH values were observed in abundant parts of the study area which indicates an acidic trend. Reasons for this abnormal phenomenon include widespread occurrence of subsurface laterite aquifer system, open waste dumping and extensive rubber cultivation. Consumption of this water is a definite threat to people causing gastrointestinal disorders, hyperacidity, ulcers, stomach pain and burning sensation. Most part of the study area shows pH values less than 6.6. The lowest pH is reported from Vamanapuram and the highest value from Kuttimud. The pH value of majority of the study area falls in between 4.6 to 6.6. The interaction of the lateritic aquifer with the circulating groundwater may be the reason for the low pH values and can also result from anthropogenic activities such as application of fertilizers like ammonium phosphate and superphosphate. The iron content in laterite react with chloride content of the circulating groundwater and produce ferric chloride, which is acidic and easily dissolvable, and this will contribute acidic trend to the groundwater. Besides this, pH below 6.5 can cause corrosion in pipes resulting in the release of toxic metals like Zn, Pb, Cd, Cu etc. Proper water treatment mechanism is essential to reduce the impact of acidic pH. It could be possibly done by alkali neutralization method or diluting groundwater with rain water by adopting different rain water harvesting methods. The concentration of EC, TDS, and all the major cations and anions of groundwater in the study area are within the permissible limit of BIS. The chemical analysis indicates that the quality of groundwater in the study area is suitable for domestic consumption. Thematic maps will give a clear picture of those areas which contain good and bad quality water in the study area. pH can be controlled by restricting excess application of fertilizers in the region. Proper water treatment mechanism is essential to neutralize the impact of acidic pH thereby ensuring the safety of people in the region.

Sabu Joseph, A.P Pradeep Kumar, E. Shaji, V. Salom Gnana Thanga, and D.S Jaya (eds) International conference on water resource: Innovation in quality and quantity sustainable development challenge and management , Dept of Environmental science and Dept of Geology, University of Kerala, India, 15-17 March 2018, 40p ISBN 978-81-937053-0-8 40

G Sreenath and K Balakrishnan

Role of Information, Education and Communication in Groundwater...

Role of information, education and communication in groundwater governance G Sreenath* and K Balakrishnan Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), Kerala region, Trivandrum *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Information, education and communications functions are essential components of good groundwater governance. Information on groundwater is very weak in most states in India. This is due to high costs of collection, to prevalent capacity and skill gaps, and to lack of commitment and resources. Information is needed not only on aquifer characteristics but on uses and users in order to understand behaviour and trends. Once collected, information has to be available to managers and to all stakeholders through an open information policy. It is thus vital to persuade governments to invest in information and education. Economic assessments showing the value of groundwater and the cost of inaction may help persuade decision makers to invest in groundwater information and education. Innovative ways of gathering part of the information through stakeholder participation or by using remote sensing technologies may lower costs. Increased attention should be paid to getting to know uses and users, and to understanding the motives and incentives that local people face. Communications with stakeholders is the key to developing governance systems with which stakeholders feel invested. Very importantly, transparency, dialogue and interactive communications and learning are key to strengthening stakeholder ownership of governance, and to improving compliance and thereby outcomes. Hitherto rare, conflict over groundwater is becoming more frequent. The early stages of the groundwater development saw little conflict because groundwater extracted by tube/bore well was a new and abundant resource. In addition, because of the nature of groundwater, conflict has typically been much less than in the case of surface water. However, there are many potential sources of conflict now emerging due to over-abstraction, pollution, or changes in land use. Owners are often also in conflict with public agencies (for example, over regulation). Furthermore, climate change is introducing costs and risks that are hard to manage, including increased demand for groundwater and reduced recharge, with consequent heightened risk of conflict.


Arunkumar K S and Shahin K S

Potential impacts of climate change on surface water quality of Ponnani...

Potential impacts of climate change on surface water quality of Ponnani estuary and lower reaches of Bharathapuzha Arunkumar K S* and Shahin K S Dept of Geology, MES Ponnani College, South Ponnani, Malappuram, Kerala, India-679586 *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

It is now accepted that some human-induced climate change is unavoidable. Potential impacts on water resources have received much attention, but relatively little is known about the concomitant changes in water quality. Projected changes in air temperature and rainfall could affect the river flow and, hence, the mobility and dilution of contaminants. Increased water temperature will affects chemical reaction kinetics and combined with deterioration in quality, fresh water ecological status. With increased flows there will be change in stream power and hence, sediments loads with the potential to later the morphology of rivers and transfer of sediments to lakes, thereby impacting habitat in both lake and stream systems. An attempt is here to study the above mentioned impacts through the lens of water quality of Ponnani Estuary and lower reaches of Bharathapuzha. Widely accepted climate change scenarios suggest more frequent droughts in summer, as well as flash-flooding, leading to uncontrolled discharges from urban areas to receiving water courses and estuaries. Lower flow, reduced velocities and, hence, higher water residence times in rivers and lakes will enhance the potential for toxic algal blooms and reduce dissolve levels. In this context, an attempt is made to study the potential impacts of climate change on surface water quality of Ponnani Estuary and lower reaches of Bharathapuzha. The decadal variation of climate change on most physico-chemical parameters of Ponnani Estuary and lower reaches of Bharathapuzha shows an increasing trend. Hence, the surface water quality of the study area is deteriorating continuously and alarmingly. It is mainly due to multitude of reasons such as high temperature owing to the increase of river water temperature, high rate of evaporation and humidity and increase in annual rainfall over the past decade together with natural processes like geological weathering, sea-water ingression etc., anthropogenic activities, agricultural runoff and discharge of domestic and industrial sewage. Correlation and factor analysis show significant relationship between climatic and water quality parameters. EC, TDS, TSS, Alkalinity, DO and nitrite were proposed as sensitive water quality parameters for monitoring impacts of climate change in the lower reaches of Bharathapuzha River and Ponnani Estuary in addition to man-made and natural processes. Keywords: Water Quality, impacts, Bharathapuzha, Ponnani Estuary, Climate Change


Thansi S and Akhila S Nair

Lipid peroxidation reaction, glutathione peroxidase and total peroxidase...

