Himalayan Region Of Uttarakhand Research Articles

Molecular marker-assisted genetic diversity analysis in soybean cultivars from Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India

‘Bhat’ is the soybean variety highly valued in the traditional food and therapeutic system of Uttarakhand state in the Indian Himalayan region. It is available in diverse colors, shapes, and sizes, often linked to their nutritional parameters. The present investigation was conducted to assess the diversity and genetic relatedness in ‘bhat’ genotype indigenous to the Garhwal division of Uttarakhand. 25 polymorphic simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers were used to determine the genetic diversity and varietal identification among the 45 genotypes collected from the different villages of Uttarakhand. Out of the different markers assessed only 13 primers showed amplification with the maximum of 2–4 alleles obtained with each primer with the molecular weight ranging between 80 and 400 kb. The highest band amplification was observed in Satt 257 and Satt 197. The allelic frequencies of amplified primers ranged from 0.5 to 0.833 with a mean value of 0.645 and the mean gene diversity and PIC value was found to be 0.43 and 0.33. Satt 183, Satt 288, and Satt 389 showed the highest polymorphism, while Satt257 and Satt245 exhibited the presence of unique alleles in some samples. The phylogenetic analysis grouped the genotypes into 4 major clusters having visually distinct phenotypes in each group, indicating the mixing of population and loss of authenticity also confirming that phenotypic attributes are not indicative of genetic relatedness among the genotype under study. The results indicate the need for the development of novel ‘bhat’ specific markers for more accurate genetic identification of the nutritionally rich indigenous soybean variety.

Regional air quality: biomass burning impacts of SO2 emissions on air quality in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India

Regional air quality: biomass burning impacts of SO2 emissions on air quality in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India

Phytochemical composition, in vitro bioactivity evaluation and in silico molecular docking study of fruit essential oils of Zanthoxylum armatum DC collected from Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India

The present research aimed to analyze the nematicidal and insecticidal activity of the essential oil obtained from the fruits of Zanthoxylum armatum collected from Gumma village of Dharchula and Chandak village of Pithoragarh. After extraction via hydro distillation, the essential oils were subjected to GC–MS for their compositional analysis. A total of 10 and 13 components were identified for the Dharchula and Pithoragarh collection respectively. Linalool (32.86 %) was the major component in collection from Dharchula whereas it was totally absent in that of collection from Pithoragarh which has trans-sabinene hydrate (11.7 %) as its major component. Essential oils were tested against Meloidogyne incognita for their nematicidal activity and inhibition of egg hatching in laboratory conditions. It was found that the activity of Z. armatum from Dharchula shows high mortality of Meloidogyne incognita and more inhibition to the egg hatching. When tested for insecticidal activity against Lipaphis erysimi, collection from Dharchula presented stronger activity compared to Pithoragarh collection as shown by their LC50 values 0.006 and 0.165 µL/mL respectively after 36 hrs. The in silico PASS study and molecular docking study was conducted to screen the nematicidal and insecticidal potential of the major components on acetylcholinesterase receptors. Results showed good binding affinities and attributed the strongest inhibitory effect to verbenone for the target protein.

Modelling of earthquake source parameters and scaling relations in the Uttarakhand Himalayan region, India

Modelling of earthquake source parameters and scaling relations in the Uttarakhand Himalayan region, India

Hippophae salicifolia D. Don, a Fascinating Medicinal Plant: An Update on its Traditional Medicinal Uses, Ethnopharmacology and Phytochemistry

Abstract: Hippophae salicifolia, belonging to family Elaegnaceae, is a thorny shrub, and shows actinorhizal habit. The species prefers a habitat of temperate regions in Europe and Asia. In India, it is distributed in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and the North-Eastern parts. The oil, fruits, leaves, and bark of Hippophae species have a pronounced use in ethnomedicines, nutritional food, cosmetics, nitrogen-fixing in soil, water conservation and as fuel source. The aim of this review is to provide updated, comprehensive, and classified information on the traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacological and toxicological research carried out on H. salicifolia. This will help researchers to explore its therapeutic potential and examine future research possibilities. The chemical composition of this shrub comprises minerals, vitamins, flavonoids, flavonoid glycosides, polyunsaturated fatty acids, sugars, carotenoids, and nucleobases. Pharmacological studies demonstrated that the extracts prepared from leaves, barks, and berries along with fixed oil of this species are useful as anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-depressant, anti-microbial, adaptogenic, and wound healing. The results of toxicity study of H. salicifolia extracts did not show any significant acute toxicity in experimental animals. Abundance of phenolic compounds, minerals, and fatty acids within the different parts of this plant prompted researchers to isolate and characterize the phytoconstituents which are responsible for its therapeutic uses.

