Uttarakhand State Of India Research Articles

Pyrolysis of pine needles: Parameter optimization using response surface methodology

Pine needles are forest residue-based biomass abundantly available in the Uttarakhand state of India. The presence of stranded pine needles in the forest land causes fires. At the same time, switching from fossil resources to renewable ones is the need of the hour. Among the available biomass conversion technologies, pyrolysis is a well-established and commercialized process. Therefore, the pyrolysis of pine needles to produce bio-oil with high yield and quality could be the best option for a sustainable future. Central composite design-based response surface methodology was employed to design the experiments. The study involved optimizing the process parameters such as temperature, residence time, and gas flow rate. The maximum bio-oil yield of 38.1 wt% was achieved at 500 °C, 30 min, and 50 mL·min−1 and the highest biochar yield of 60 wt% with a high heating value of 25.40 MJ/kg was obtained at 232 °C, 60 min, and 100 mL·min−1.

Entrepreneurial intention and its antecedents: a study of undergraduate students in the Uttarakhand State of India

Entrepreneurial intention and its antecedents: a study of undergraduate students in the Uttarakhand State of India

Entrepreneurial intention and its antecedents: a study of undergraduate students in the Uttarakhand State of India

Entrepreneurial intention and its antecedents: a study of undergraduate students in the Uttarakhand State of India

Mathematical modelling for the phosphate and nitrate carrying capacity of dams in Uttarakhand

The Himalayan State of Uttarakhand has abundant natural water resources and 98 Hydro Electric Power Project (HEP’s) have been constructed, 25 are under construction and, 336 are planned for the future. The water bodies of these HEP’s can also be utilized for other purposes besides electric power generation. To conserve the endemic aquatic biodiversity, it is necessary to understand the phosphate and nitrate dynamics of these water bodies. As there are several HEP’s on a single river and the human population around them, water bodies have changed drastically during the last decade. In this study, we have calculated the phosphate and nitrate load-carrying capacity of six dams in the Uttarakhand state of India using the Vollen-Weider mathematical model modified by Dillon, Rigler and Beveridge. We have also measured the phosphate & nitrate content of these water bodies to confirm if our modelling methods confirmed with actual finding of sampling sites. The phosphate and nitrate carrying capacity of these six dams were found to be in the range of 0.155 mg/l to 0.557 mg/l and 0.6 mg/l to 1.3 mg/l. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in Uttarakhand that addresses the phosphate and nitrate carrying capacity using a mathematical model.

First description of the male of Neoatractides tashiwangmoi Pešić, Smit & Gurung, 2022 from the Indian Himalayas (Acariformes, Hydrachnidia, Torrenticolidae)

Neoatractides tashiwangmoi Pešić, Smit & Gurung, 2022 is known from a single female recently collected in Bhutan. In this paper the first male is described based on a specimen collected in Uttarakhand State of India.

Detection of Water Spread Area Changes in Eutrophic Lake Using Landsat Data.

Adequate water resource management is essential for fulfilling ecosystem and human needs. Nainital Lake is a popular lake in Uttarakhand State in India, attracting lakhs of tourists annually. Locals also use the lake water for domestic purposes and irrigation. The increasing impact of climate change and over-exploration of water from lakes make their regular monitoring key to implementing effective conservation measures and preventing substantial degradation. In this study, dynamic change in the water spread area of Nainital Lake from 2001 to 2018 has been investigated using the multiband rationing indices, namely normalized difference water index (NDWI), modified normalized difference water index (MNDWI), and water ratio index (WRI). The model has been developed in QGIS 3.4 software. A physical GPS survey of the lake was conducted to check the accuracy of these indices. Furthermore, to determine the trend in water surface area for a studied period, a non-parametric Mann–Kendall test was used. San’s slope estimator test determined the magnitude of the trend and total percentage change. The result of the physical survey shows that NDWI was the best method, with an accuracy of 96.94%. Hence, the lake water spread area trend is determined based on calculated NDWI values. The lake water spread area significantly decreased from March to June and July to October at a 5% significance level. The maximum decrease in water spread area has been determined from March to June (7.7%), which was followed by the period July to October (4.67%) and then November to February (2.79%). The study results show that the lake’s water spread area decreased sharply for the analyzed period. The study might be helpful for the government, policymakers, and water experts to make plans for reclaiming and restoring Nainital Lake. This study is very helpful in states such as Uttarakhand, where physical mapping is not possible every time due to its tough topography and climate conditions.