Lipid peroxidation reaction, glutathione peroxidase and total peroxidase responses in Anabas testudineus (BLOCH, 1792) exposed to laundry detergent Thansi S and Akhila S Nair* Dept of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India- 695581 *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

The detergent along with water after laundry use is usually discharged directly to the drainage systems or to the fields, ultimately reaching the fresh water sources around. The present study has tried to understand the detergent induced stress responses in Anabas testudineus (BLOCH, 1792) by assessing selected biomarkers like lipid peroxidation product Malondialdehyde and selected enzymatic antioxidants such as Glutathione peroxidase and Total peroxidase. The fishes in test groups were exposed to two sublethal concentrations of Surf Excel Quick Wash detergent for various time durations. Control groups were maintained free from detergent. Statistical significance of the data was determined by oneway ANOVA (Duncan’s test) using SPSS 16 software. Selected water quality parameters of aquarium water samples of the present study showed significant variations. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and enzymatic antioxidants were analyzed in brain, gill, liver and muscle tissues of fish by following standard methods. Malondialdehyde showed a significant increase with increased stress. Brain tissues of Test 2 samples of 96 hours stress duration showed highest malondialdehyde content (5.4 ± 0.04millimoles/100 g wet tissue). Glutathione peroxidase studied showed a significant increase with increase in stress level and stress duration, pointing to the fact that the reactive oxygen species formations were in the range in which the antioxidants could resist. Among the tissue samples studied, Test 2 liver samples of 96 hours of exposure duration showed the highest value of glutathione peroxidase (4.1938±0.06 Micromoles of NADH oxidised /mg wet tissue/ minute) which is significantly different from the corresponding control tissues. The total peroxidase activity in fishes exposed to detergent stress showed a decrease in tendency with increased exposure duration in all the test tissues studied. A drastic reduction of peroxidase activity indicating that even sub-lethal doses of toxicants may cause drastic changes in the physiological systems. The results of the present study showed the augmented rate of selenium containing glutathione peroxidases, indicating the attempt of the fish to avoid the stress and at the same time a denaturation of the haem containing peroxidases, which is a direct indication of impeding physiological action of the exposed fish. This study establishes the role of Malondialdehyde as a stress indicator in fresh water fishes even in sub lethal stress levels. Present study strongly recommended the dose specific use of laundry detergents to save the lives of fresh water fishes. Keywords: Anabas testudineus, Detergent, Stress biomarkers


Allan Thomas et al.

Pesticide mottled water bodies in the leading tributaries of Chalakkudy river...

Pesticide mottled water bodies in the leading tributaries of Chalakkudy river, Thrissur district, Kerala Allan Thomas*, Thomas George, Usha C Thomas and Vagvala Suryaja Kerala Agricultural University, College of Agriculture, Padannakkad, Kasaragod, Kerala *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Techno-socio-cultural intervention by man in agricultural and industrial sector had a sway on the quality of the river water and its associating tributaries. Contemporary agriculture practices reveal the necessity of technology modernisation and its use for increasing productivity. Hence, it augments the use of pesticides to meet the food security to satisfy the needs of surging population which also results in contamination of the aquatic environment. In the pursuit to achieve maximum crop production, pesticide use has been recommended in commercial cultivation. It has played a major role by way of protecting farmers interest in terms of profit that was essential for them to continue in farming but has also resulted in the accumulation of pesticide residues deemed to be highly detrimental to aquatic and other ecosystem. This study funded by Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment was meant to understand the extent of presence of pesticide residues and pollution of water bodies in the riparian tributaries of Chalakkudy River. The efforts to assess the quality of water in the chalakkudy tributaries confirmed the presence of pesticide residues of quinalphos and ethion (0.21-2.90 µgL-1) through chemical analysis. The occurrence of the same was observed in 41.18 % of total water samples. 71.42% of the water sample inveterate for the presence of pesticide residue of ethion in the sample collected from selected locations. Ethion was detected at maximum level (2.20 µgL-1) from the water sample in the upper reaches collected near to Kerala Sholayar dam, while pesticide residues of quinalphos (4.80 µgL-1) and ethion (1.80 µgL-1) were detected in the middle reaches of Chalakkudy River. Continuous presence of pesticide residues of ethion and quinalphos can contaminate other nearby surface water bodies or even ground water that can subterfuge critical health threats to the health of local residents of this area. Results of the study advocates for the use of safe ‘external inputs or methods’ that warrants different approach to agricultural development and its associated life in these types of unique eco systems. Keywords: Ethion, quinalphos, water quality, pollution, riparian, river basin


Renjith V R et al.

On the effect of environmental changes induced by coastal megacities

On the effect of environmental changes induced by coastal megacities Renjith Vishnu Radhan1*, Eldho T I1 and Divya David T2 1 Dept of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Goa, India *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

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The spatial distribution and dimension of coastal megacities are increasing around the globe, inflating the quantity of organic waste inputs to the coastal waters. This decreases the amount of dissolved oxygen (DO) and increases the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) in the water column. The situation will be exacerbated in the wake of ocean temperature increase and reducing oxygen solubility in the coastal waters. Further, the increased temperature in turn permits higher rates of bacterial decomposition, which also induce oxygen depletion. Coastal waters along most of the megacities experience increasing decadal trend in sea surface temperature, with highest changes off Buenos Aires (0.614 ± 0.01°C), Shanghai (0.46 ± 0.01°C) and Istanbul (0.44± 0.01°C). The situation permeates into a deplorable state when the locations of megacities coincide with that of areas already vulnerable to deoxygenation and temperature rise. In this paper, a case study of Mumbai coastal region is presented to understand the effect of environmental changes and its effects on the climate variations. Mumbai coastal waters receives substantial amount of sewage (approx. 2300 million liters/day;731,250 kg/day BOD). The decadal SST change in the coastal waters of Mumbai shows an increasing trend and is found to be 0.24± 0.01°C. The low DO shifts the oxic waters to hypoxic and then to anoxic state, producing green-house gases such as nitrous oxide and methane. The green house warming potential (GWP) of CH4 is 72 for 20 years, it can trap heat 72 times more than CO2 in 20 years time. In the case of N2O, GWP is 289. This implies that rising number of coastal megacities can have significant impact on the projected global warming. The overall effect is decrease in waste assimilative capacity of coastal waters and a positive feedback to the projected global warming. Though, each coastal megacity has its own particular cultural, economic and social anchorage, they have synonymic water problems. We also suggest mitigation and adaptation strategies to extenuate these effects as growth and development of cities are inevitable for the economic and societal development. Keywords: coastal megacities; water quality; population; climate


Sajeetha S et al.

