Districts Of Assam Research Articles

Micro-spatial flood risk assessment in Nagaon district, Assam (India) using GIS-based multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) and analytical hierarchy process (AHP).

Nagaon is one of the highly flood-prone districts of Assam, India that recurrently experiences devastatingfloods resulting in the loss of lives and property and wreaking havoc on the district's socioeconomic infrastructure. Identification and mapping of spatial patterns of flood hazards, flood vulnerability, and flood risk zones (FRZs) of the district are, therefore, crucial for flood management and mitigation. The present study, therefore, attempts to delineate the FRZs of more than 930 villages in the Nagaon district by integrating the flood hazard and vulnerability layers in the geospatial environment using the multi-criteria decision analysis and analytical hierarchy process techniques. Here, seven flood hazard and vulnerability indicators are considered to derive each layer separately. The results indicate that about 15.14% of the district's total villages are in the very high FRZ, 27.93% in the high, 46.62% in the moderate, and 10.3% in the low FRZ. Further, bivariate correlation analysis is used to evaluate the results with the percentages of the population, cropland, and animals affected by floods at different temporal scales in order to ensure that the revenue circles with a higher percentage of area under high and very high FRZs genuinely have higher percentages of flood-affected cropland, people, and livestock. The significance of this research is evident in its pragmatic findings that could aid the stakeholders in managing and reducing flood risk at micro-spatial scales.

Ornamental Fish Diversity of some Wetlands in Nimati, Jorhat, Assam

The main sources of air-breathing and attractive fish species in the Brahmaputra basin are the wetland or the floodplain lakes. A significant number of riverine species are transported in the wetland areas by the flood impulse of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries. Various types of ornamental fish can be found in the marshes of Assam. There are numerous wetlands nearby Brahmaputra River in the Nimati Ghat of the Jorhat district of Assam. Many riverine species use wetlands as breeding and feeding areas. Unfortunately, the fish population in wetland areas is declining as a result of habitat destruction. The present communication deals with the ornamental fish diversity in some wetlands nearby Nimati, Jorhat. The study was conducted in three important wetlands of Nimati, Jorhat District namely Borsola, Sarala and Gohain beel during monsoon season. A total of 56 ornamental fish species from different genus has been recorded from the wetlands. The fish found in these wetlands are a source of livelihood to the local population. Some fish are utilized for therapeutic purposes as well.

Prevalence of primary osteoarthritis of knee in tea garden community of Jorhat District, Assam

: The most prevalent form of degenerative joint disease, osteoarthritis (OA), is one of the major causes of pain and disability, particularly in middle-aged and older people. OA typically affects the knees, hips, spine, hands, and feet. The knee joint is one of the most commonly affected joint in the lower limb. Though OPD attendance due to OA is quite high, only a few community-based studies are available about its prevalence, especially in the North-Eastern states of India.Assess prevalence of OA of Knee in the Tea Garden community of Jorhat district of Assam.Community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 320 adults living in various tea gardens in Jorhat District of Assam from June 2019 to May 2020. Diagnosis of OA was made using weight-bearing AP plain radiograph of both knees graded on the Kellgren and Lawrence Scale and WOMAC Score.: Out of 320 adults examined, 29.4% have OA of knee. Prevalence was higher in females, and age more than 50 years.: The burden of OA in this community is relatively high and appropriate measures must be taken to reduce it.

Fish-Based Aqua-Tourism Centre for Development of Economical, Environmental and Cultural Security- A Case Study at Jasingfaa Aqua-Tourism Centre, Nagaon, Assam, India

Recreational or sports fishing is one of the most popular leisure activities which can also be termed fishing for pleasure or competition. It is regarded as one of the leading adventure tourism activities across the world. The most common form of recreational fishing is angling which generates sizeable income for the people where the angling takes place. The angling may take place in both natural and man-made water bodies. Going by the recent trends, recreational fishing is being considered an intrinsic part of eco-tourism which involves exploring scenic locations and experiencing the local cuisine, culture and heritage. Besides providing an opportunity to create income-generating activities, recreational fishing also contributes to conserving natural resources. Looking into the vast and varied fishery resources, Assam has the probability to promote aqua tourism activities as an alternative to adventure and wildlife tourism. This paper, thus, tries to explore and presents a case of a pioneer aqua tourism centre, i.e., Jasingfaa Aqua Tourism Centre, located in the central Assam district of Nagaon, Assam. Angling is a regular sports activity in the centre. Besides regular angling, the centre organises a Fish Festival consisting of an angling competition and other activities once a year following the ‘catch and release’ rule. The PRA tools like interviews and direct observation methods were administered to carry out the study. Jasingfaa is found to have evolved as a successful model of aqua tourism which generates a large number of direct and indirect employment opportunities besides contributing immensely towards nature conservation.

