Major Canals Research Articles

Colonial Canal Built Environment of Multan Punjab: An Analysis of Administrative & Residential Structures

Architectural structures are mirrors of society’s standard of living, norms as well as values, especially the old architectural structures, that are not only the tangible realities rather the providers of the clues to the patterns of living and human sense of understanding including the aesthetic sense. This research aims to analyses about the residential and official built structures of colonial era Multan in this perspective. The study also explores the architectural representation, ornamentation patterns, usage of spaces, and usage of material and climatic aspects of built structures of canal department in colonial Multan. Studying the drawings of the built structures (colonial circuit offices and bungalows of Multan), photographs, original and secondary type of documents are used while analyzing the colonial architecture of canal department of Multan. Analyzing the bungalows, the question taken up is: how different styles of architecture were adopted? and why these residential and official structures were built separately away from local populated area of Multan? Although the structure was developed in the sub-continent, both in terms of form and name, yet an indigenous typology of built environment was adapted and adopted by the Europeans and Bungalows as representative element of colonial built environment were restricted to Europeans. The colonial architecture fulfilled represented the social, environmental and political requirements of administrative European and mercantile class. Among the urban centers in India, Multan was one of the most important canal center that was occupied by the British in 1849 CE. It became an important frontier cantonment station in Punjab and very soon the major canal colony district of the British India. Therefore, the study analyses an important section of colonial continuity as Multan Canal Division still is represented as the agricultural center of Pakistani Punjab and Canal built structure is still functional and used residentially, administratively and for communication and irrigation purposes..

Using Geochemical Tracers to Determine Seasonal Inputs of Freshwater to a Coastal Estuary: Biscayne Bay, FL

Biscayne Bay is a coastal estuary that historically relied on rainfall and groundwater inputs from the karst Biscayne aquifer. The construction of major canals along the coastline has released point-source freshwater inputs into the bay, detrimentally affecting the Bay’s ecosystem balance. This project investigates the proportional inputs of freshwater between the wet and dry seasons in Deering Estate, adjacent to Biscayne Bay. The objective of this project was accomplished by analyzing the water chemistry of the bay using naturally occurring geochemical tracers. Water sampling occurred from May to August (wet season 2022) and January to March (dry season 2023); at an inland freshwater spring and on Biscayne Bay. Water samples were analyzed for δ18O and δ2H values, and Sr2+/Ca2+ ratios as geochemical tracers. The highest and lowest salinity values observed in the wet and dry seasons, at both the freshwater spring and Biscayne Bay sites, were before and after a major rain event, respectively. The chemical analysis supports that rain is the dominant source of freshwater input into the bay at our sampling location, and the freshwater spring is dominated by groundwater and canal water during the wet season. During the dry season, groundwater and canal water are the dominant source for the sampling location in Biscayne Bay and the dominant source of freshwater input for the freshwater spring. However, all three endmembers contribute seasonally. Understanding freshwater inputs to this crucial estuary will provide important information for current restoration efforts of Biscayne Bay, specifically around the Deering Estate area.

Modeling flow of the major canals of Sylhet city using the EPA SWMM runoff model

Abstract Geographically, local canals in Sylhet city, Bangladesh, mostly transport the rainwater to the Surma River as the city lacks typical drainage infrastructure for runoff control. Hence, proper hydraulic and hydrologic models are required to assess the current potential of these canals to withstand significant runoff and enhance the protection of flood problems during a severe storm. In this study, Malni Chara and Goali Chara sub-systems of Sylhet city's major drainage networks were calibrated and verified using the EPA Storm Water Management Model (SWMM), respectively, using the hydrological data from 2016 to 2019 and the meteorological data from 1975 to 2019. The models were suitable for measuring the runoff quantity since the simulated results matched the observed data well. For the Malni Chara sub-system, R2 of 0.94, Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) of 0.92, d of 0.97, percent bias (PBIAS) (%) of 2.96%, and RMSE standard deviation ratio (RSR) of 0.05 have been found and for the Goali Chara sub-system, R2 of 0.96, NSE of 0.90, d of 0.93, PBIAS (%) of 1.54%, and RSR of 0.08 have been found.