Effective flocculation of different microalgae using chitosan as bioflocculant

Effective flocculation of different microalgae using chitosan as bioflocculant Sajeetha S2, Pramitha V S1*, Aiswarya Anil R2, Fathima J A2, Beegam Sahina Sadik S2 and Alsif H2 Department of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries, University of Kerala, Trivandrum National college of Arts and Science, Ambalathara, Thiruvananthapuram. *Corresponding author email: [email protected] 1

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Phytoplankton may colour water and impart a grassy, musty or even ﬁshy odour. A range of problems is being faced by water quality managers and water suppliers due to their presence. The use of chemical flocculants cause health and environmental problems. Chitosan based biomaterial have superior physical and chemical properties such as high surface area, porosity, tensile strength, conductivity, photo-luminescent as well as increased mechanical properties. In this context, an attempt was made to carry out extraction of chitosan from shrimp (Parapenaeopsis stylifera) shell to analyse its flocculant efficiency on five different microalgae, such as Pavlova lutheri, Nannochloropsis salina, Nannochloropsis oculata, Chlorella marina and Chlorella pyrenoidosa in different pH. In our study, chitosan with a degree of deacetylation of 85% was obtained by chemical method involving demineralization, deproteinisation and deacetylation of shrimp shell biowaste. Flocculation study of various micro algae using the extracted chitosan was studied under the pH range of 4.0, 7.0 and 9.0. Different concentration of chitosan were added to 10 mL microalgal suspension and observed the corresponding flocculation rate. The optical density of the clarified solution was measured with spectrophotometer at 550 nm. The results indicated that the flocculation rate was found to be dependent on pH as well as the concentration of chitosan. Freshwater Chlorella, Chlorella marina and Pavlova lutheri showed maximum flocculation rate of 89%, 71% and 84% at pH 4.0 at a chitosan concentration level of 1% respectively. While Nannochloropsis salina showed 83% (pH 4) flocculation at a chitosan concentration of 4%. Nannochloropsis oculata exhibited maximum flocculation rate of 99% (pH 9.0) at the chitosan concentration of 1%. From these results, it is suggested that chitosan aided flocculation could be used as an effective method with immense potential in water quality management. Keywords: Flocculant, microalgae, chitosan


D Singh et al.

Inferences derived from isotopic characterization of river water (Bhagirathi River)...

Inferences derived from isotopic characterization of river water (Bhagirathi River) sampled near snout of Gangotri Glacier in Western Himalaya D Singh1*, S P Rai1, S Kumar1, M Arora1, N Pant1, S K Swain1, R S Ahluwalia2 and H N Nainwal3 Hydrological Investigation Division, National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee-247667 2 Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun-248001 3 Department of Geology, Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University, Srinagar -246174 *Corresponding author email: [email protected] 1

The Gangotri Glacier Systems (GGS), bestowed with the numerous glaciers, forms one of the largest glacier system (area: ~286 km2) of Western Himalaya. GGS contributes to the Bhagirathi River, a headwater tributary of the mighty Ganga River that carries the lifeblood of the riparian states of Northern India. Recent studies on the GGS have shown the decline in both the areal extent and volume of these glaciers, and indicated that eventual loss of glaciers may reduce the amount of water available for agricultural, industrial and domestic use during ablation period (June to September). This has necessitated to have an understanding on the contribution of glacier melt to the total flow of the river for the proper management of water resources in the basin. In the present study, the isotopic character of the primary sources of river water near the snout of the Gangotri Glacier is studied, and the contribution of glacier melt and rain derived runoff to the total flow of the Bhagirathi River has been estimated in 2016. Total 124 samples of river water (meltwater and rain derived runoff) were collected on daily time scales during 1st June 2016 to 30th September 2016. Samples were analysed for δ2H and δ18O using a Dual Inlet Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer (DIIRMS). δ2H and δ18O in the river water was found to vary from−125.9‰ to −79.2‰ (average δ2H value: −105.80‰) and from −17.1‰ to −11.7‰ (average δ18O value: −14.9‰), while it was in the range of −163.6‰ to -47.5‰ (average δ2H value: −119.7‰) and from −21.7‰ to −7.5‰ (average δ18O value: −16.2‰) in rainfall. A two-component mixing model (hydrograph separation method) based on stable isotope data (δ18O) was used to estimate the contribution of glacier melt and rainfall generated runoff to total discharge of the river. The contribution of glacier melt (during heavy rainfall events) was found varying between 68.9% to 93.3% in the total flow of the Bhagirathi River. The large contribution of glacial melt to streamflow suggests that the loss of glaciers may impact riparian ecosystems and human water supplies in the late summer and in years with low snowpack. Keywords: Gangotri Glacier, stable isotopes, two-component mixing model, Bhagirathi River


K P Ganesh et al.

Lake water quality assessment in Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu, India

Lake water quality assessment in Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu, India K P Ganesh, T Gomathi and L Arul Pragasan* Environmental Ecology Lab, Dept of Environmental Sciences, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Degradation of lake water quality is one of the serious environmental threats for the last few decades, particularly, the lakes situated in and around urban and industrial areas. The present study aimed to analyze the physicochemical and biological parameters, and metal elements to determine the water quality of Krishnampathi, Ukkadam, Kurichi, Sulur and Singanallur lakes in Coimbatore district of Tamil Nadu, India. Of the 23 physicochemical parameters analyzed in the five lakes, except TDS, Chloride and Total hardness values all the 20 parameters were found within the prescribed limit as recommended by World Health Organization (WHO) and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). In case of biological parameters, both Total Coliform and Fecal Coliform bacteria (Escherichia coli) were identified. This indicates the contamination of lakes by fecal matter, and warns of potential of disease causing by viruses, bactereia and other organisms. Among the twelve metal elements (Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Cd and Pb) determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy, except Cd (for all lakes), and Pb (for Ukkadam, Kurichi, Sulur & Singanallur), all the elements were found above the prescribed limits of BIS. The results of the present study revealed that all the five major lakes of Coimbatore were contaminated. It is recommended that proper implementation of the new wetland waste management system, and monitoring of water quality is of urgent need to sustain the water bodies for domestic and agriculture needs. Keywords: Lake Pollution, Water Quality, Heavy metals, Physicochemical and Biological Parameters.


S K Swain et al.

Isotopic and hydro-chemical evaluation of springs in Mandakini river...