Original

Basin morphometry is a crucial method of analysis to understand the geology, lithological structure, infiltration rate of rainwater, runoff, eroded load carrying capacity and flooding potential of a drainage basin. The quantitative techniques applied for linear, aerial and relief aspects of the drainage basin elucidate the rate of erosion, the intensity of denudation and subsequently the potential of the Nandakini river basin to flooding. The morphometric analysis of the Nandakini river basin in the Garwhal Himalayan region of Uttarakhand reveals that the Rf value of the Nandakini river basin is 0.28, indicating an elongated basin shape leading to quick flooding and poor draining out of floodwaters. Similarly, an elevation difference between the highest and lowest elevation is 5380 metres aids quick runoff and deposition of eroded debris in the drainage channels, another cause of channel overflow. The Rh value is high (0.12), indicating a high channel gradient with intense erosional processes operating due to steep gradient and this has a considerable impact on the rate of erosive geomorphic processes operating. The higher elevation on the Eastern part of the basin due to the Vaikrita Thrust, the Munsiyari Thrust (ie. the southern tilting Main Central Thrust) and the Baijnath Klippe has resulted in metamorphism in Miocene and Pliocene explaining the low rate of infiltration and rapid runoff.

Forest soil nutrient stocks along altitudinal range of Uttarakhand Himalayas: An aid to Nature Based Climate Solutions

Understating of forest functioning is crucial for ensuring the sustainable flow of forest ecosystem services. Climate regulation service of a forest ecosystem can be ensured through emission reduction by increasing carbon sequestration in forests. However, understanding about the functioning of forests for carbon sequestration is constrained due to lack of information on nutrient stocks and stoichiometry of soils of forests of India. Present study focuses to examine the stoichiometry of major nutrients; nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), carbon (C) of forest soil to understand the dynamics of the forests of Uttarakhand, India. The study also attempted to supplement the information about the soil carbon sequestration potential of important tree species of the forest. Soil samples were collected randomly for the evaluation of physico-chemical characteristics and stoichiometry of forest soil at four altitudinal ranges i.e., <1000, 1000–1500, 1500–2000, and >2000 m a.s.l in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India. The analysis shows that total nitrogen, total phosphorous, and soil organic carbon contents in forest soil were 0.35 ± 0.11%, 0.10 ± 0.04% and 3.36 ± 0.84%, respectively, which increases with altitude. The stoichiometric ratios viz., C:N:P, N:P, C:N, and C:P, and N:P were reported of 51.6:5.4:1, 4.30 ± 2.39, 9.60 ± 1.48, and 41.94 ± 23.35, respectively which were invariant with altitude. The low C:N ratio may be attributed to either increase in the nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions with an increase in nitrogen, or low in carbon stock leading to decrease in carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions. Moreover, the soil C sequestration potential in the forest tree species follow the order of Abies pindrow > Cedrus deodara > Quercus leucotrichophora > Pinus roxburghii. The information of the study would facilitate for broadening the understanding about the soil properties and stoichiometry of forest ecosystem and would provide an aid to forest management besides contributing to the mitigations strategies of the forests.