An ethnobotanical survey on phytomedicines based on traditional knowledge in the Barpeta district, Assam, India

BackgroundTraditional knowledge (TK) is the culture as well as the identity of the majority of the ethnic communities. This knowledge is diminishing with time and with the advancement of synthetic medicines. The medicinal plants are equally effective with fewer side effects when compared to allopathic treatments for humans as well as livestock. ObjectiveThe main focus of this study is to document the use of plants for the treatment of human ailments by traditional healers in the Barpeta district of Assam. Materials and methodsA survey was conducted to gather information on phytomedicines from among the 30 local practitioners or traditional healers in the Barpeta district of Assam state through face-to-face interviews and discussions. The data obtained from the study was compiled through the UR (Use report). The data was analyzed by Fic (informant consensus factor) and RFC (relative frequency of citation). The botanical name of the plants was verified using https://wfoplantlist.org/plant-list. ResultsA total of 50 plant species having medicinal benefits belonging to 48 genera and 30 families were recorded. The leaves were the most used parts used in treatment accounting for 74% of the total and were usually used by extracting the juice. Besides, the most common disease treated using herbal medicines includes that of the GIT (gastrointestinal tract). The GIT disease category showed the highest Fic index which is 0.25. The plant species Syzygium cumini showed the highest RFC index of 0.50. ConclusionsThe common people of the Barpeta district of Assam are found to be familiar with the practice of traditional medicines. This knowledge has mostly been passed down to generations from their ancestors who acquired it through trial and error methods. These medicinal plants are used in crude form. Therefore, the plants must be thoroughly analyzed and tested to identify the active principles involved in their mechanism of action which can be used in drug development.

Antibacterial Evaluation of some traditionally used medicinal plants and their Formulations for treatment of Gastro Intestinal Disorders

Even though modern medicinal system is well developed and easily accessible, the rural people still continues to depend upon traditional medicinal system for curing various ailments. Several cases of fast recovery and many cases of death due to wrong treatment was observed during the year 2018-19 in rural villages of Nagaon district of Assam, India. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of some medicinal plants and their formulations used by traditional healer for treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. The information was collected by interaction with the traditional healers and altogether 14 plant species were documented for preparation of six different formulations. Antibacterial evaluation against E. coli, P. aeruginosa and S. aureus revealed that formulation prepared from freshly prepared plant materials showed better efficacy than formulations obtained from traditional healers. Again, organic solvents extracts showed greater antibacterial activity than the aqueous extracts. Amongst the solvents, the polar organic solvent methanol showed greater inhibitory effect as compared to other non polar organic solvents, ethanol and hexane. GC-MS analysis of the potent plant extracts showed presence of several bioactive compounds like tumerone, curlone, hexadecanoic acid, oleic acid, eicosanoic acid, erucic acid and isopimaric acid which have earlier reports of having significant antibacterial activities.

Analysis of seed mycoflora of some economically important crop plants grown in Barpeta district of Assam, India

Analysis of seed mycoflora of some economically important crop plants grown in Barpeta district of Assam, India

PERCEPTION OF TRIBAL FARM MEN AND WOMEN TOWARDS AGRICULTURE

The present study was undertaken during October 2021 to November 2022. Four tribal dominated districts of Assam were purposively selected from four Agro climatic zones to analyze the perception of tribal men and women farmers towards agriculture. Three hundred and twenty respondents consisting of both tribal men and women farmers of a household constitute the final sample size of the present study. Measurement of perception was done by including some relevant statements which were grouped into five broad areas namely: Economic dimension, Social dimension, Technology dimension, Work environment dimension and other dimension. A total of 33 statements were taken and the responses were obtained in a five-point continuum of agreement representing ‘Strongly agree’ ‘Agree’, ‘Undecided’, ‘Disagree’ and ‘Strongly disagree’ assigning a score of 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 respectively for the positive statements and reverse scoring pattern for the negative statements. The results revealed that there existed significant differences in the perception between men and women respondents. Less than two third (64.38%) number of women respondents had medium to high level of perception while in men, it was observed that 51.88% belonged to the medium level towards agriculture. The finding of the study will be helpful to the extension agency, policymaker and administrators in developing appropriate extension strategy for the tribal farming community to develop more favorable perception towards agriculture for its sustainability.