Impact of Wastewater from Outfall of River on Bitter Gourd: Morphological and Biochemical Studies, Peptide Synthesis and Antioxidant Activity

River pollution poses a significant concern for the people of India who heavily rely on river water for daily needs. This study focuses on assessing the status of river pollution in West Bengal, India, with a particular emphasis on a major canal (N22° 39'08.75'' E88° 21'27.60'') near Dakhineswar New Jetty, known for its Kali Temple and frequent ritual activities. The region's dependence on river water is evident in daily life. Analysis of three consecutive years (2016-2018) reveals alarming levels of Total Coliform, reaching up to 8.18 x 106 MPN/100ml during the premonsoon season. Disturbingly high concentrations of Lead (0.069 mg/L) and Mercury (0.008 mg/L) are recorded. Average Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) are 2.3 mg/L and 7.9 mg/L, respectively, during the premonsoon. The impact of wastewater on Bitter Gourd (Momordica charantia L.) manifests in detrimental changes to both morphological and biochemical parameters, including total chlorophyll and protein content. Low molecular weight peptide(s) (3.0-0.5 kDa) are extracted, purified, and analyzed through ion exchange resin column, ultra-filtration, and HPLC. HPLC analysis distinguishes the presence of peptides compared to the control, revealing adverse effects of wastewater. The antioxidant activity of low molecular weight peptide(s) is demonstrated through DPPH scavenging. Bioassays, such as the germination percentage of wastewater-treated Bitter Gourd seeds, indicate inhibition. The intensified impact of wastewater during the premonsoon season underscores the urgency of addressing river pollution in this region.

Evaluation of water resources: A case study of Rohtak district, Haryana

Water is one of the most important natural resources for life. Because of the rapid increase in population, urbanization, and industrialization, the demand for water to meet various needs is constantly increasing. Water that is present below the Earth's surface and fills any gaps in the soil or geologic strata is known as groundwater. It is additionally known as subsurface water. Data related to underground water table were obtained from Central Ground Water Board of the Ministry of Water Resources. Maps of underground water table depth, quality and surface water resources were prepared in Arc GIS software. After the analysis of maps, the depth of the underground water table in the study area ranges from 0 to 20 meters. The maximum area of the study area is 3-10 meters, which covers 48.35% of the study area. The minimum area is 10-20 meters deep and covers 1.43% of the study area. In Rohtak block, the maximum depth is observed in the villages of Brahmanvas, Chamaria, Aryanagar, and Bohar. The quality of groundwater varies from fresh to saline. Fresh underground water quality occupies the largest area, accounting for 59.8% of the study area. Saline underground water quality accounts for 0.5% of the study area. In terms of surface water resources, this district lacks a perennial river. The main irrigation channels in this area are artificial drain no. 8 and sub drains, major canals, distributaries, and minor canals. This research paper will make a better understanding of water resources in Rohtak district. It will help to analyse and understand the current status of underground water depth, quality and surface water to build up any water resource management plan. A water resource management plan will ensure the sustainable use of water resources which is very important for our ecosystem.

Knowledge needs in economic costs of invasive species facilitated by canalisation

Canals provide wide-ranging economic benefits, while also serving as corridors for the introduction and spread of aquatic alien species, potentially leading to negative ecological and economic impacts. However, to date, no comprehensive quantifications of the reported economic costs of these species have been done. Here, we used the InvaCost database on the monetary impact of invasive alien species to identify the costs of those facilitated by three major canal systems: the European Inland Canals, Suez Canal, and Panama Canal. While we identified a staggering number of species having spread via these systems, monetary costs have been reported only for a few. A total of $33.6 million in costs have been reported from species linked to European Inland Canals (the fishhook waterflea Cercopagis pengoi and the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha) and $8.6 million linked to the Suez Canal (the silver-cheeked toadfish Lagocephalus sceleratus, the lionfish Pterois miles, and the nomad jellyfish Rhopilema nomadica), but no recorded costs were found for species facilitated by the Panama Canal. We thus identified a pervasive lack of information on the monetary costs of invasions facilitated by canals and highlighted the uneven distribution of costs.