7 Century Hawan Kund (Fire Altar) of 13 hast (166.38 cubic feet) capacity at Jageshwar Temple in Kumaon Range of Himalaya

From Vedic times to even modern times, Yagya is an essential part of social and spiritual life in India. All kinds of worship in temples have Yagya as an essential portion. This was true even in the medieval time of India. Jageshwar Dham is a place 34 kilometers away from Almora, in the Kumaon Range of Himalaya in Uttarakhand state of India containing 125 big and small temples and 174 sculptures, dating back to circa century and having Shiva as the main deity of the temple complex. Among them, 100 temples are dedicated to Lord Shiva; the oldest of them are Jageshwar Temple and Maha-Mrityunjaya Temple. The temple complex contains Hawan Kund which is still being used by temple Brahmins. There was much of literature describing the construction time of Jageshwar Dham, however, no direct literature was available to find the specific time of the construction of Hawan Kund in the temple complex. The present study attempted to analyze Hawan Kund’s structure, construction, and ritualistic details in order to find its importance and probable time of construction. The study inferred that Scriptural, traditional, and archeological facts of Hawan Kund at Jageshwar temple indeed revealed its importance in Shiva worship and maintaining spiritual ambiance. Besides the strong utilization of Hawan Kund in temple ancient traditions and rituals, the study also found that Hawan Kund was Thirteen Hast (hand as a unit) large, where 13 is the number of Shiva worship. Also, the Ishan (north-east) direction of Hawan Kund’s position with respect to Mrityunjaya temple indicated the following of proper scriptural protocol for Shiva worship indicating well-thought construction by original builders. Thus, though there was no direct literature available to find the specific time of the construction of Hawan Kund in the temple complex, it was clear that the Hawan Kund of Jageshwar temple was associated strongly with the temple’s main deity worship. Hence, the existence of Hawan Kund had to be to that of the Jageshwar and Maha Mrityunjaya temple i.e. circa the century.

First DNA barcodes of water mites from the Indian Himalayas with description of two new species (Acari, Hydrachnidia)

ABSTRACT In this study, the first DNA barcodes of water mites collected in Uttarakhand State of India are presented. The first data for nine species were uploaded into the BOLD Systems. Two species, Sperchonopsis himalayaensis sp. nov. (Sperchontidae) and Aturus uttarakhandensis sp. nov. (Aturidae), are described as new for science. http://urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:5395BED3-E36B-479E-93DF-BC30DA51BAB6

A REVIEW ON THE CURRENT STATUS OF FOREST FIRE IN UTTARAKHAND STATE OF INDIA

Forest fires have caused a huge loss to the Himalayan biodiversity, which has adversely affected the productive capacity and natural regeneration of forests species. The Uttarakhand state of India is severely affected by forest fire every year, which is one of the main reasons for loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services of the precious forest resources. As per as record, approximate 700 species of bird and animals are at the high risk of extinction as a consequence of adverse effects of forest fire. In the Uttarakhand state, majority of fire occurs in Chir Pine forests, which later on extends to the associated species, such as, Banj Oak. Worldwide, forest fire has been viewed as a serious issue responsible for the climate change. Subjecting forest areas to regular controlled burning can reduce the incidence of forest fire to the great extent. Further, imparting education, training and awareness on forest fire to the local people and state govt. official can considerably control fire incidence as well as fuel load in the forests.