Effect of forest fire on soil microbial biomass and enzymatic activity in oak and pine forests of Uttarakhand Himalaya, India

BackgroundForest fire incidences in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India are very common in summers. Pine and oak are the principal and dominant species of Himalayan subtropical forest and Himalayan temperate forest, respectively. Forest vegetation influences the physicochemical and biological properties of soil and forest fire in pine and oak forests may have a different effect on the physicochemical and biological properties of soil. Therefore, the present study was carried out to assess the impact of forest fire on soil microbial properties, enzymatic activity, and their relationship with soil physicochemical properties in the advent of forest fire in the pine and oak forests of the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand Himalaya, India.ResultsThe soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen, soil basal respiration, and acid phosphatase activity decreased, whereas dehydrogenase activity increased at burnt sites of both forest types. The overall change in soil microbial biomass carbon was 63 and 40% at the burnt oak forest and burnt pine forest, respectively. Dehydrogenase activity and acid phosphatase activity showed a strong positive correlation with soil organic matter (r = 0.8) and microbial indices, respectively. The ratio of soil microbial biomass carbon/nitrogen was reduced at burnt sites of both forest types. Factor analysis results showed that fire had a significant impact on soil characteristics. The soil basal respiration was linked with macro- and micronutrients at burnt sites, whereas at control sites, it was linked with physicochemical properties of soil along with nutrients.ConclusionForest fire had a significant impact on soil properties of both forest types. The impact of forest fire on soil microbial biomass carbon was stronger in the oak forest than in the pine forest. Forest type influenced soil enzymatic activity at burnt sites. The bacterial community was dominated over fungi in burnt sites of both forests. Soil microbial indices can be used as a selective measure to assess the impact of fire. Furthermore, forest type plays an important role in regulating the impact of forest fire on soil properties.

Conserving one of the important species of oak tasar silk worm Antheraea proylei (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) in western Himalyan region of Uttarakhand, India to sustain the livelihood of local population

The present study was conducted to record the complete life cycle of oak tasar silk worm Anthraea proylei in the western Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India. During this study the duration of larval instar stages were 4.80 ± 0.41, 4.00 ± 0, 4.80 ± 0.41, 8.00 ± 0 and 11.66 ± 0.72 days for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th larval instars, respectively. The shortest duration of the larval stage was recorded for the 2nd instar (4.00 ± 00 days), while, longest duration of the larval stage was recorded for 5th instar (11.66 ± 0.72 days). All the larval stages were completed within 42 ± 10 days. After hatching, the larvae developed, which were elongated about 4.17 ± 0.36 mm long. The larvae covered with many brownish-black hairs and start feeding at the given food plant. After feeding the total weight was recorded 0.07 ± 0.006, 0.26 ± 0.02, 1.27 ± 0.17, 4.65 ± 0.86, 13.72 ± 1.10 for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th larval instars respectively. The total length of all instars was 1.02 ± 0.03, 2.39 ± 0.43, 6.12 ± 0.12, 7.44 ± 0.43, 10.25 ± 0.17 for 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th larval instars respectively. Larvae were reddish-brown in color. The weight and length of female pupae were 8.75 ± 0.15 gm and 4.31 ± 0.12 cm, respectively. The weight and length of male pupae were 6.41 ± 0.08 gm and 4.42 ± 0.22 cm, respectively. The weight of adult male and the female moth was reported as 4.02 ± 0.13 and 1.89 ± 0.07 gm.

Role of public entrepreneurship in the progress of agricultural produces in Himalayas

Villagers living in the Western Himalayan region of Uttarakhand are primarily dependent upon subsistence farming. They follow the practice of growing crops and raising livestock sufficient only for one's own use, without any surplus for trade. With the growing financial needs of the villagers, some portion of their produces is now readily available for marketing. While doing so a farmer gets easily entrapped into the web of the middleman, who provides him anticipatory loans in lieu of the agricultural produces grown by him and a promise to handover those produces at a much lower prices. Under this process farmers are totally debarred from getting a real fair price for their agricultural produces which otherwise they could have fetched in the absence of a middleman. This paper showcases a real experiment done by one of the authors of this paper in which a Farmer’s Producer Organization was established with hundreds of local farmers. Farmer’s Producer Organization is ensuring true monetary value for their agricultural produces by eliminating middleman and ensuring value addition to their produces. This paper critically analyses a case of formation of a Farmer’s Producer Organization in Mukteshwar area of District Nainital, Uttarakhand. Paper also throws light over its working and the challenges being faced by new generation Farmers. Key Words: Traditional farming, Framer’s Producer Organization, Middleman, Livelihood security.

