Kangra Valley Research Articles

Contributions to the Flora of Kangra Valley Part I-Dharamshala-Palampur Tract

Systematic census of the flowering plants and ferns of the western portions of the Kangra valley of Himachal Pradesh has been done. Total number of species enumerated in this paper is 399 (Angiosperms 389, Gymnosperms 2 and Pteridophytes 8).

SELECTED ATTRIBUTE OF HOUSEHOLDS AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC PATTERN: A CASE STUDY OF THARU VILLAGE (KANGRA VALLEY), TEHSIL NAGROTA BAGWAN, DISTRICT KANGRA, HIMACHAL PRADESH, INDIA

This paper is an attempt to analyze the household attributes and socio-economic pattern of Tharu village located in kangra valley of Nagrota Bagwan tehsil, district Kangra. The people of the present research area reside in the laps of nature. This study investigates nature and design of dwellings and socio-economic condition of this village. This paper searching to unfold the question how people survive in this Himalayan mountainous valley and limited landholding area and how they generate their livelihood? Is geographical factors affects their household pattern, and climatic conditions are mostly mountainous sub-tropical type of climatic region. To answer these above following questions field, visit of the same area has been conducted. This research paper is descriptive in nature. The primary Data were collected from the entire households through interviews, informal discussions and field observation. The Tharu village was investigated and it was found that the subsistence agriculture activities and livestock rearing was the main occupation. Some other interesting facts noticed in this study area such as shifting trends towards horticultural activities. On the context of households, there was higher composition of nuclear families rather than joint families. There is lack of adequate of social infrastructure such as education and health institutions. The paper will be helpful in carrying out the further analysis and showing a way to improve existing socio-economic conditions and household pattern of rural settlement in high Himalayan mountainous region in Himachal Pradesh

Analysis of Energy Efficient Features in Traditional Hill Architecture of Himachal Pradesh, India for its Indoor Performance in Sub-Tropical Climate

Vernacular architecture of any region highlights the architecture and construction methods developed by the locals, in need to provide indoor thermal comfort amidst outdoor climatic conditions which is done using the locally available materials and construction techniques in response to the climatic conditions and geographic location. At present in India, standardized building materials and construction methods are adopted for modern buildings due to the easy availability of materials and also serving well economically. This paper presents the results of a field study and simulations to investigate the thermal and energy performance of selected case study, two traditional houses using adobe blocks, rammed earth and stone construction are compared to a modern house using a masonry envelope, the construction material is altered by adding insulation to the building envelope to study the differences in the performance of original construction. The case study is located in Dharamshala town in the upper reaches of Kangra valley, Himachal Pradesh, India having a sub-tropical humid climatic condition. Hourly indoor temperatures of the houses were monitored and a field survey was done to collect the data, and simulations were carried using dynamic thermal simulation software DesignBuilder, the monitored data was then used to match the parameters in simulation models. The results show that indoor temperatures of traditional mud house provide better thermal comfort when compared to modern house, however, slightly high energy demand in traditional house is observed due to increase in discomfort hours.

Natural Enemies of Rice White Stem Borer <i>Scirpophaga fusciflua</i> (Hampson) in Himachal Pradesh

Fortnightly surveys were made to study natural enemies of white stem borer (WSB) Scirpophaga fusciflua (Hampson) in rice. The surveys revealed that the predators of S. fusciflua first appeared in the second fortnight of July, with the peak during second fortnight of September during 2016 and 2017; and their relative proportion was- spiders (49.4% and 51.2%), dragonflies (22.2% and 22.6%) and damselflies (28.4% and 26.2%). Four species of parasitoids viz., egg- Telenomus sp. and Tetrastichus sp., larval- Stenobracon sp. and pupal parasitoids- Xanthopimpla punctata were observed from egg mass, larvae and pupae collected from Kangra valley of Himachal Pradesh. During 2016 and 2017, the % parasitization was observed to be maximum in the first fortnight of October (53.5 and 62.0%) followed by second fortnight of September (36.4 and 49.1%), respectively.