Thermo-electric generation (TEG) enabled cookstoves in a rural Indian community: a longitudinal study of user behaviours and perceptions

Background. Traditional cookstoves that burn solid biomass are associated with inefficient burning, a high degree of household air pollution and high morbidity rates. A key barrier to the adoption of clean cookstoves has been the cost of fuels. Hence, a Thermo-Electric Generating (TEG) cookstove that used solid biomass fuels more efficiently and released less smoke was developed. The TEG cookstove also generates electricity to power small electric devices. Fifteen TEG cookstoves were distributed to villagers in the Indian state of Uttarakhand in 2019. Objective. We wanted to understand whether, after two years of distribution, TEG cookstoves were still used, what and where they were used for, their perceived impacts on health, and the barriers to their use. Methods used. We surveyed 10 of the 15 recipient households. We applied the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour and Behaviour Change Wheel frameworks to understand what the barriers to adoption were, and what could be done to surmount these. Results. All respondents reported lower smoke levels and most respondents reported that the TEG cookstoves required less fuelwood than their traditional cookstoves, but none had used them in the month prior to the survey. Discussion. For those whose TEG cookstoves were still usable and had not been made redundant by clean cookstoves, we found there to be physical opportunity barriers and psychological capability barriers. Physical opportunity barriers included a small inlet for fuel, limited versatility beyond cooking at low temperatures, and the availability of only one hob. To surmount these barriers, we recommend co-design to suit user needs and education emphasising visible benefits of avoided soot on kitchen walls, in addition to the health benefits.

Impact of forest fire frequency on floristic diversity in the forests of Uttarakhand, western Himalaya

The Uttarakhand State of India is rich in forest wealth with 45.4% forest cover (India State of Forest Report (2021). However, forest cover may change due to a number of anthropogenic and environmental factors. One of the factors leading to forest degradation is forest fires. Forest fires are related to factors that may be biotic, such as heavy accumulation of Chir pine (Pinus roxburghii, a dominant forest forming tree) needles on the forest floor influencing fuel load accumulation and flammability, or abiotic, such as climate, topography, or soil type influencing fuel moisture and fire spread. This study was carried out using satellite images of study area where fire was classified using the geographical information system (GIS) into four frequency classes (no fire, low fire, moderate fire, and high fire). We sampled a total of 160 quadrates for trees, 320 for shrubs and 480 for herbaceous plants to assess vegetation diversity for each forest fire frequency class. No fire was recorded for 13,619 sample points, which covers an area of 84% of the study area, whereas low fire frequency was recorded for 1784 sample points covering an area of 11%. In the present study, significant differences in species diversity were observed across the fire frequency classes. While species diversity increased in the low fire frequency class, an increase in fire frequency led to a decline in diversity and increased dominance of certain fire-tolerant species. Our results show that species richness and density decreased in higher fire frequency classes, which could be due to a poor regeneration process. We found that tree species diversity was higher for the low fire frequency class, followed by moderate fire frequency class, no fire frequency class, and was lowest for the high fire frequency class. The diversity of herbs decreased with increasing fire frequency, from a minimum of 12 species in the high fire frequency class to a maximum of 37 in the no fire frequency class. Some of the fire-adapted species were Myrica esculenta, Pyrus pashia, Lyonia ovalifolia, Carissa spinarum, Pyracantha crenulata, Desmodium microphyllum, and Micromeria biflora the regeneration of which should be promoted rehabilitate the fire damage forest ecosystem of Uttarakhand.