Isotopic and hydro-chemical evaluation of springs in Mandakini river catchment, Western Himalayas, India S K Swain*1, S P Rai1, Sudhir Kumar1, D Singh1, N Pant1 and Rajeev S Ahluwalia2 National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee, Uttrakhand, India 2 Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, India *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

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The interface between groundwater and surface water is an important part for river sustainability and its water quality. Water samples from spring and handpump were collected from Mandakini River catchment in Western Himalayas during October-2017 and analysed for stable isotope (δ18O and δ2H) alongwith major cation and anion to understand the evolution of groundwater in the area. Mandakini river, a major tributary of the river Alaknanda, joins it at Rudraprayag. The isotopic composition for δ18O varies from -10‰ to -7.4‰ (average δ18O -8.6‰) in hand pumps, -13.03‰ to -9.8‰ (average -11.1‰) in 1st order streams and -11.7‰ to -7.3‰ (average -8.8‰) in springs water and -9.6‰ in a hot spring. The isotopic composition for δ2H in hand pumps varies from -64.6‰ to -48.9‰ (average -56.9‰), -90.9‰ to -68.1‰ (average δ2H: 76.8‰) in 1st order stream and -82.9‰ to -50.6‰ (average -60.1‰) in springs and -69.3‰ in a hot spring. The isotopic composition of water from hand pumps is depleted than the spring water indicating that the deeper groundwater (from handpumps) is recharged from higher elevations than the shallow groundwater (represented by springs). The dominance of major cations is in the order Ca> Mg > Na > K, in water samples collected from hand pump, nala and spring. On average Ca alone constitute 52% of the total cations (TZ+) in the all samples of the study area. The anion chemistry of the analysed samples shows abundance order of HCO3> SO4 > NO3 > Cl> F, and HCO3> SO4 > Cl > NO3 > F in hand pump, nala and spring respectively. The chemical data reveals that the groundwater in the study area is Ca- Mg-HCO3 type. Further, the plot of TDS v/s Na/ (Na+Ca) and TSD v/s Cl/(Cl+HCO3) indicates that the groundwater chemistry is mainly controlled by rock weathering. The spatial variation of the EC, TDS and other cations and anions is due to wide variations in lithology, surface activities and prevailing hydrological regime. Keywords: Stable isotopes (δ18O & δ2H), Hydro-chemistry, Springs and handpump, Gibbs diagram Mandakini River Catchment


Ashila Babu P and M A Mohammed Aslam

Study of physical and chemical parameters of soil...

Study of physical and chemical parameters of soil and water from mangrove forest in the island of Edayilakkad, North Kerala, India Ashila Babu P1 and M A Mohammed Aslam2 Department of Geology, Government College, Kasaragod-671123, Kerala Department of Geology, Central University of Karnataka, Gulbarga-585367, Karnataka *Corresponding author email: [email protected] 1

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Mangrove forest in Kerala considered one of the most important components of wetland and as an ecosystem affecting the ecological balance and biodiversity. The target of this study is to analyze the chemical and physical properties of soil and water from mangrove forest of the Island of Edayilakkad, Kerala. Edayilakkad is one of the largest islands in the northern Kerala, Situated in Valiyaparamba panchayath, Kasargod district and it is located in the Kavvayi backwaters. The backwaters are commonly used for fishing while downstream region towards the mouth is extensively exploited for sand extraction. Therefore, need to preserve mangroves in these island is important. And this island is a home to a large mangrove forest biome. According to India’s revenue department, the island has an area of 312.01 Acres (126.27). This study based on field visit, sampling and physico-chemical analysis and preparation of map. The results show that mangrove vegetation in this area is converted into shrimp farming and green mussel cultivation. The results of soil and water showed important differences in physical and chemical properties. There are 9 mangrove species identified from this area, Avicennia officinalis was most abundant followed by Acanthus ilicifolius and Acrostichum aureum.Constructing roads,dyke, sand extraction and agriculture developments without replanting are some of other factors influencing depletion of mangroves in this area. So the present study useful to get proper knowledge regarding the mangrove. Key words: Physical and chemical parameters of water and soil, mangrove, island of Edayilakkad, North Kerala

Sabu Joseph, A.P Pradeepkumar, E. Shaji, V. Salom Gnana Thanga, and D.S Jaya (eds) International conference on water resource: Innovation in quality and quantity, sustainable development challenges and management, Dept of Environmental Sciences and Dept of Geology, University of Kerala, India, 15-17 March 2018 110p ISBN 978-81-937053-0-8 50

Aiswarya Kunnath-Poovakka and Eldho T I

Catchment classification in data-scarce regions...

Catchment classification in data-scarce regions using a linear classification technique Aiswarya Kunnath-Poovakka* and Eldho T I Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Classification of catchments in to different homogenous groups is performed as primary step before regionalization to improve the predictions at ungauged catchments. Inductive catchment classification, which considers the properties of streamflow time-series, is very commonly used in regionalization studies as it based on the direct measure of hydrology. The poor stream gauges networks in the vast majority of the world limits this inductive approach. Deductive approaches, which classify the catchments based on physical and climatic attributes, are practised in data-scarce regions. In this study, deductive approach is followed to classify 51 sub-catchments in sparsely gauged upper Godavari basin. Different physiographic (e.g., area, stream density, elevation, slope), spatial (e.g., latitude, longitude) and climatic properties (e.g., annual rainfall, annual ET) are considered to classify the catchments. In this study, K-mean clustering algorithm is used to cluster catchments in to different groups. The optimum number clusters for classification is decided using the DaviesBouldin index. K-mean algorithm is directly applied to watershed attributes to receive initial set of clusters before applying linear classification technique. In the present study, the linear classification technique, principal component analysis (PCA) along with K-mean filtering, is used for catchment classification. PCA is a dimensionality reduction technique in which catchment attributes are projected along a new orthogonal unit vectors. PCA reduces large number of variables in to a small number of new variables, which account the total variance of the observed variables. The catchment clusters obtained from K-mean clustering alone and PCA with K-mean clustering is compared and the similarities between them are analysed using similarity index. Catchment classification based on streamflow indices are normally used as the reference for other classification techniques. Due to limited streamflow data availability in upper Godavari basin the efficiency in clustering is determined by comparing the results with original watershed attributes. Keywords: Catchment Classification, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), K-mean Clustering, Deductive Classification


Anusree N et al.