A brief address of the causal factors, mechanisms, and the effects of a major landslide in Kangra valley, North-Western Himalaya, India

A brief address of the causal factors, mechanisms, and the effects of a major landslide in Kangra valley, North-Western Himalaya, India

Near-surface seismic site characterization using Nakamura-based HVSR technique in the geological complex region of Kangra Valley, northwest Himalaya, India

The two major towns, Kangra and Dharamshala, located in the northwest Himalaya have been a subject of great interest for the first-level microzonation due to their high seismic hazard potential. Tectonically, the region is geologically complex and lying between two major thrusts, i.e., the Main Boundary Thrust (MBT) to the northeast and the Jawalamukhi Thrust (JMT) to the southwest. Therefore, the valley is highly deformed and fractured and has developed several small and major faults longitudinally and transversely. The Kangra town is underlain by the Upper Siwalik Boulder Conglomerates, whereas Dharamshala town by the sandstone, claystone, and mudstone with variable thickness of soft soil cover above the bedrock. These regions faced devastating damage from the 1905 Kangra earthquake (Ms 7.8). So, the ambient noise measurement has been performed using a dense network of 200 free-field stations to measure the fundamental frequency of each site. The analysis revealed a high variation in the typologies of HVSR peaks. The iso-frequency map of the study region indicated a wide variation within and on the peripheries of the basin in a frequency ranging from 0.26 to 12 Hz. Some isolated locations in the north-eastern and north-western parts of the study area also showed a dominance of the high resonance frequency component (12-20 Hz). The study further indicated the amplification factor varying from 1.67 to 7.68, reflecting the impact of impedance contrast between the soft soil and the bedrock.

Prevalence of sibling-species of Anopheles (Cellia) fluviatilis complex in Himachal Pradesh, India.

Malaria is one of the most infectious and life-threatening vector borne disease in the tropics. Climate change can significantly influence malaria epidemiology and expansion of malaria vectors to hilly regions of Himachal Pradesh in India, hitherto considered areas of low transmission. Entomological surveillance in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh revealed high density of a proven efficient vector of malaria, Anopheles fluviatilis, but transmission intensity of malaria was found very low. It was therefore considered prudent to investigate the sibling-species composition of An. fluviatilis complex in Kangra valley to ascertain their role in transmission of malaria. The study was undertaken in six villages in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, India. A total of 4446 mosquitoes were collected during the one-year study period (2018) and processed in pools of ten for molecular characterization. DNA extraction and multiplex PCR was performed on 900 An. fluviatilis mosquitoes for differentiation of sibling-species. ELISA was used to detect Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax circumsporozoite proteins in 3790 An. fluviatilis samples. Among prevalent mosquito species, An. fluviatilis was the predominant species constituting 69.5% of total mosquito collection. Sibling-species U was found in 92.22% and species T in 7.78% samples assayed. ELISA confirmed the absence of evidence of malaria parasite in any of the An. fluviatilis mosquitoes screened. Based on the difference in the sequences of conserved regions of the 28SrDNA, sibling-species U was confirmed as prevalent in the study villages. Study revealed that in Kangra district, An. fluviatilis sibling-species U is predominant followed by species T, and both are non-vectors. The absence of malaria parasite and zoophagic nature of An. fluviatilis established through blood meal analysis, confirmed that both U and T are non-vector sibling-species.

What Is Brewing with Kangra Tea!!

Tea cultivation has been playing a pivotal role in the sustainable development of the Kangra Valley (in Himachal Pradesh, India). Due to unique local geographical conditions, the aroma and flavour of Kangra tea is different from the tea produced in other parts of India, which resulted in worldwide fame in the past. Kangra cooperative tea factory which was having high productivity is facing the problem of reduced productivity due to reduction in area for tea cultivation and number of farmers supplying raw material. Presently, it is passing through a difficult phase due to certain constraints which need immediate attention for the development of tea cultivation and industry in Kangra valley. The problem does not lie with the tea, but the manner in which it is being managed, processed and marketed within India. The case focuses on analysing the major constraints faced by different stakeholders of Kangra tea value chain and evolve strategy to regenerate and rejuvenate the lost glory of Kangra tea, especially with the increased usage of geographical indication (GI). Cooperative failures, unmarketed GI Label, high labour cost and labour availability problem, seasonal demand, lack of market availability and so on were some key issues identified during the study.