Relation of shear wave velocity variations with depth for different lithologies: A contribution towards mitigating the region's seismic risk

The state of Uttarakhand in India lies in a highly seismically active zone, therefore earthquake re- sistant design criteria have been followed for major construction practice in this region. One of the major inputs for earthquake-resistant design is average shear wave velocity (VS ) at 30 m depth. In the present work, at twenty-six different sites, the Horizontal to vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) technique and multichannel analysis of surface wave (MASW) is used for joint analysis to obtain a one-dimensional velocity model that supports both the HV spectrum and dispersion curve obtained from HVSR and MASW methods, respectively. Shear wave profiles obtained at various sites are compared with the bore log data obtained from drilling and it clearly shows that the (VS ) for the same formation have a strong dependence on the depth at which it occurred. Data from twenty- four shear wave profiles have been used to prepare a linear regression relation of (VS ) for different lithological formations with respect to their depth of occurrence. Root mean square error obtained from the developed relationship for various lithologies clearly shows that the results are fairly well within the range of acceptance. The developed relations have been further validated by calculating Vs profile from bore log data obtained at two new location sites that are not included in the data set used for the preparation of regression relations. A comparison of two velocity sections clearly shows that the velocity profile computed from regression relation matches closely with that obtained from the seismic survey and thereby establishing the efficacy of developed regression relationship for its practical implementation. This developed relation allows soil type classification for zoning purposes.

Eddy transport, wave–mean flow interaction, and Eddy forcing during the 2013 Uttarakhand extreme event in the reanalysis and S2S retrospective forecast data

AbstractIn this study, to explore the wave–mean interaction during the monsoon season, we investigate (a) the potential role of transient eddy forcing and the wave–mean interaction on the monsoon weather during the June 2013 heavy rainfall event over the Himalayan regions (especially the Uttarakhand State of India and the nearby regions) and (b) how they are captured in a set of operational models. Some studies have pointed out how prolonged breaks can occur due to extratropical trough incursions. However, there is a lack of clarity on how transient eddy forcing associated with such interactions can lead to modulation of monsoonal circulation or whether such interaction can lead to heavy rainfall events. E‐vector fields are analysed to quantify the eddy forcing from extratropical transient eddies and the feedback mechanism between transient eddies and the mean flow during June 2013. Analysis reveals that along with local factors (orography, moisture convergence), the large‐scale heavy rainfall event over the Uttarakhand region during June 16–17, 2013 was influenced by eddy forcing due to the intrusion of extratropical Rossby waves over the Indian region. The location of eddy affects the location of regional occurrence of the eddy‐mean interaction. Model hindcast analysis results suggest that operational models cannot forecast the upper‐level eddy forced circulation patterns, and the improper representation of the E‐vector divergence field leads to the underestimation of intensity and the spatial pattern of rainfall.

Spectrum of Insects Infesting Western Himalayan Oaks (Quercus spp.) in India

The Western Himalayan state of Uttarakhand in India is represented five species of oaks of the genus Quercus that are important from conservation as they support rich biodiversity of fauna and also for their multiple utilization values for local communities living in the region. However, oak forests today are under threat of extinction today mainly due to anthropogenic pressures along with attack by many species of insects.  Hence, there is a need to know the insect pest spectrum of oak forests and identify those species can cause damage to these trees, directly. As such field surveys across the oak forests of the state were carried out for 3 years (2017-2020) and revealed 114 species of insects infesting these 5 species of oaks. The comprehensive annotated checklist of insects infesting western Himalayan oaks in the state was prepared for 235 species (119 Lepidoptera; 100 Coleoptera; 16 Hemiptera & 1 Diptera) so far recorded on them and is presented in this paper along with their classification, habit, month of incidence and species of oak tree infested. Break up of species in different families of each of these 4 orders recorded is given along with species capable of causing potential damage to oak trees.

Occurrence patterns of herpetofauna in different habitat types of western Terai Arc Landscape, India

The Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) is an important region of biodiversity in India. Situated in the foothills of the Himalaya, it is spread across India and Nepal. We describe the herpetofauna of the western part of TAL encompassing Ramnagar Forest Division, which falls in Uttarakhand state of India. We primarily used visual encounter survey method for sampling. A total of 47 species of herpetofauna belonging to three orders, 17 families and 36 genera were recorded from 10 habitat types (6 terrestrial and 4 aquatic). Highest species richness (n=32) was recorded from the human settlement and least (n=4) species richness was reported from pond habitat. In this paper, the diversity of amphibians and reptiles in each habitat type is discussed.