Nonneklostret i Hundslund

Hundslund prioryThe history of its medieval buildingsThe Benedictine priory of Hundslund is situated in Vendsyssel, northern Jutland. It flourished from its establishment in around 1200 until the Reformation, after which it became transformed into a manor house, Dronninglund Slot. This transformation secured parts of the medieval complex, which are consequently preserved to the present day (figs. 1-4).The medieval complex consisted of a church and several buildings constructed at different times. The oldest part of the complex is the brick church, constructed around 1200 in a distinct Romanesque style similar to the nearby diocese church at Børglum and a small group of local parish churches. Some monastic buildings must have existed in conjunction with the church, but these have left almost no trace in the archaeological record (figs. 5-9).A building boom occurred in the latter part of the 15th century, and the church was subject to several building projects. The walls were raised and the church was vaulted, a tower was built on the west side of the nave and a large monastic wing was constructed. After a short break, rebuilding resumed in the early 16th century, when two transepts were added to the church as well as a porch, and a new west wing of monastic buildings was constructed. In addition to the dateable construction works, a major canal was constructed at the priory in the late medieval period, as well as some smaller buildings on the priory area (figs. 10-20).The priory church had a dual function, serving both the priory’s nuns and the local parish. This meant that the church and the monastic complex had to have a layout which secured the integrity of the monastic clause. Especially during the later Middle Ages, when there was a building boom, this may have been difficult to ensure, as the natural topography also imposed some limits with respect to where the monastic buildings could be constructed. This resulted in a somewhat unique structure, whereby the monastic buildings lay to the far west of the church, instead of directly adjoining it. It was consequently not possible to achieve a traditional monastic layout with adjoining buildings and cloister walks (fig. 21a-c).

Targeted land management strategies could halve peatland fire occurrences in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

Indonesian peatlands and their large carbon stores are under threat from recurrent large-scale fires driven by anthropogenic ecosystem degradation. Although the key drivers of peatland fires are known, a holistic methodology for assessing the potential of fire mitigation strategies is lacking. Here, we use machine learning (convolutional neural network) to develop a model capable of recreating historic fire observations based on pre-fire season parameters. Using this model, we test multiple land management and peatland restoration scenarios and quantify the associated potential for fire reduction. We estimate that converting heavily degraded swamp shrubland areas to swamp forest or plantations can reduce fires occurrence by approximately 40% or 55%, respectively. Blocking all but major canals to restore these degraded areas to swamp forest may reduce fire occurrence by 70%. Our findings suggest that effective land management strategies can influence fire regimes and substantially reduce carbon emissions associated with peatland fires, in addition to enabling sustainable management of these important ecosystems.

Changes in nitrogen and phosphorus within a decade in waters along a major canal and estuary in South Florida.

The West Palm Beach-C51 (WPB-C51) canal connects Lake Okeechobee with Lake Worth Lagoon (LWL) in South Florida. This canal receives discharges from Lake Okeechobee and from agricultural and urbanized areas. The objectives of this research were to determine spatial and temporal differences and trends of N and P forms along the WPB-C51 canal and LWL for 2009-2019. Data were obtained from the South Florida Water Management District. Average total P (TP) and total N (TN) concentrations at studied stations ranged from 55 to 183μg L-1 and from 0.61 to 2.62mg L-1 , respectively. The TP and TN concentrations at LWL inflow were higher than the State of Florida's regulatory criteria (49μg L-1 and 0.66mg L-1 , respectively). The TP and TN concentrations generally declined from Lake Okeechobee to LWL; however, agricultural drainage was highest for soluble reactive P (SRP) and all N forms. Temporal trends showed predominantly increasing trends for concentrations of P forms. Total P and TN load rates increased by 0.005 and 0.032 t yr-1 , respectively, at LWL inflow. Results suggest nutrient assimilation by plants and P precipitation along the WPB-C51 canal. Possible sources of SRP and N are fertilizers, nitrification, and organic matter mineralization. Increasing trends in P concentration are possibly due to legacy P and urbanization, and increases in TP and TN loads can be due to larger Lake Okeechobee discharges and higher nutrient concentrations. Results emphasize the need to implement strategies to minimize nutrient input into LWL to meet its water quality goals.