Quality assessment of water bodies in eruthenpathy panchayat of Palakkad district

Quality assessment of water bodies in eruthenpathy panchayat of Palakkad district Anusree N*1, Rejani V U2, Umadevi P P2, Akhil P S2, Akhil Pisharody2, Gopika Rajagopal3 and Jithin C V2 College of Engineering Technology, Trivandrum NSS Engineering College, Palakkad, Kerala, India 3 Indian Institute of Technology, Palakkad, Kerala, India *Corresponding author email: [email protected] 1

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In India, water demand has already increased manifold over the years, due to changes in cropping pattern and land-use pattern, over exploitation of water resources and changing hydrological cycle in many regions and river basins. Chittur Taluk of Palakkad District resembles that of the semi-arid zone according to its agro-climatic condition. Eruthenpathy panchayat which is a rain shadow region situated in Chittur Taluk comprises mostly of farmers and agricultural labours. Recent studies in the area have shown that there is a large scale depletion in the surface water resources of the area and the ground water-table, which was about 90 feet below ground level two decades back, have gone down to about 700 feet below ground level. This will have an impact on the water quality, and the objective of this study is to assess the quality of water from different water-bodies in Eruthenpathy Panchayat in Chittur Taluk of Palakkad District, Kerala. Q GIS software was used to prepare a digitized map showing the various water quality test results. A questionnaire survey was conducted among farmers to find the common water quality problems faced by them and also to identify the affected water bodies. Water samples were collected from these sources from different wards of Eruthenpathy panchayat and analyzed for the following parameterstemperature, pH, hardness, chloride, fluoride, sulphide, BOD, alkanity, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity. The water quality test results showed that in all wards the parameters except BOD and Hardness were within the permissible limits as per BIS standards for potable drinking water, the BOD levels in all water samples were above the standards, indicating presence of bacteria. The water samples in the ward nos. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,14 were found to be very hard. The results of all the quality parameters for the selected water bodies were represented using Geographical Information System (GIS) using QGIS for easy recognition. Keywords: Water Bodies, Water quality, BOD, Geographical Information System, Q GIS


Karam A Elzopy et al.

Trend analysis of long-term rainfall and temperature data for Ethiopia

Trend analysis of long-term rainfall and temperature data for Ethiopia Karam A Elzopy1,2*, Ashish K Chaturvedi1, K Madhava Chandran1 and U Surendran1 1 Centre for Water Resources Development and Management, Kozhikode, Kerala, India Dept of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University, Egypt *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

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Climate change threatens stability of ecosystems through affecting water stream sources in countries such as Ethiopia. Egypt and Sudan depending almost entirely on the Nile flood that flow in the summer due to heavy rains on the Ethiopian plateau. Rainfall affects directly the amount of flood water along with that, temperature have prominent impact on the amount of water requirements. This work is planned to carry out the trend analysis in the average temperature and rainfall of Ethiopia during the period from 1901 to 2015 to understand the future pattern under climate change. Data were analyzed for monthly, seasonally and annually for mean air temperature and rainfall for the above period. The rainfall characterizations viz., precipitation concentration index (PCI), seasonality index (SI), rainfall anomaly index (RAI) and departure analysis of rainfall (DAR) have been calculated and used in rainfall classification into different categories. The trend analysis (Linear regression and Mann Kandall) of average temperature, rainfall and rainfall characterizations were carried out as per the standard procedures. The annual rainfall recorded for the whole period was 816.3±90.82 mm/year. During the summer, maximum seasonal rainfall of 353.9mm were recorded while, its minimum value (39.6 mm) were received in winter. The analysis of probability distribution for the time series data showed slightly positive skewness and kurtosis in monthly, seasonal and annual rainfall from the normal distribution. The results of linear regression and Mann- Kendall trend analysis for average temperature revealed a significant increasing trend in the average temperature from 1961 to 2015. On the other hand, summer rainfall, showed a decreasing trend for the period of 1901-2015 however, annual and other seasonal rainfall did not show any significant trend. According to PCI, the rainfall has been classified moderate precipitations for 111 years, irregular precipitation for 3 years and strongly irregular precipitation for 1 year. SI calculated values showed that the rainfall has been classified rather seasonal with a short drier season for 49 years, seasonal rainfall for 64 years and markedly seasonal with a long drier season for 2 years. RAI indicated no dryness for the duration of 73 years. Although, according to DAR, 2 years have been listed in the deficit rainfall regime. The study concludes that despite the increase in the average temperature, there is a high degree of stability in rainfall rate and distribution of Ethiopia. Keywords: Climate change; rainfall; temperature; trend; Ethiopia


Jensy Roshan F and Sreejai R

Effect of physico-chemical parameters on species biodiversity...

Effect of physico-chemical parameters on species biodiversity with special reference to the phytoplankton from Kottakayal, South Kerala Jensy Roshan F*1 and Sreejai R2 1 Department of Zoology, St. John’s College, Anchal, Kollam, Kerala, India Department of Zoology, St. Stephen’s College, Pathanapuram, Kollamm, Kerala, India *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

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Wetlands, like rainforest and coral reefs are the most productive ecosystems in the world. An immense variety of species of microbes, plants, insects, amphibians, reptiles, birds, fish and mammals are inhabitants of a wetland ecosystem. Phytoplanktons are the foundation of the aquatic food web. Phytoplankton population affects the global climate. Phytoplankton is responsible for approximately fifty percent of all photosynthesis on earth. They function as a major carbon dioxide sink, pulling this gas from the atmosphere and creating organic matter and emitting oxygen. In this way the phytoplankton population is a major factor in limiting global warming. The present study focuses on the physicochemical properties and phytoplankton diversity of Kottakayal of Kollam district during monsoon months in the year 2016. Samples were collected from six randomly selected stations during the months June, July and August. The physicochemical parameters of the water samples were assayed in the laboratory using standard methods. Phytoplankton samples collected were concentrated and observed under the microscope to identify the different phytoplankton population. Phytoplanktons of class bacillariophyceae, chlorophyceae, zygnematophyceae, ulvophyceae, cyanophyceae, trebouxiophyceae, klebsormidophycae, fragilariophyceae, chrysophyceae, coscinodiscophyceae, synurophyceae and cyanobacteria were identified. Twenty-seven species of class bacillariophyceae, ten species of class chlorophyceae, twenty one species of class zygnematophyceae, one species of ulvophyceae, nine species of class cyanophyceae, three species of class fragillariophyceae and one each of class trebouxiophyceae, chrysophyceae, synurophyceae, and cyanobacteria were identified. Out of the twelve classes identified the maximum number of species belongs to class bacillariophyceae and zygnematophyceae. Keywords: wetlands, Phytoplankton diversity, Physicochemical, Kottakayal