Seasonal prevalence and pathology of hepatic parasitic afflictions of Gaddi (breed) goats in North Western Himalayas

ABSTRACT The present study aimed to detect the prevalence and to assess histopathological alterations incriminated to parasitic stages in the liver of Gaddi (breed) goats of the Kangra valley, Himachal Pradesh, India. Out of 107 goats examined (57 males and 50 females), 17 (15.88%) evinced the presence of individual or mixed parasitic infections. The highest prevalence was recorded in winter (25.71%) followed by monsoon (14.28%) and summer seasons (8.11%). Amongst individual parasitic infections, hydatidosis (7.01%) showed the highest prevalence in males followed by distomatosis (3.52%). On the other hand, in females hydatidosis and distomatosis (fasciolosis and dicrocoeliosis) exhibited 4% prevalence each. Concurrent hydatidosis and distomatosis were the most common mixed hepatic parasitic infections encountered in both males (8.77%) and females (4%) examined. The samples of the infected liver subjected to histopathology exhibited the presence of multiple cysts of variable sizes containing outer lining epithelium surrounded by the zone of lymphocytic infiltration. The present study highlighted the observation of the diseases of emerging public health concern and require generation of awareness amongst the shepherds, people working in abattoirs as well as consumers about the seasonal preponderance, transmission and ill effects of the diseases.

Information value based landslide susceptibility zonation of Dharamshala region, northwestern Himalaya, India

This study investigates the application of statistical information value method (In V) for landslide susceptibility zonation of Dharamshala region, Kangra valley of Himachal Pradesh, India. The study area witnesses a number of landslides due to the prevailing factors such as slope angle, aspect, lithology, soil type, land use pattern, drainage density, and fault density. A landslide inventory map was prepared for the study area to understand the spatial distribution of landslides and their correlation with the prevailing causal factors. The mapped landslides covered an area of approximately 1.1 km2 (landslide training data 0.66 km2 and testing data 0.44 km2) out of the total study area (39.3 km2). Degree of correlation of the causal factors with the mapped landslides was inferred using the bivariate statistical information value (In V) method. The results show that, VHS zone has 0.65 km2 landslide affected area whereas, the HS zone has 0.01 km2 landslide affected area which means that the complete landslide training data (0.66 km2) falls in the HS and VHS zones. The performance of the landslide susceptibility zonation map for predicting the future landslide events was inferred based on the prediction rate curve which gave 0.96 area under curve value.

Landscape evolution and deduction of surface deformation in the Soan Dun, NW Himalaya, India

The consequence of strain accumulation along various Himalayan thrusts is manifested in shaping the topography and present day lanscape features of the Himalaya. Consequently, the strain accomodation is attributed to the occurrence of various devastating earthquakes in the Himalayan domain including 1905 Kangra earthquake (Mw 7.8) which occurred along the Kangra valley fault. In the present study, we analyzed and estimatedsss fault related parameters, gradient-length anomaly (GLA) analysis together with Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (In-SAR) measurements to understand the landscape evolution and deformation pattern within the Soan dun (piggy back basin) in the northwest Himalayan front. We combined the results of geodetic, geological, geomorphology and InSAR to constrain the uplift and subsidence between Himalayan Frontal Thrust (HFT) and Main Boundary Thrust (MBT) zones. The estimated results of fault parameters reveal that the horizontal shortening of northwest Himalaya is higher than the vertical uplift. The computed values of GLA magnitude analysis for the uplifted region vary from −9.21 to −0.77, whereas these range from 5.48 to 26.60 for the subsided region. The depicted range of vertical deformation observed from the InSAR measurements ranges from −3.13 to +3.14 mm/y, where the positive and negative value of phases are correlated with the ground uplift and subsidence. The rate of deformation observed from Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) phase velocity and GLA magnitude is positively supported by the chronologically constrained uplift rates as 3.4 ± 0.3 mm/y. The geomorphic evidences such as folded, tilted and truncated alluvial fan surfaces, offsetting of channels, fault scarps and displaced sedimentary sequences indicate active nature of the Soan dun. The study would be eventually useful for seismic hazard assessment and future infrastructure development in the seismotectonically active regions like Soan dun of NW Himalayan front.

Monitoring of white stem borer Scirpophaga fusciflua With light trap and sweep net

The present study evaluates the activity of white stem borer, Scirpophaga fusciflua on rice in Kangra valley deploying light trap and sweep net. The results revealed that moths were active from 29th to 40th (Standard week) SW and 31st to 40th SW, in 2015–16 and 2016–17, respectively, with the peak activity being at 36th and 37th SW, respectively. The population declined thereafter with nil population subsequently. The weather parameters when correlated with population dynamics revealed a positive relationship with maximum and minimum temperature and relative humidity but a negative one with rainfall.