Plastic ingestion in Asian elephants in the forested landscapes of Uttarakhand, India

Ecological impacts of plastic contamination on marine environment have been documented extensively, however its spread and impacts on terrestrial and freshwater fauna are still poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated diet of Asian elephant (Elephas maximus indicus) for plastic ingestion around forested habitats of Uttarakhand state in India. We quantified plastic particles and other anthropogenic waste from elephant dung samples collected from edges and interiors of forest areas, confirming plastic ingestion by this endangered mammal species. Each human-derived item was identified, measured, and sub-categorized into plastic or other anthropogenic waste. About one-third (32%) of the elephant dung samples showed presence of anthropogenic waste. Plastic particles ranging from size 1–355 mm, comprised of 85% of the waste recovered from elephant dung samples (47.08 ± 12.85 particles per sample). We found twice as many plastic particles (85.27 ± 33.7/ 100 g) in samples collected from inside forest as compared to forest edge (35.34 ± 11.14 plastic particles/100 g). A higher count (34.79 ± 28.41 items/100 g sample) of non-biodegradable anthropogenic waste (glass, metal, rubber bands, clay pottery and tile pieces) was obtained from samples collected inside the forest area samples as compared to forest edge samples (9.44 ± 1.91items/100 g). There were higher proportion of macroplastic (>5 mm) retrieved than microplastic (1–5 mm) in the elephant dung. The present study is the first systematic documentation of non-biodegradable waste ingestion by Asian elephants. High plastic presence in elephant dung highlights its widespread use near protected habitats and lack of waste segregation practices underlining the vulnerability of wild animals to plastic ingestion risk. We provide recommendations for developing a comprehensive solid waste management strategy to mitigate the threat of plastic pollution around critical elephant habitats in India.

Deep learning versus gradient boosting machine for pan evaporation prediction

In the present study, two innovative techniques namely, Deep Learning (DL) and Gradient boosting Machine (GBM) models are developed based on a maximum air temperature ‘univariate modeling scheme’ for modeling the monthly pan evaporation (E pan) process. Monthly air temperature and pan evaporation are used to build the predictive models. These models are used for evaluating the evaporation prediction for the Kiashahr meteorological station located in the north of Iran and Ranichauri station positioned in Uttarakhand State of India. Findings indicated that the deep learning model was found best at Kiashahr station for testing datasets MAE (0.5691, mm/month), RMSE (0.7111, mm/month), NSE (0.7496), and IOA (0.9413). It can be concluded that in the semi-arid climate of Iran both of the used methods had the good capability in modeling of monthly E pan. However, DL predicted monthly E pan better than GBM. Moreover, the highest accuracy of the deep learning model was also observed for the Ranichauri station in terms of MAE = 0.3693 mm/month, RMSE = 0.4357 mm/month, NSE = 0.8344, & IOA = 0.9507 in testing stage. Overall, results expose the superior performance of DL-based models for both study stations and can also be utilized for various other environmental modeling.

A Sustainable Model for Emergency Medical Services in Developing Countries: A Novel Approach Using Partial Outsourcing and Machine Learning.