J P Vishnu and A Narsing Rao

A Spatial analysis of geomorphology in gadwal schist belt, Telangana State

A Spatial analysis of geomorphology in gadwal schist belt, Telangana State J P Vishnu* and A Narsing Rao Department of Geology, Osmania University, Hyderabad-500007 *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Geomorphology is the science of evolution of landforms in terms of its lithology, structure, basin geometry and other morphometric factors. Landforms on the earth surface are expensive to map or monitor. Remote Sensing observations from space platforms provide a synoptic view of terrain on images. Satellite multispectral data have an advantage in that the image data in various bands can be subjected to digital enhancement techniques for highlighting contrasts in objects for improving image interpretability. Landforms are interpreted on the basis of interpretation element keys namely such as- tone, texture, size, shape, color etc. and extract the specific information from the false color composites LISS-IV sensor images and SOI topographic sheet of the region. Geomorphological units are classified on the basis differential processes. In the study area, mainly Inselbergs, Pediment, Valley Fill Shallow, Pediplain Moderate, Pediplain Shallow, Residual Hill, and Pediment Inselberg Complexare predominant landforms. These above geomorphic units are mapped using IRS-ID LISS-IV satellite imagery using visual interpretation technique along with field check. Remote Sensing and GIS offers detecting, analyzing and time cost effective way to fulfill these goals. In this study, Remote Sensing and GIS, tools and techniques are used to identify landform, geomorphic units and area mapping because geomorphology is the base of watershed management. The study area is situated between77°39’41.599” to 77°45’25.932” East longitudes and 16°12’23.804” to 16° 19’20.646” North latitudes. The total area covered is 83.75 Sq kms. The distance from Hyderabad to Gadwal is 192kms. The lithology of this area consists of basic, intermediate and volcanic bands of iron formations, basic dykes, quartz veins and pegmatites. And hornblende within the schist belt. The major rock types are Granites and Gneisses, Amphibolites, Pink Granites, Epidote veins in and around dharur village to chinnachinthala village. Keywords: Geology, Geomorphology, GIS and Remote Sensing


Tahmeena Begum and A Narsing Rao

Environmental impact of coal mining production on Surface...

Environmental impact of coal mining production on Surface and groundwater quality in and around Manuguru Area, Bhadradri Kothagudem district, Telangana Tahmeena Begum* and A Narsing Rao Department of Geology, Osmania University, Hyderabad-500007 *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

The study area Manuguru of Godavari Valley Coal Belt is located in the Bhadradri Kothagudem district fall under toposheet number 65 C/9 and 13, where the latitudes are N 17°56’29”to N 17°57’12” and longitudes are E 80°46’13”to E 80°79’12”. The commutative basins area of Godavari valley coal field is 17,400km2. The coal bearing area is 11,000 km2. However, the area considered potential for regional exploration is 1700 km2. The extraction of coal will generate produced water that, if not adequately treated, will pollute surface and groundwater systems. The water samples upstream and downstream from the discharge points from 03 mines were taken, The results were assessed against a water quality index (WQI) which accounts for pH, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, total dissolved solids, total phosphorus and nitrate nitrogen. The water quality assessment based on the trace metal contents against various national maximum admissible concentration (MAC) and their corresponding environmental impacts was also included in the study which also established a base value of water quality for further study. The study revealed that impacted water downstream of the mine discharge points contained higher metal content than the upstream reference locations. The WQI of surface water at and downstream of the discharge point was lower when compared to upstream or reference conditions in the majority of cases. The surveys reveal that the ground water table effected as the mining operation gone below water table. The chemical data indicates elevated concentrations of heavy metal like Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb), and Chromium (Cr) and others were either below the detection limits or below the permissible limits in mine water of study area. The elevated concentration of Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb), and Chromium (Cr) leads to the various diseases like gastrointestinal and thyroid disease. For environmental and health impact assessment, the approach used in this study can be applied as a model to provide a basis to assess the anthropogenic contribution from the industrial and mining activities on the environment. Keywords: coal mining, environment, surface water, ground water, heavy metals.


Banazair O A and Christopher G

Use of aquatic insects for monitoring water quality ...

Use of aquatic insects for monitoring water quality of Chalakudi river, Kerala, India Banazair O A* and Christopher G Advanced Centre of Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Stream-dwelling macro invertebrates are used as bio indicators of water quality world-wide because they possess many traits associated with different levels of environmental stresses. These bio assessment methods that use macro invertebrates require a good understanding of the ecology of taxa that are used as indicators in the context of the systems that they occupy. Rivers and streams are subject to extremely high flow rates during the monsoon period, and the extent to which this high flow influences both the water quality, and the macro invertebrates, needs to be assessed. Therefore this study aimed at improving the understanding of the application of the water quality index and other basic biotic metrics applied to rivers and streams in the region. The primary objective of this study was to identify fresh water Benthic Macro invertebrates including aquatic insects, crustaceans, mollusks, platy-helminthes etc and to find out the biological water quality using Biological Water Quality Criteria (BWQC) developed by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB New Delhi). Aquatic insects and their larvae were identified up to family level with the help of suitable key. Samples were collected from Nine stations of Chalakudi River, from the origin to Elanthikkara , during Non-monsoon and monsoon period in 2016. The results showed that un-disturbed upper river and station four has complete sensitive taxa namely Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (Clean, Category A), the other two,three,five,six and nine stations falls under the category B which is Slightly polluted and the remaining stations falls under the category C moderately polluted during Monsoon period and in Non-Monsoon period majority of stations falls under the category C moderately Polluted except station three puliyilappara(E, Heavily Polluted ) and Station nine Elanthikkara(B, Slightly polluted), according to the indicator for river water quality assessment. Keywords: Chalakudi River, Benthic macro invertebrates, BWQC


Jyothi Thomas

Marine pollution and its impacts: Scrutinising existing legal instruments in India

Marine pollution and its impacts: Scrutinising existing legal instruments in India Jyothi Thomas Department of Law, University of Kerala, Trivandrum, India Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Seventy percent of the earth’s surface area is covered by oceans. A part of the oxygen we breathe is produced by the life in our seas. Mangrove forests, sea grass beds, coral reefs, estuaries in the coastal areas, and seamounts and soft sediments on the ocean floor are some of the examples of coastal and marine habitats. Due to several factors like industrial effluents, oil spills, plastic dumping and sea bed mining the marine biodiversity is getting polluted. Marine and terrestrial biodiversity are the sources of food, medicine, shelter, energy and the raw materials that is required for the survival of human race. So protecting and maintaining marine biodiversity is necessary for the wellbeing of our environment and for the development of human life. Hence a lot of measures had been adopted by the International community to protect and conserve marine environment through several international conferences, conventions and treaties. United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982 is an example in this regard. The Parliament of India has also made a good follow up of the proposals and rules prescribed by the international law. But still there is a need for the proper implementation of laws and for that awareness among the people is necessary. Even though many issues have been addressed, a lot more like marine pollution is awaiting to be achieved. This article begins by giving an account on what a marine environment and biodiversity is, and then it tries to discover the sources of marine pollution and its possible impacts and at last scrutinize the existing legal instruments and its role in protecting marine environment. Keywords: Marine Environment, Marine Biodiversity, Marine pollution, Laws