Presence of Radionuclide Concentrations in Himalayan Region of Uttarakhand, IndiaA Review

Earth is a major source of several elements which are occurring with different physical and chemical properties in nature. Some of the elements are categorized as Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials and termed as NORMs. These natural sources and anthropogenic sources combined make the earth’s environment radioactive and human beings continuously receive the amount of the total radiation dose more than 50% of the radiation that comes from radon and thoron. It has been evident that soil is the furthermost important feature that affects the radon/thoron level in the human living surroundings which increases human exposure to radioactivity. The concentration of natural radionuclides elements present in soil or rocks is the main feature of levels of natural background radiation dose. This review paper represents the activity level of Ra-226, Th-232, and K-40 in soil samples of the Himalayas region of Uttarakhand. The data so obtained from previous studies of radionuclides shows the high abundance of radioactive mineralization in the soil of the Himalayan region in the Uttarakhand state of India.

Analytical and Numerical Stability Analysis of Road Cut Slopes in Garhwal Himalaya, India

The rocks of the Himalayan terrain are highly deformed and distorted due to complex geological and tectonics setup. Failures of slopes are always reported along National Highway (NH)-7, in the Uttarakhand Himalayan region, which causes loss of lives, traffic blockage, and destruction of property and also deterioration of the environment gradually. The road cut slope stability analysis of five locations were carried out along NH-7, between Shivpuri to Kaudiyala in Uttarakhand, India. For that a rigorous field investigation was done to collect the geotechnical parameters of slopes and also the potential instability condition of cut slopes were monitored with real time. To know the characteristic of rock mass, the geotechnical data's were studied based on rock mass rating (RMR) and geological strength index (GSI). The kinematics of the blocky (good and fair) rock-mass shows in general wedge, toppling and planar type of failures for different rock slopes. The petrography of representative rock samples was also carried out to see the mineralogical variation in quartzite and phyllitic quartzite. The comparative analysis of different empirical methods for slope stability as slope mass rating (SMR), continuous slope mass rating (Co-SMR), and Chinese slope mass rating (CSMR) shows a decent correlation and revealed that slopes are mostly partially stable. Qslope stability has also been applied to reveal the stability problems and to find out stable slope angle for different slopes. Further to clarify the stability of these slopes, numerical models (LEM and FEM) were applied. The numerical result, (FoS) of different slopes revealed that slopes are stable, critically stable and unstable, with a good agreement between LEM and FEM models. The collective effort of slope stability analysis through analytical and numerical methods will give the better perception to find out the potential remedial measures and optimum slope design.

Folklore Practices of Medicinal Plants by the Local Community in Ukhimath Forest Area of Rudraprayag District, Uttarakhand, India

Aim: Intent of this article is to describe the acclaimed use of medicinal plants by the people, including folklores of the Ukhimath Forest area of Rudraprayag district in Uttarakhand Himalayan region, analyze their relative importance, and validation of their knowledge with Ayurvedic classics. Materials and methods: The survey of the Ukhimath forest area of Rudraprayag district in Uttarakhand Himalayan region was conducted during June 2017 with a view to study medicinal trees and their ethnobotanical and medicinal importance. The information was collected with the help of semi-structured questionnaire from the local people. Results: Interview of a total of seven informants with an age range of 19–54 years comprising one female and six males were conducted in the study area. Total 21 medicinal plant species are reported for the management of 18 different afflictions. Conclusion: Most of the plant species used are known in the Ayurveda literature indicated for same illnesses as the folklores are using. Endeavors are required to moderate and ensure this traditional knowledge that will be supportive for the researcher and pharmaceutical industries to discover other uses of plant for the beneficence of healthcare system. Clinical significance: Folk claims reported in the study show reasonable conformity with Ayurvedic text regarding their medicinal use.

A coinfection of severe leptospirosis and scrub typhus in Indian Himalayas

Scrub typhus and leptospirosis are zoonosis and systemic febrile illnesses with diverse, nonspecific clinical manifestations, and shared risk factors for coinfection. Diagnosis of the coinfection is dependent on laboratory serological tests, which are under used. A coinfection from Uttarakhand Himalayan region is not yet reported. A 25-year-old man from altitude of 2126 feet above sea level presented with fever, myalgia, jaundice, oliguria, mental confusion, and tender hepatomegaly. Investigations revealed leukocytosis, thrombocytopenia, impaired liver function tests, renal dysfunction with neurological involvement. Leptospira immunoglobulin IgM enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and scrub typhus immunochromatography test were positive. This coinfection is first to be documented in this holy Indian Himalayas. Clinical suspicion, early laboratory diagnosis, and early treatment could prevent complications and fatal outcomes. Coinfection of this type may be considered when there is persistence of fever and a treatment response to doxycycline.