Comparative Performances of Improved Poultry Varieties under Backyard Rearing System in Dhemaji District of Assam

Productive and reproductive performances in terms of body weight, age at first egg, egg production, egg weight, fertility, hatchability and mortality of Vanaraja, Rainbow Rooster, Kamruapa and Desi chicken of Assam were studied under traditional backyard system of rearing. The Vanaraja, Rainbow Rooster and Kamruapa birds were given to rear under the frontline demonstration programmes of the Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Dhemaji to the women farmers of the district during 2020-21. The data on bird weights at different ages, egg weights, fertility, hatchability as well as mortality were collected and recorded and compared among the varieties. The data recorded from the study were analyzed as per standard statistical methods. The overall mean body weights were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in all the improved varieties than Desi chicken at different ages. There is also significant (P < 0.05) difference of age at first egg among Vanaraja (182.05±5.52 days), Rainbow Rooster (175.08±6.13 days), Kamruapa (163.06±5.52 days) and Desi chicken (203.31±3.31 days). The mean egg production values up to 32, 40, 52 and 72 weeks of age in the demonstrated varieties were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than the corresponding values of Desi birds. The mean egg weights of Vanaraja, Rainbow Rooster, Kamruapa at 32, 40 and 52 weeks of age were also significantly (P < 0.05) higher than Desi birds. However, no significant difference was observed in mortality rates among the four groups at different ages. There was also no significant (P < 0.05) difference in fertility and hatchability percent among the four genetic groups. It is concluded that Vanaraja, Rainbow Rooster and Kamruapa birds are adapted well under traditional backyard rearing system in agro-climatic conditions of Dhemaji district of Assam with adequate economic advantages over the Indigenous birds.

Social Problems and Expectations of Elderly Citizens: A Cross-Sectional Study in Jorhat District of Assam

The present study investigates the social problem and expectations of elderly citizens in Jorhat district of Assam. A total of 400 elderly citizens were selected for the present study from five wards of Jorhat Municipality Board under Jorhat sub-division. A multistage random sampling procedure was followed for the present study. It was found that most of the respondents faced problems related to less elderly friendly public places (35.50%) and majority (40.75%) of the respondents expected the society to create separate clubs, association and other social networks catering to the need of the elderly people. It was further found from the results of the Chi square test that three variables i.e., age, family type and previous occupation shows a significant relationship (p<0.05) with the social problems of the respondents. In case of expectations of the elderly from the society, there was a significant relationship (p<0.05) between respondents’ educational status, family type and previous occupation.

Heavy Metals in the Water of a Developing Town of Dhubri District of Assam, India

As water is the most essential compound for living organism. Excess heavy metal causes health problems though some of them are essential in trace amounts. In this work, water samples were collected from 10 different locations of rapid developing Bilasiparatown. The water samples are then analyzed with standard methods for the determination of heavy metals namely As, Cr, Fe, Ni, and Pb. Arsenic concentrations of all the sample were within the WHO permissible limit (10µg/L). The average concentration of Cr, Fe, Ni, and Pb was found higher than the prescribed limit of WHO in most of the sources. The town is industrially underdeveloped, chemical contamination from industrial sources is insignificant, yet the water cannot be categorized as pollution free. Contaminated water is generally responsible for the spread, recurrence, and fatal consequences of various diseases.

Linguistic Imperialism: A Study of its Impact on the Assamese Language in the Greater Sivasagar District of Assam

The state of Assam in India is the home to the people who speak Assamese, an Indo-Aryan language. Assamese is the native tongue of the people of Assam and the official language of the state of Assam. Based on linguistic standards and conventions, Assamese is a vital language for writing. However, when we attempt to see the language from the viewpoint of native speakers' attitudes towards the language, we find that the language is steadily deteriorating among the linguistic community. This deterioration is caused by Linguistic Imperialism. Linguistic Imperialism is a phenomenon in which a dominant language attempts to weaken other languages both socially and politically and in a theoretically founded way. The impact of the dominance is increasing day by day due to which a negative attitude has increased significantly among the native speakers of Assamese who considers English as superior to their mother tongue. Negative attitude is one of the reasons of language endangerment and we cannot deny the possibility of endangerment of the Assamese language in the far future if the dominance of English goes on increasing. History is evident that languages with a huge literature and population got extinct because of the reasons like negative attitude, dominance of other languages, decreasing rate of fluent native speakers, examples of such languages are Sanskrit, Hebrew, etc. This paper tries to analyse the negative attitude which is gradually increasing in the Assamese language and ways to strengthen it by reverting the dominance of Linguistic Imperialism by languages like English and Hindi.