Fouzia. J and G. Prasad

Wetland hydro-ecology of Veli lake

Wetland hydro-ecology of Veli lake Fouzia J* and G Prasad Department of Zoology, University of Kerala, Trivandrum, India *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Wetland is the general term applied to the land areas that are seasonally or permanently water logged including lakes, rivers, estuaries and fresh water marshes. The wetlands all over the world faces severe ecological crisis and are depleting in an ever increased rate. Ramsar Convention provided the frame work for the conservation of wetlands. Habitat destruction and pollution play a larger role in stressing estuarine resources. Estuaries are the ecotones or transitional zones between fresh water and marine habitats. The present study mainly focuses on the wetland ecology with a special emphasis on the hydro-ecology. The Veli Lake is the smallest estuarine wetland in the southwest coast of Kerala (08° 31 and 08° 31 ´ NL and 76° 522 30´ to 76° 532 30´ EL) situated at Thiruvananthapuram. The analysis of parameters was performed by the use of standard analytical techniques followed by APHA (1995). Data analysis was carried out with the help of commercially available statistical software SPSS. General hydro ecological parameters i.e., environmental and physico chemical parameters of the Lake were carried out for a period of two years. Every physico chemical parameter showed the interdependent nature in Veli Lake. Temperature showed seasonal fluctuations, which can be considered as one of the most influential physico chemical parameter in Veli Lake. Nutrients such as phosphate, nitrite, nitrate and ammonia vary with the pollution load of fertilizers and pesticide from domestic and industrial sewage. Management measures relevant for wetland conservation can be planned based on the results of the present study. The study tries to analyze the wetland degradation problems using a multidisciplinary approach. Unfortunately very little attention is received by the Veli Lake till now. Quality of Veli Lake is affected due to anthropogenic activities. It is noted that the parts of Veli Lake had been reclaimed for economic benefit by draining water for agricultural crops and building sector. Excessive and unscientific use of fertilizers and pesticides brings nutrient enrichment and contamination to the lake. The Lake becomes the plot of industrial and domestic waste disposal. The study formulates a baseline for future ecological impact studies of Veli Lake.


Sheeja S et al.

Bioremediation of perchlorate contaminated water

Bioremediation of perchlorate contaminated water Sheeja S*, Sreelekshmi V S, Gopika S K and Mini I Department of Botany, University college, Palayam, Thiruvananthapuram *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Possibility of perchlorate reduction by microbes raises hope for an eco-friendly mode of degradation of this toxic rocket fuel. This study reports five isolates (SSG1,SSG2,SSG3,SSG4,SSG5) capable to degrade perchlorate ions from water invitro condition.The bacterium strains were isolated from the roots of Eichhornia crassipes treated with perchlorate. The rate of degradation was the highest when perchlorate concentration was 15ppm and then .5ppm and 10ppm of perchlorate was reduced by isolates SSG1, SSG2,SSG3,SSG4 and SSG5(respectively) after 7days and presence of perchlorate at a concentration higher than 20ppm resulted in some inhibition of perchlorate reduction.16S ribosomal RNA gene analysis revealed isolate SSG1 to be Brevibacterium casei (Actinobacteria) while isolates SSG3 and SSG4 where found to belong to the genus Dechloromonas(Proteobacteria).and SSG2, SSG5 belongs to genus Bacillus (Terrabacteria).The physiological properties of few strains like tolerance to high perchlorate concentration, high salt and extreme pH condition can find application in perchlorate remediation. Keywords: Bioremediation,: Eichhornia crassipes, 16S , Perchlorate..Proteobacteria


Nair Swathy Balasaraswathi

An eyeball upon cauvery water dispute, A case study...

An eyeball upon Cauvery water dispute, A case study in human rights landscape Nair Swathy Balasaraswathi Department of Law, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

The naturally flowing gold in the Earth that is the most suitable articulation which can be given to the term “water”. If someone got interest to something which he has the lawful authority to get it that is known as “right’. Right to water encompasses the right to access sufficient water, the term access implies economic accessibility and affordability and the latter term refers to both the quality and quantity of water necessary to meet human longings. In international arena through various instruments this ‘right to water’ concept has got importance in the field of human right. If right to access water is negated for someone, many other human rights such as the right to life, food, becomes putative. The Cauvery water dispute, which has a long history of conflict solely for right to water, still now also waging before the judiciary, without looking into the pathetic situations of common people under concerned. The Cauvery River is the largest in southern India, and gives birth to near Mercara in the Coorg region at an uplift of 1,341 m above sea level towards the Western Ghats, taking an easterly course through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, before joining the Bay of Bengal. The seed for this bone of contention was sprayed In the middle of the 19th century, when Mysore Government wanted to build a number of new irrigation projects. This caused pins and needles to Madras State which was dependent on the Cauvery for irrigation. So an agreement was concluded between Madras Presidency and the princely State of Mysore in 1924 but the same lapsed in 1974. By considering both the legal and geographical happenstances, Karnataka is the upper riparian State from which the river originates and Tamil Nadu is the lower riparian State. The river flows into the Bay of Bengal through Puducherry and this justifies its partage on Cauvery and Kerala actually sweetens the kitty with more water to the river than it can utilize. Disputes de facto started from 1974, when Karnataka started diverting river flows into the four new reservoirs. Unable to resolve the dispute, the centre referred it to the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal in 1990. However the efforts of Tribunal failed and in 2016 Apex Court ordered in somewhat favour to Karnataka, on the other hand it has to be noted that the human right to water is negating among majority. Key words: right to water, riparian state, water sharing, water disputes tribunal


Divya P C and H Mary Helen

Evaluation and assessment of water quality parameters...