Selinum vaginatum C. B. Clarke: Terpenoid Composition and Antibacterial Activity of Whole Aerial Parts and Root Essential Oil

The steam volatile constituents from the aerial parts and roots of Selinum vaginatum C. B. Clarke (Apiaceae) growing wild in the central Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India were isolated by steam distillation and analyzed by capillary gas chromatography (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of thirty-one and forty-six constituents, representing 97.7 % and 96.7 % of the total oil composition were identified from the aerial parts and roots of S. vaginatum, respectively. The aerial parts oil consisted mainly of monoterpene hydrocarbons (48.7 %), with 2E,6E-farnesol (36.0 %), γ-terpinene (24.3 %) and β-pinene (16.3 %) as a major constituents while the roots oil mainly contains oxygenated sesquiterpenes (72.8 %), with maximum content of 2E,6Z-farnesol (60.0 %) and elemol (5.0 %). The oil samples showed significant antibacterial activity against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus subtilis and Gram-negative Klebsiella pneumoniae. Minimum inhibitory concentration value (31.25 μL/mL) of the essential oil from the aerial parts was observed against Bacillus subtilis, Xanthomonas phaseoli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pasteurella multocida whereas from roots it was observed against Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis, Erwinia chrysanthemi, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Salmonella enterica enterica. Both the oil samples showed bactericidal effect against B. subtilis, S. enterica enterica and E. faecalis at 62.5, 125 and 250 μl/mL, respectively.

Conservation and Digital Access of Available Rare Collections of Central Himalaya Region: A Study of Kumaun University

The main objective of the study is to conserve and preserve manuscripts/rare books available at DSB Campus, Kumaun University, Nainital, Uttarakhand, India. Eventually, digitized them and upload in digital repository software at G.B. Pant Library. A survey method is applied and twenty four (24) questionnaires are distributed to the twenty four (24) departments of DSB Campus, Kumaun University. In the survey, researcher got the total 53 rare books and 24 manuscripts from Zoology, Physics, Forestry, Sanskrit, and Hindi Departments. The manuscripts/rare books are not available in remaining nineteen (19) departments of this campus. Preventive and curative work is being done only in twenty four (24) manuscripts of Sanskrit Department, due to the scarcity of funds. After that the images was captured through camera then deciphering the manuscripts through subject expert and making digital repository of these rare documents in Dspace software. The result revealed that Zoology Department contains 44 (23008 folios) rare books of general zoology, entomology, fish and fisheries, genetics, invertebrates and amphibiology. Physics Department contains 1 (470 folios) rare books of spectroscopy. Forestry Department contains 3 (1208 folios) rare books of silviculture. Hindi Department contains 3 (500 folios) rare books aalochanaye and kavitaye and Sanskrit Department contains 24 (297 folios) manuscripts. The conservation process enrich the rare documents and digitization makes them global accessible. The purpose of this study is same and we have tried to make these said documents accessible within the library premises and save the rich heritage culture of Central Himalayan Region of Uttarakhand, India.

Ligularia amplexicaulis (wall.) DC. Essential oil composition and antibacterial activity

The essential oil samples from the aerial parts of Ligularia amplexicaulis (wall.) DC. growing wild in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India were isolated by steam distillation and analysed by capillary GC-FID and GC/MS. The oil samples were extracted and analysed separately from the plant material collected from two different locations (Tungnath and Munsiyari, Uttarakhand, India). The oil samples showed quantitative variation with respect to major constituents. Both the oil samples were rich in monoterpene hydrocarbons (67.3 and 82.4%, respectively). Total 47 compounds were identified with limonene (34.0 and 22.0%), p-cymen-8-ol (16.0 and 8.0%), α-pinene (12.0 and 10.0%) and p-cymene (9.0 and 37.0%), respectively, as the major constituents. The oil showed significant antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Xanthomonas phaseoli, Salmonella enteric enterica and Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis. Minimum inhibitory concentration value (31.25 μL/mL) was observed against B. subtilis, S. aureus, E. faecalis, E. coli, A. tumefaciens and P. multocida.

