Search Results (5)

Recent developments in passive microwave remote sensing have provided an effective tool for monitoring global soil moisture (SM) observations on a spatiotemporal basis, filling the gap of uneven in-situ measurement distribution. In this paper, four passive microwave SM products from three bands (L, C, and X) are evaluated using in-situ observations, over a dry–wet cycle agricultural (mostly paddy/wheat cycle crops) critical zone observatory (CZO) in the Central Ganga basin, India. The L-band and C/X-band information from Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Passive Enhanced Level 3 (SMAP-L3) and Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2), respectively, was selected for the evaluation. The AMSR2 SM products used here were derived using the Land Parameter Retrieval Model (LPRM) algorithm. Spatially averaged observations from 20 in-situ distributed locations were initially calibrated with a single and continuous monitoring station to obtain long-term ground-based data. Furthermore, several statistical metrices along with the triple collocation (TC) error model were used to evaluate the overall accuracy and random error variance of the remote sensing products. The results indicated an overall superior performance of SMAP-L3 with a slight dry bias (−0.040 m³·m⁻³) and a correlation of 0.712 with in-situ observations. This also met the accuracy requirement (0.04 m³·m⁻³) during most seasons with a modest accuracy (0.059 m³·m⁻³) for the entire experimental period. Among the LPRM datasets, C1 and C2 products behaved similarly (R = 0.621) with a ubRMSE of 0.068 and 0.081, respectively. The X-band product showed a relatively poor performance compared to the other LPRM products. Seasonal performance analysis revealed a higher correlation for all the satellite SM products during monsoon season, indicating a strong seasonality of precipitation. The TC analysis indicated the lowest error variance (0.02 ± 0.003 m³·m⁻³) for the SMAP-L3. In the end, we introduced Spearman’s rank correlation to assess the dynamic response of SM observations to climatic and vegetation parameters. Full article

Increased population and increasing demands for food in the Indo-Gangetic plain are likely to exert pressure on fresh water due to rise in demand for drinking and irrigation water. The study focuses on Bhojpur district, Bihar located in the central Ganga basin, to assess the groundwater quality for drinking and irrigation purpose and discuss the issues and challenges. Groundwater is mostly utilized in the study area for drinking and irrigation purposes (major crops sown in the area are rice and wheat). There were around 45 groundwater samples collected across the study region in the pre-monsoon season (year 2019). The chemical analytical results show that Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and HCO₃⁻ ions are present in abundance in groundwater and governing the groundwater chemistry. Further analysis shows that 66%, 69% and 84% of the samples exceeded the acceptable limit of arsenic (As), Fe and Mn respectively and other trace metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd) are within the permissible limit of drinking water as prescribed by Bureau of Indian Standard for drinking water. Generally, high As concentration has been found in the aquifer (depth ranges from 20 to 40 m below ground surface) located in proximity of river Ganga. For assessing the irrigation water quality, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) values, residual sodium carbonate (RSC), Na%, permeability index (PI) and calcium alteration index (CAI) were calculated and found that almost all the samples are found to be in good to excellent category for irrigation purposes. The groundwater facie has been classified into Ca-Mg-HCO₃ type. Full article

The Ganga Basin in India experiences problems related to water availability, water quality and ecological degradation because of over-abstraction of surface and groundwater, the presence of various hydraulic infrastructure, discharge of untreated sewage water, and other point and non-point source pollution. The basin is experiencing rapid socio-economic development that will increase both the demand for water and pollution load. Climate change adds to the uncertainty and future variability of water availability. To support strategic planning for the Ganga Basin by the Indian Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and the governments of the concerned Indian states, a river basin model was developed that integrates hydrology, geohydrology, water resources management, water quality and ecology. The model was developed with the involvement of key basin stakeholders across central and state governments. No previous models of the Ganga Basin integrate all these aspects, and this is the first time that a participatory approach was applied for the development of a Ganga Basin model. The model was applied to assess the impact of future socio-economic and climate change scenarios and management strategies. The results suggest that the impact of socio-economic development will far exceed the impacts of climate change. To balance the use of surface and groundwater to support sustained economic growth and an ecologically healthy river, it is necessary to combine investments in wastewater treatment and reservoir capacity with interventions that reduce water demand, especially for irrigation, and that increase dry season river flow. An important option for further investigation is the greater use of alluvial aquifers for temporary water storage. Full article

The study shows the variation in the most important climatic variables i.e., Net Surface Radiation (Rn), Temperature, Rainfall, Evapotranspiration (ET), etc. during 2000–2016 along the North–South transect across Jharkhand, Bihar and Eastern Nepal. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) monthly average precipitation (0.25° × 0.25°), Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) 8 day average Land Surface Temperature (LST) product (1 km × 1 km), Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version-2 (MERRA-2) radiation (0.5° × 0.625°) and Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) reanalysis model data (0.25° × 0.25°) have been used to study and analysed the spatial variability and distribution of rainfall, surface temperature, energy fluxes and evapotranspiration, respectively. The results have shown that the overall annual average rainfall has a gradual decreasing trend. Results have suggested that the regions with low rainfall (<1000 mm) have to witness warmer temperature conditions (>43 °C). The east–west central line of the Bihar, along the river Ganga is found to be the line of division for the comparatively higher (towards south) and lower (towards north) temperature zones. The results for Rn have shown an overall increasing trend over the period of time. Nepal has a wider stretch of Rn concluded by its mountain topography followed by the Jharkhand (plateau) and Bihar (plain). ET values have also shown an increasing trend and the results are noticeable for western Bihar-Jharkhand. There is an upward latitudinal shifting of the low rainfall bands in both the pre-monsoon and monsoon conditions. Due to the lack of availability of ground truth data, we have to restrict with the remotely sensed dataset only. Full article

For centuries, the Ganges River in India has been the locus of sacred rites for the Hindus. The religious significance of the Ganges is physically manifested in ghats (stepped landings) that form the land-water interface. Besides serving as a site for religious bathing and cremation, the ghats are also tied to people’s livelihoods and are an inseparable part of their daily lives. Today, the increasingly urbanized Ganges basin sustains more than 40 percent of India’s population. At the same time, industrialization and the pressures of a growing population along its banks have contributed to alarming levels of pollution in the river. In 1985, the federal government of India launched the Ganga Action Plan (GAP) with the primary objective of cleaning the river. However, characterized by centralized planning and control with little public participation, the GAP had limited impact. In 2011, the government launched yet another clean up program—the National Ganga River Basin Project—with support from the World Bank. In this paper, we take a closer look at the programs to highlight the tenuous relationship between the need for ‘efficient’ management of environmental problems and public participation. Can public participation fit into the technocratic model that is often adopted by environmental programs? What approaches to participation kindle authorship and empowerment among those who share a deep relationship with the river and the ghats? Can religious practices be accommodated within scientific frameworks of adaptive management and resilience? We argue that rethinking the relationship between pollution control programs and participation is crucial for any effort to clean the Ganges, restore its waterfront, and catalyze broader regeneration in the Ganges basin. Full article