Comparative evaluation of GIS-based landslide susceptibility mapping using statistical and heuristic approach for Dharamshala region of Kangra Valley, India

BackgroundThe Dharamshala region of Kangra valley, India is one of the fastest developing Himalayan city which is prone to landslide events almost around the year. The development is going on a fast pace which calls for the need of landslide susceptibility zonation studies in order to generate maps that can be used by planners and engineers to implement the projects at safer locations. A landslide inventory was developed for Dharamshala with help of the field observations. Based on field investigations and satellite image studies eight casual factors viz. lithology, soil, slope, aspect, fault buffer, drainage buffer, road buffer and land cover were selected to represent the landslide problems of the study area. The research presents the comparative assessment of geographic information system based landslide susceptibility maps using analytical hierarchy process and frequency ratio method. The maps generated have been validated and evaluated for checking the consistency in spatial classification of susceptibility zones using prediction rate curve, landslide density and error matrix methods.ResultsThe results of analytical hierarchy process (AHP) shows that maximum factor weightage results from lithology and soil i.e. 0.35 and 0.25. The frequency ratios of the factor classes indicate a strong correlation of Dharamsala Group of rock (value is 1.28) with the landslides which also agrees with the results from the AHP method where in the same lithology has the maximum weightage i.e. 0.71. The landslide susceptibility zonation maps from the statistical frequency ratio and heuristic analytical hierarchy process method were classified in to five classes: very low susceptibility, low susceptibility, medium susceptibility, high susceptibility and very high susceptibility. The landslide density distribution in each susceptibility class shows agreement with the field conditions. The prediction rate curve was used for assessing the future landslide prediction efficiency of the susceptibility maps generated. The prediction curves resulted the area under curve values which are 76.77% for analytical hierarchy process and 73.38% for frequency ratio method. The final evaluation of the susceptibility maps was based on the error matrix approach to calculate the area distributed among the susceptibility zones of each map. This technique resulted in assessing the spatial differences and agreement between both the susceptibility maps. The evaluation results show 70% overall spatial similarity between the resultant landslide susceptibility maps.ConclusionsHence it can be concluded that, the landslide susceptibility map (LSM) generated from the AHP and frequency ratio method have yielded good results as the 100% landslide data falls in the high susceptibility and very high susceptibility classes of both the maps. Also, the spatial agreement of almost 70% between the resultant maps increases the reliability on the results in the present study. Therefore, the LSM generated from AHP method with 76.77% landslide prediction efficiency can be used for planning future developmental sites by the area administration.

Management of diverse weed flora in maize under Kangra valley conditions of Himachal Pradesh

Twelve weed control treatments, viz. atrazine 1.0 kg/ha (2 days after sowing, DAS), metribuzin 0.25 kg/ha (2 DAS), oxyflourfen 0.15 kg/ha (2 DAS) alone and in integration with hoeing at 30 DAS, atrazine 1.0 kg/ha (2 DAS) followed by (fb) atrazine 0.5 kg/ha (30 DAS), atrazine 1.0 kg/ha + pendimethalin 0.5 kg/ha (2 DAS), intercropping of cowpea and mung bean, hand weeding thrice (15, 30 and 45 DAS) and weedy check were tested in maize during 2012 and 2013 under Kangra valley conditions of Himachal Pradesh. Herbicides alone, in combination with hoeing and sequential application significantly reduced the count and dry weight of weeds and increased number of cobs, 100-grain weight and grain yield of maize over the intercropping treatments. Maize grain yield was negatively associated with weed count (r=-0.819**) and weed dry weight (r =-0.791**) and positively correlated with cobs number (r = 0.950**), cob length (r = 0.879**) and 100-seed weight (r = 0.836**). With unit increase in weed count, the grain yield of maize decreased by 75.5 kg/ha. Un-checked weed growth reduced the grain yield of maize by 60.7%. Based on the results, metribuzin 0.250 kg/ha, atrazine 1.00 kg/ha, atrazine 1.0 kg/ha fb atrazine 0.5 kg/ha (30 DAS), oxyflourfen 0.15 kg/ha, atrazine 1.0 kg/ha + pendimethalin 0.5 kg/ha and metribuzin 0.25 kg/ha fb hoeing (30 DAS) were recommended for effective management of diverse weed flora in maize under Kangra valley conditions of Himachal Pradesh.