Evaluation and assessment of water quality parameters of Poovar estuary Kerala, south west coast of India Divya P C* and H Mary Helen Department of chemistry, S.T Hindu College, Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, India *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

The present study aimed to determine the physico chemical characteristics of poovar estuarine water and thereby assessing the quality. For the study various parameters like water temperature, Turbidity, pH, Electrical Conductivity, Dissolved Oxygen, Total Dissolved solids, Total Hardness, Total Alkalinity and Chloride were analysed for a period of one year from February 2016 to January 2017. Water temperature in the study period varied from 27.98oC to 31.43oC seasonally and maximum temperature was observed in the pre monsoon season. pH of water varied between 6 and 7 in almost all stations with maximum value during pre-monsoon season suggesting the evaporation of water due to solar radiation. Higher value of Electrical Conductivity were monitored in the pre monsoon season for all the stations and the value was maximum in the estuarine mouth. Abnormal increase in value of Electrical Conductivity indicates pollution in the area. Higher values of Dissolved Oxygen concentration were observed during monsoon season might be due to the effect of higher wind energy, heavy rain fall and high fresh water inflow through the river. The value of DO decreases as the concentration of dead matter increases. Total Hardness, Total Dissolved solids and chloride were maximum in the pre monsoon season and the values were directly related to electrical conductivity which indicates the extent of pollution. As per BIS the value of Total Hardness, Total Dissolved Solids and Chloride exceeded the permissible limit in the estuarine mouth especially during pre monsoon season and this may leaded to abnormal increase in Electrical Conductivity. Turbidity in the study period was maximum in the monsoon season may be due to the materials that eroded from the land due to rainfall and high value was observed in the river side than in the mouth. Total Alkalinity gave its highest value in the pre monsoon season. The alkalinity arises in the pre monsoon season might be due to the presence of Carbon dioxide suggesting the decay of organic matter. Keywords: Pre-monsoon, season, maximum, monsoon, concentration


Sreekala S and Mary Helen H

Assessment of water quality parameters of water collected...

Assessment of water quality parameters of water collected from Kadiyapattanam estuary, south west coast of India Sreekala S* and Mary Helen H Department of Chemistry, S.T. Hindu College, Nagercoil, Kanyakumari District, Tamil Nadu, India *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

The objective of the study is to assess the water quality using some physiochemical parameters of water collected from Kadiyapattanam estuary. For the present investigation five sampling stations were selected in and around Kadiyapattanam Estuary. Samples were collected for a period of twelve months continuously from June 2015 to May 2016 covering the monsoon (June-September), post-monsoon (October-January), and pre- monsoon (February-May) seasons. Physicochemical parameters such as temperature, pH, turbidity, TDS, DO, BOD, Nitrate, phosphate, Sulphate, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium and fluoride were estimated. In the present analysis variation of parameters indicates as temperature ranges from (26-28.5oC), pH (6.52-7.93), turbidity varies as (2-56 NTU), TDS(66-7196mg/l), DO fluctuated between (4.5-7.5mg/l), BOD (2-39mg/l), Nitrate (0.5-4mg/l), phosphate ranges (0.22-1.25mg/l), Sulphate (2-80mg/l), Calcium (8-102mg/l), Magnesium (1110mg/l), Potassium (1-210 mg/l), and fluoride varies from (0-0.5mg/l). Water samples are found turbid throughout the study period irrespective of seasons. Pre-monsoon season shows lower values compared to other seasons. This may be due to the flow of water through loosely held sediments during rainy season. Most of the parameters studied such as temperature, pH, TDS, BOD, Sulphate, Calcium, Magnesium Potassium and fluoride showed maximum concentration at station I (Kadiyapattanam Estuary) in pre monsoon season and minimum concentration in monsoon or post monsoon season. This may be due to increase in rate of evaporation and low discharge of water during pre monsoon season. Variations in water and air temperature may also affect the water quality parameters. Dissolved Oxygen, turbidity, Nitrate, phosphate shows maximum concentration in monsoon season and minimum in pre monsoon season. Comparing five stations, the highest concentration was observed in estuary station in all season throughout the study period. This may be due to the dynamic nature of the estuary, exhibit both the characteristics of fresh and marine characteristics. TDS shows higher vale than acceptable limit in station I, may be due to the mixing of sea water. Surface water quality may be degraded due direct entering of untreated industrial effluence, land runoff from agricultural field, dumping of waste materials nearby water bodies and anthropogenic activities. Environmental and climatic changes, geographical characteristics may also affect the physicochemical parameters, which in turn degrade the surface water quality. Keywords: Physicochemical, parameters, water quality, estuary, season


P G Lekshmi Ganesh et al.

The effect of drumstick seed, Moringa Oleifera, in water purification

The effect of drumstick seed, Moringa Oleifera, in water purification P G Lekshmi Ganesh, P Pournami*, L Lekshmi and Surya Suresh Department of Zoology, St. Stephens College, Pathanapuram, Kollam, Kerala, India *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Water, the life of earth nourishes our ecosystems by maintaining an ecological balance between living organisms and their environment. The demand for freshwater has increased day by day. Freshwater once so abundant is scarce now and unclean water supplies are severe public health problems in all over the world. Due to the lack of knowledge of proper drinking water treatment and its high cost, most of the people in rural and undeveloped countries use highly contaminated water. The chemical coagulants used for water treatment also create some health problems. The effectiveness of Moringa oleifera seeds as natural coagulant for purification of water is assessed in the present study. Moringa oleifera belongs to the family of Moringaceae. The cultivation of this tree in India dates back to many thousands of years. The plant possesses many valuable properties including medicinal, which makes it of great scientific interest. The leaves, twigs and stems contain high protein content and the seeds contain high oil, protein and unique polypeptides. The people in rural and underdeveloped countries use contaminated drinking water as they cannot afford the cost of proper drinking water treatment. In the present study, the tap water samples were collected from Vellanad Panchayath in Thiruvananthapuram district and are treated with Drumstick seed powder. The result produces an appreciable change in the physico-chemical properties of water. The best effect was resulted within the 18 th hr of treatment. Treating with Drumstick seed powder is an easy, ecofriendly and cheap method for purification of unclean water in a biological way. The natural coagulants are safe for human health. So this method can be effectively practiced where rural people living in extreme poverty using contaminated water. Keywords: Physico-chemical parameters, water treatment, natural coagulant, Drumstick seed


Ajitha B S and C A Jayaprakas

Effect of the Neonicotenoid Insecticide, Imidacloprid, on antioxidant enzymes...

Effect of the Neonicotenoid Insecticide, Imidacloprid, on antioxidant enzymes of the fish Nile Tilapia, (Oreochromis Niloticus) (L) Ajitha B S* and C A Jayaprakas Biopesticide laboratory, Division of Crop Protection, ICAR-Central Tuber Crop Research Institute, Trivandrum *Corresponding author email: [email protected]

Tremendous use of synthetic pesticides will cause the health and environmental problems including the contamination of aquatic ecosystem. Effect of imidacloprid, a neonicotinoid insecticide on the antioxidant activity of fresh water fish, Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) was studied. The LC50 value of imidacloprid for 96 h was calculated as 0.093 ppm. The 1/5th of 96 h LC50 value was taken as the sub lethal dose. The treated fishes were sacrificed and the gill, liver and kidney were collected for the antioxidant enzymes analysis. Results showed significant variations in the antioxidant enzymes of fish treated with insecticide. In the gill, SOD and CAT was found reduced (P