Profitability assessment of tea based inter cropping in Golaghat district of Assam

A study was conducted to find out the profitability obtained in different intercropping systems in tea gardens of small tea growers in Golaghat district of Assam.The production and income from tea, was significantly influenced by the intercrops in different cropping systems. Mostly, the small tea growers planted areca nut and agarwood as intercrops in tea in Golaghat district. Higher yield was recorded in sole tea crop than inter cropping with Agarwood and areca nut. However, sole tea crop was recorded lower gross return compared to different intercropping systems.The average return over variable cost from mix cropping of tea with areca nut (1,98,896.81 Rs./ha), with Agarwood (2,49,152.72) and with areca nut and Agarwood (2,98,201.31) intercropping system combined was recorded much higher than that of conventional cultivation of sole tea (130389.24 Rs./ha). Thus, this study reveals that mix copping system of tea can add an extra income for the small tea growers and can also act as a backup against high risk of sole tea cultivation due to price fluctuation in green tea leaves. Moreover, tea+areca nut+ Agarwood intercropping system had the highest B:C ratio of 3.06 amongst all the studied intercropping systems but, tea + agarwood recorded the highest LER value of 1.61 which suggested that though the return was higher in tea + areca nut + agarwood intercropping system, the suitable land utilization was observed in tea + agarwood cropping system.

Therapeutic Potential of Alstonia scholaris Latex in the Management of Inflammatory Diseases: An in vitro Approach

Pharmacognosy Research,2023,15,3,478-483.DOI:10.5530/pres.15.3.049Published:June 2023Type:Original Article Authors:Bapan Banik, and Malay Kumar Das Author(s) affiliations:Bapan Banik, Malay Kumar Das* Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Drug Delivery Research Laboratory, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh, Assam, INDIA. Abstract:Background: The different parts of Alstonia scholaris (AS) viz. leaf, bark root, and latex are used traditionally to treat pain, swelling, stiffness, immune deficiency, malaria, ulcer, and arthritis. The traditional healers in Dhemaji district of Assam prescribe raw AS latex for topical treatment of inflammatory diseases. The unique feature of this study is that the AS latex has been evaluated scientifically for the first time for its anti-inflammatory properties. Objectives: The present investigation evaluates the anti-inflammatory potential of the AS latex in arthritis using in vitro assays. Materials and Methods: Anti-arthritic potential of AS latex was evaluated using in vitro assays of bovine serum albumin (BSA) denaturation, egg albumin denaturation, and human red blood cell (HRBC) membrane stabilization. Results: It was observed that the standard diclofenac sodium and the AS latex showed good anti-arthritic potential. In BSA denaturation method, the latex, and diclofenac sodium showed 71.59% and 85.23% inhibition of proteinase enzyme at 250 μg/mL, respectively. In the egg albumin denaturation method, the latex, and standard showed the maximum percentage of inhibition of protein denaturation of 70.42% and 81.32%, respectively, at 250 μg/mL. In the HRBC membrane stabilization model, the latex produced considerable anti-arthritic potential in a concentration–dependent manner. At 250 μg/ mL in hypotonic solution, latex, and diclofenac sodium showed 68.77% and 72.12% membrane stabilization, respectively. Conclusion: The present investigation proved the antiarthritic activity of AS latex. It may also be used in the management of other inflammatory diseases. Keywords:Alstonia scholaris, Anti-arthritic, Anti-inflammatory, in vitro., LatexView:PDF (226.19 KB)

Ethno-medicinal Survey on Herbaceous Plant Resources of Cachar District of Assam, India

An ethno-medicinal survey was carried out to collect information and its documentation of the folk knowledge and diversity of uses of ethno-medicinal herbaceous plants from the tribal and rural inhabitants of the Cachar district of Assam during the period of 2018–2021. The area comprises of diverse medicinal herbs as well as diversity in ethnic groups and culture practices associated with plant diversity. The indigenous knowledge of folk medicinal herbs was collected from the field through personal communication with the inhabitants of the remote villages of the district and through repeated enquiries from local folk. In the present survey, a total of 112 species under 101 genera of herbaceous plants belongs to 60 families were collected, identified and documented. The study reveals that the ethnic and rural peoples of the survey area are depending on traditional medicinal plants for many of their primary health care. During the survey, it was found that due to anthropogenic activities (i.e., deforestation, construction of roads, urbanization and modernization, etc.) many of the important medicinal herbs used by the tribal and ethnic groups became rare, endangered and threatened. Therefore, it is necessary to develop the conservation and propagation activities of these ethno-medicinal herbs for future generations.