Documentation and conservation of vernacular architecture: conservation and continuity

Vernacular architecture is the expression of our ethnicity. India is a land of immigrants, and this is a reason for the vitality and the richness of our culture. There is need for continuity so that principles of coherence inform the practice of conservation, which in recent times has led to making ‘heritage’ a marketable commodity. To develop an effective documentation practice it is necessary to promote a conservation ethos which is based on a knowledge base rather than marketing techniques. The most lasting and visible examples of our culture are the buildings which survive our mortal selves. The production and maintenance of built environment is a fundamental human activity which offers an opportunity to engage with culture in a comprehensive manner. The paper describes an exercise to conserve the building culture of the Kangra valley as a case in point.

Evaluation of linseed germplasm for resistance against rust (Melampsora lini)

Two hundred germplasm lines of linseed were screened against rust disease caused by Melampsora lini at two hot spot locations viz., Kangra, Himachal Pradesh and Kanke, Jharkhand for three consecutive rabi seasons of 2011-12 to 2013-14. Thirty four entries were highly resistant, 21 were resistant, 19 were moderately resistant, 12 were moderately susceptible and rest of them were susceptible to highly susceptible to rust against the naturally occurring races of Melampsora lini in the Kangra valley of Himachal Pradesh. At Kanke, out oftwo hundred entries evaluated, thirty seven entries were highly resistant, 27 were resistant, 28 were moderately resistant, 23 were moderately susceptible and remaining were susceptible to highly susceptible to rust. Twenty genotypes namely Jabalpur local, KP-13B, Mayurbanj local, MS-3, OP-2-2, Polf-2, Polf-16, KL-1, LC-2014, LC-2127, LCK-9119, LCK-9303, LCK-9320, LCK-9324, SJKO-10, EC-384154, H-43, H-5, ES-44 and LC-2002 had disease score of 0at both the locations and were rated as highly resistant.

Rainfall and Anthropogenically Accelerated Mass Movement in the Outer Himalaya, North of Dharamshala Town, Kangra District, Himachal Pradesh: A Cause of Concern

Abstract: The present study has been done to evaluate the lithotectonic, geomorphic, hydrological and climatic factors responsible for the Tirah Line landslide, as well as, the anthropogenic factors that have augmented the damage potential of the slide. The town of Dharamsala and its suburbs in the Kangra valley provide a type example where unplanned development and urbanization has added to the hazard from landslides beside other factors. A devastating landslide occurred on 7th August, 2013 near Tirah Line locality of Dharamsala cantonment area, district Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, and damaged more than 25 houses completely. An estimated 0.1 sq.km of area of unconsolidated mass slid SSE down the terminal part of a thick alluvial fan on the left bank of the local drainage. The slide occurred after continuous heavy to very heavy rainfall for 4 days in August 2013 in the region when all the drainage remained in bankful position. Factors involved in slide were steep slope, continuous infiltration of water soak pits (sewage system) located up slopes, continuous heavy to very heavy rainfall and toe erosion by local drainage. The slide was moved in multiple phases due to continuous rainfall in the area.

History of groundwater development in the Indian Himalayas: past, present and future scenarios