IntroductionUnlike Western countries, many low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), like India, have a de-centralized emergency medical services (EMS) involving both semi-government and non-government organizations. It is alarming that due to the absence of a common ecosystem, the utilization of resources is inefficient, which leads to shortage of available vehicles and larger response time. Fragmentation of emergency supply chain resources motivates us to propose a new vehicle routing and scheduling model equipped with novel features to ensure minimal response time using existing resources.Materials and MethodsThe data set of medical and fire-related emergencies from January 2018 to May 2018 of Uttarakhand State in India was provided by GVK Emergency Management and Research Institute (GVK EMRI) also known as 108 EMSs was used in the study. The proposed model integrates all the available EMS vehicles including partial outsourcing to non-ambulatory vehicles like police vans, taxis, etc., using a novel two-echelon heuristic approach. In the first stage, an offline learning model is developed to yield the deployment strategy for EMS vehicles. Seven well researched machine learning (ML) algorithms were analyzed for parameter prediction namely random forest (RF), convolutional neural network (CNN), k-nearest neighbor (KNN), classification and regression tree (CART), support vector machine (SVM), logistic regression (LR), and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). In the second stage, a real-time routing model is proposed for EMS vehicle routing at the time of emergency, considering partial outsourcing.Results and DiscussionThe results indicate that the RF classifier outperforms the LR, LDA, SVM, CNN, CART and NB classifier in terms of both accuracy as well as F-1 score. The proposed vehicle routing and scheduling model for automated decision-making shows an improvement of 42.1%, 54%, 27.9% and 62% in vehicle assignment time, vehicle travel time from base to scene, travel time from scene to hospital, and total response time, respectively, in urban areas.

Value chain analysis of Rhododendron arboreum squash ‘buransh’ as a non-timber forest product (NTFP) in Western Himalayas: Case study of Chamoli district, Uttarakhand in India

Rhododendron arboreum species belonging to the Ericaceae family are found at an altitude of 1500–3000 m in the Himalayan region with bright red to pinkish flowers. These flowers are edible and are harvested for the Rhododendron arboreum processed squash called ‘buransh’ in the native language. This Rhododendron squash provides high ecological and medicinal value as it not only acts as a refreshing drink for the locals but its extraction for commercial utilization provides many livelihood opportunities to the local communities of the Western Himalayas. The Indian state of Uttarakhand has been a rich source of many NTFPs especially Rhododendrons which are extracted for both local and commercial use in the study area. Our research focuses on the Value-chain analysis of Rhododendron arboreum squash ‘buransh’ as a Non-timber forest product (NTFP) with the case study of Chamoli District in the state of Uttarakhand. The findings of the study reveal that the harvest of R.arboreum for the production of Rhododendron squash provides many economic benefits to the local communities. The average price of freshly harvested R.arboreum flowers ranges from 30 to 60 Rupees (available in both fresh wet and in dry form). The quantum of squash production varies from 2500 to 7500 L in the flowering season depending on the production capacity, size, and location of the processing units/ NGOs or cottage industries in the study area. The value chain provides an important source of livelihood enhancement option for the locals of the Himalayas region to target the unemployment in the state of Uttarakhand. The study explores the value-chain from the harvest of the R.arboreum for the Rhododendron squash preparation and its various components, stages, methods and, the opportunities and challenges involved. The forest community groups such as the 'Van-Panchayats' play a significant role in the management of the forest resources in the study area. The study recommends trainings and capacity building for enhancing the knowledge of the locals to adopt sustainable practices for the harvest of the R.arboreum sp. and to maintain the overall vitality and health of the Rhododendron rich forests from high anthropogenic pressures in the study area.

Diffusion of Agricultural Innovations: The Case of Organic Farming in Uttarakhand State of India

Organic agriculture is an innovation among the agricultural production systems having its own unique characteristics thus making it distinct from traditional as well as conventional agricultural production systems. From India, organic food products exports grew by 51 per cent to US$1040 million in 2020-21. The rapid spread of organic agriculture makes an interesting case for analysis particularly in the context of developing countries. This paper has attempted to discuss the diffusion of organic farming in Uttarakhand state of India where promotion of organic farming is taking place systematically through Uttarakhand Organic Commodity Board (UOCB). The various stages of innovation-decision in the process of adoption of organic farming i.e. from knowledge to confirmation by the registered organic farmers have been traced including the factors that played role at every stage. Characteristics like social participation, information access, training received, and experience in organic farming were found having significant association with adoption of organic farming.