A preliminary assessment of the angiospermic plants of “Kapla beel” wetland of Barpeta district of Assam, India

The present paper deals with the study of wetland plants in “Kapla beel” area of the Barpeta district of Assam (India). A total of 107 angiospermic plant species belonging to 80 genera, 37 families, and 21 orders are taken into consideration. Treatment of taxa according to the APG-IV system of classification reveals the existence of 4 ANA-grade species. The clade Magnoliids has been recorded with only a single species. The clade Commelinids is recorded with 50 species under 37 genera, 12 families and 5 orders. Asterids under the principal clade Eudicots and Superasterids respectively have been recorded with 31 species distributed under 27 genera, 13 families and 6 orders. Another major clade, viz. Rosids under the principal clade Eudicots and Superrosids respectively have been found with 8 species belonging to 6 genera, 5 families and 4 orders. Ranunculales and Proteales are recorded as the smallest group under Eudicots comprising only 1 species each. Caryophyllales have been recorded with 10 species belonging to 4 genera and 2 families. The habitat condition of the wetland has been found to favour the growth of marshy amphibious species in a large amount.

Impact of Industrial Effluents on Crop Production in Central Brahmaputra Valley Zone of Assam

The present study assessed the impact and consequences of the industrial effluents that emerged from the Nagaon Paper Mill (NPM) and Brick Kilns Industry (BKI) in the Nagaon and Morigaon districts of Assam, respectively. The impact of the industrial effluents was analyzed with particular reference to Sali rice. The study depicted that the net sown area was less in the areas close to both industrial units due to the conversion of productive land to wastelands, which results in changes in cropping patterns and crop productivity close to industrial units compared to areas further away from industrial units. The findings also revealed that farms polluted with industrial effluents had much higher labour expenses, pesticide prices, and wastewater disposal costs, raising the overall cultivation cost. The study suggested treating the effluents appropriately before being disposed of in the environment to lessen the effect on agricultural output. For the brick kiln industry, agricultural land should not be exploited, and BKI regulations need to be strictly regulated because many unregistered BKIs are sprouting up throughout Assam.

Exploring Women Tea Plantation Workers' Interest in Varied Income-Generating Activities and Decision Making Pattern in Jorhat District of Assam

The present study was carried out in Jorhat district of Assam. Four (4) tea gardens under public corporation from Jorhat sub-division were selected using purposive sampling method. A total of 100 women tea plantation workers were selected for the present study. It was found that majority of the household decisions were taken jointly by their husbands followed by independent decision. It was further found that respondents spent the majority of time (7.94 hours) in working at tea garden. The majority (51.00%) of the respondents were mostly interested in poultry farming followed by goat rearing (14.00%).

Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) Analysis Indicating Increased Microbial Diversity in Landfill Area Near Conserved Wetland

The ecological balance of an ecosystem has a relation to its biodiversity. Although it has been established that biodiversity and ecological stability are related, generalization about the exact nature of this relation remains elusive and more so in microbial diversity. A growing volume of studies has indicated that anthropogenic activities impact biodiversity, but it is difficult to generalize the impact of anthropogenic activities on microbial diversity. Landfilling by municipal solid waste is one such activity where microbes play a major role, and leachates are released from the landfill, altering the soil’s physical and chemical nature. Change in factors like carbon source, pH, and toxicity of the soil is most likely to affect the indigenous microflora of the soil. The present study was undertaken to compare the microbial diversity of soil receiving landfill leachate with that of the soil not receiving any landfill leachate to assess the impact of the landfilling activity on microbial diversity. The landfill site selected for the study was that of Kamrup Metro District of Assam, located at Boragaon, near the Ramsar wetland called Deeporbeel. By using the Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) method, it has been found that the microbial diversity of the soil receiving leachate was higher than that of the soil not receiving any leachate from the landfill.

A Comparative Study to Assess the Knowledge and Practices of Homemakers on Food Hygiene at Dhemaji District of Assam, India

A comparative study was conducted to assess the knowledge and practices among homemakers on food hygiene at Dhemaji District of Assam. The objectives of the study were to find out correlation between knowledge and practices of food hygiene among homemakers and to compare knowledge and practices of food hygiene practices among homemakers. In this research study descriptive research design was used. The sample selected for the present study was homemakers who have at least one refrigerator in her household. The sample size for the study was 120, out of which 60 from rural area, and 60 were from urban area were selected by simple sampling technique. The data was collected by using structured interview schedule developed by the researcher. The data was tabulated, analyzed and interpreted by both descriptive statistics on the basis of the objectives and hypothesis of the study. The study findings suggest that the knowledge is better in urban respondents than rural respondents & urban respondents are better in practices than rural respondents regarding food hygiene practices. The study was concluded that the there was highly positive significant relationship the knowledge of urban respondents and their practice on food hygiene.