Hydrochemical characteristics and planktonic composition assessment of River Henwal in Himalayan Region of Uttarakhand using CPI, Simpson's and Shannon-Weaver Index

In this present study seasonal water quality of River Henwal was conducted in term of the physico-chemical parameters, heavy metals, and plankton composition at four different sites of Chamba, Distt, Tehri Garhwal to observe pollution grade of River Henwal, situated in newly carved state of Uttarakhand. One site was considered as control site out of four and low concentration of physicochemical parameters was observed at it. For this purpose, comprehensive pollution index (CPI) was used, in view of the physiochemical parameters such as conductivity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, total solids, total hardness (TH), total phosphate, chloride etc. and heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Zn, Cr etc.). Besides this, Simpson index (D) and Shannon-Weaver index (H) and Taxon Evenness (E) are used to depict the planktonic density, diversity and evenness in Henwal river. The CPI value (4.70-10.31) classifies the water quality in severely polluted condition of river water. Highest value was at Khadi. Blue green algae and protozoa were the most abundant group was recorded at all four sites. The highest Simpson (4.74), Shannon-Weiner index (1.58) and taxon evenness (0.46) was at Nagni during monsoon and lowest was at control site (D = 4.37, H = 1.54 and E = 0.43) during winter. Negative correlation was found between turbidity and plankton.

Terpenoid composition of essential oil from a new chemotype of Selinum wallichianum Raizada & Saxena

Essential oil samples obtained by steam distillation of the whole aerial parts and roots of Selinum wallichianum Raizada & Saxena (syn Selinum tenuifolium) growing wild in the Himalayan region of Uttarakhand, India, were analysed by capillary gas chromatography (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 24 and 43 constituents representing 97.0 and 95.4% of the oil composition, respectively, were identified. Both the oil samples were constituted mainly of monoterpene hydrocarbons 68.1 and 77.4%, with sabinene 31.0 and 11.5%, β-phellandrene 18.2 and 34.5%, α-bisabolol 16.0 and 1.8% and α-phellandrene 3.5 and 11.2%, respectively, as a major constituents. Presence of sabinene, β-phellandrene, α-phellandrene and complete absence of previously reported 3,5-nonadiyne (53.8–90.0%) justifies it to be a new chemotype of S. wallichianum.

Subsurface soil characterization using geoelectrical and geotechnical investigations at a bridge site in Uttarakhand Himalayan region

Geoelectrical characterization of subsurface soil has been done at a bridge foundation site on the banks of Bhagirathi River at Tehri reservoir site, Uttarakhand, India. For this purpose, the Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and the Standard Penetration Test (SPT) data, recorded at both banks of Bhagirathi River are analyzed. A total of six ERT profiles, recorded on both the West and East banks, were interpreted to determine an electrical resistivity image showing the resistivity variations with depth. The borehole data and geological inputs were used for lithological correlation and calibration of the resistivity values to the subsurface formation. Subsequently the electrical parameter (resistivity) for different subsurface lithological units has been inferred. Further, at selected points, the electrical resistivity sounding data, derived from the ERT, have been correlated with the Standard Penetration Test (SPT) data. This correlation results from the fact that in the subsurface soil both the electrical resistivity variations and the soil strength measured by SPT are controlled by the soil properties: grain size distribution, compactness, porosity and water saturation. It has been observed that the N-values smaller than 16 are unreliable and inconsistent. In the River Borne Material (RBM) on the West Bank it is due to the presence of coarse gravels while on the East Bank it is due to the boulders. The N-values greater than 16 mainly correspond to the weathered rock formation. For these values, there exists a linear relationship between N-values and resistivity with a correlation coefficient greater than 0.80. The coefficients of linear relationship at the two banks vary due to varying amount of clay content. Such a relationship is important for any site in tough Himalayan terrain because it can be used as an alternative to the SPT for determining soil strength parameters from ERT.