Since time immemorial, civilizations (Indus Valley, Mesopotamian, etc.) have flourished in and around rivers or water bodies, and the same at the time of flooding/flash flooding has been the cause of their destruction. The present paper highlights the history of groundwater development in the mountains of the Indian Himalayas. The attempt is based on studying the groundwater structures developed by our ancestors since time immemorial in the form of identifying and protecting natural springs. Later, wells dug initially in the inter mountain valley region gradually shifted to the peaks of mountains in the form of manually digging wells for the forts constructed in the 16th century. Sustainability of the water source in the forts had to be developed for 24 × 365 hours per year. There was gradual transformation from exploring wells in the inter mountain valley regions to the top of the mountain, and this transformation could be related to the flash flooding activity in the past which might have washed out the major civilization/societies/kingdoms located on the banks of rivers or in the inter mountain valley regions. The accuracy in the techniques for exploration and development of groundwater resources in the mountain peaks was at its peak until the early 18th century. This is evident from the wells found in all the forts located on the peaks of Banasar, Malaon, Bilaspur and Bhota visited by the author in the state of Himachal Pradesh. This traditional science of hydrogeological exploration, however, died an unnatural death in 1815 when the tanks of the British defeated the Gorkhas in the Battle of Malaon. The ancestral science of exploration was based on sound lithological knowledge coupled with intuition (dowsing) which was the basis of our traditional scientific knowledge. After the industrial revolution, the British brought pumps with them and lifted water from rivers/springs to the peaks of the hills of Subathu, Kasauli, Dagshai and Shimla, which were in one of the oldest cantonments in the Himalayan subcontinent. The hydrogeologists of the past were not able to communicate with the new rulers. Thus language and the advent of new technology was the cause of unnatural death of the traditional water wisdom. The scenario changed and there was major shift from developing groundwater resources to the tapping of surface water resources, and pumping machinery was developed to pump more and more water from different localities to the tops of the hills. The science of hydrogeology suffered and was almost a forgotten chapter in the mountains of the Himalayas. Until the early 1990s, the hills were considered to be devoid of groundwater resources. However, with the modernization of drilling equipment and the growing demand for water, an attempt was made to tap groundwater resources in the Himalayan region. In the first phase, Kangra Valley was identified and groundwater resources were developed there. However, later, exploration techniques were developed which were again using the traditional wisdom to locate the sites to tap groundwater resources in the mountains. Satellite imagery and geophysical methods are not at all applicable in the investigation of these groundwater resources in the mountain terrain. In 1997–1998 the first wells were explored and drilled by the author across the Indus Tsangpo suture zone. By then more than 25 000 wells had been drilled in different hydrostratigraphic zones of the Himalayas identified by author in 1996. The history of groundwater development can therefore be summarized as science which was at its peak before the arrival of the British in 1815 in the Indian Himalayan Kingdom. This was followed by death of this science for almost 200 years.

Studies on quality of orthodox teas made from anthocyanin-rich tea clones growing in Kangra valley, India

Recently anthocyanin-rich purple tea varieties have been developed. The quality of these new purple tea varieties developed in Kangra valley was assessed, and compared with the quality of tea from standard Kangra clone. Purple tea shoots (PL) recorded higher amount of polyphenols compared to standard green tea shoot (GL) while epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) recorded higher levels in GL. Higher levels of theaflavins were recorded in orthodox black tea from purple shoots (BTP) compared to black tea (BT) made from green shoots. Both theanine and caffeine recorded higher levels in GL. Volatile flavour profiles of these teas showed qualitative and quantitative differences. Aroma extract dilution assay showed higher dilution factors in BTP than BT. Orthodox teas from purple shoots exhibited higher antioxidant activity compared to standard black tea. Strong correlation of total quality scores with aroma and infusion colour was observed. Tea from anthocyanin-rich cultivars can become specialty teas with high antioxidant activity.

Identification and characterization of medicinally important plants of Kangra valley with synergistic effects of traditional antibiotics against microbial infections

The use of traditional medicine to treat infection has been practiced since the origin of mankind. In present scenario, the increasing and indiscriminate use of antibiotics has led to the development of microbial resistance to antibiotics. To overcome this, the synergistic effect from the combination of antibiotics with plant extracts against resistant microbes may leads to new ways of treating infectious diseases. This study has been done to evaluate the synergetic effect of common medicinal plants of Kangra valley with traditional antibiotics (Tetracycline, Gentamicin, Streptomycin and Ampicillin). The leaves of different plants i.e Adhatoda vasica (Vasaka), Ficus carica (Fig), Calotropis gigantea (Milkweed), were collected and powdered leaves were extracted successively with methanol, chloroform, petroleum ether and water in soxhlet extractor. Antimicrobial potential of these extract was tested alone and in combination with antibiotics against five bacterial strains (Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus mutans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus) and two fungal strains (Candida albicans and Aspergillus brasiliensis) by well diffusion method. Many combinations showed almost double increased effect like methanolic extract of Adhatoda vasica and ampicillin showed synergistic effect against S. aureus whereas methanolic extract of Ficus carica showed synergistic effect with gentamycin and tetracyclin against E.coli and S. aureus. However many combinations do not showed any synergistic effect. Study will help to lay the foundation of searching new antimicrobials and alternatives that are helpful for treating infectious diseases without imparting ill effects and documents the antimicrobial potential of common plants.