Estimating the Water Quality Class of a Major Irrigation Canal in Odisha, India: A Supervised Machine Learning Approach

Contamination of surface water by rapid industrialization, natural and anthropogenic activities is of great concern over the last few decades. Nowadays, canal water systems are no exception to this form of contamination, which results in water quality degradation. To classify the canal water based on the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), it was thought to develop a quick and inexpensive approach as an alternative to the time-consuming analysis approach. With this motivation, the present study explores building a machine learning model for water quality classification of a major canal namely the Talaldanda canal operating in the state of Odisha, India. The water quality class is predicted using supervised machine learning (ML) prediction models for the new canal water input parameters. The water quality parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and total coliform (TC) at six strategic locations of the canal from the year 2013-2020 were collected from Odisha State Pollution Control Board for the training phase. The supervised ML models used in the study are Decision Tree (DT), Neural Network (NN), k-NN (k-Nearest Neighbor), Naïve Bayes (NV), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Random Forest (RF). The predictions of the models are evaluated using the Orange-3.29.3 data analytics tool. When analyzing the performance parameters by sampling the training data into training and testing using cross-validation, the results show that DT has a higher classification accuracy (CA) of 96.6 percent than other ML models. In addition, the likelihood of DT correctly predicting water quality class for the testing dataset is higher than that of other prediction models.

The distribution and ecological risks of antibiotics in surface water in key cities along the lower reaches of the Yellow River: A case study of Kaifeng City, China

A large number of antibiotics have been discharged into rivers by human activities, posing a threat to aquatic ecosystems. The surface water of the Yellow River Basin also suffers antibiotic pollution, which hinders the improvement in the aquatic ecological environment. This study investigated and analyzed the characteristics and assessed the ecological risks of antibiotic pollution in surface water bodies such as canals, rivers and fish ponds in Kaifeng, Henan Province, which is a key city along the lower reaches of the Yellow River. The test results are as follows. A total of 15 types of antibiotics were detected in the surface water. They had a total antibiotic concentration of 12.2–249.9 μg/L, of which tetracyclines (TCs) and quinolones accounted for the highest percentages. Six types of quinolones had detection rates of up to 100%, and doxycycline (DC) and oxytetracycline (OTC) had average concentrations of 29.52 μg/L1 and 13.71 μg/L, respectively. The major canals with water diverted from the Yellow River had total concentrations of quinolones and TCs of 22. 0 μg/L and 14.9 μg/L, respectively, which were higher than those in previous studies. This phenomenon may be related to the decrease in the water flow of the Yellow River during the dry season and the increase in the antibiotic consumption of residents in the context of the Covid-19 outbreak. The upper reaches of the Huiji River in the Xiangfu District had higher antibiotic content than other districts in Kaifeng. Specifically, TCs accounted for 72.38%–91.84% of all antibiotics, and the DC and OTC concentrations were significantly higher than other antibiotics in the upper reaches. As indicated by the ecological risk assessment results, TCs had the highest ecological risks to green algae. Among them, DC had medium-high risks; TC, OTC, and chlortetracycline (CTC) had medium-high risks; trimethoprim (TMP) and lomefloxacin (LOM) had low risks; other TC antibiotics had no risk. Compared with green algae, most antibiotics showed higher ecological risks to daphnia and lower ecological risks to fish. DC and OTC dominate antibiotic pollutants in the surface water in Kaifeng City, and especially in Xiangfu District, where DC and OTC have medium-high risks. The TCs in the major Yellow River showed medium risks to both green algae and daphnia. It can be speculated that the antibiotic pollution in the Yellow River might pose a certain threat to the ecological security of water in Kaifeng City.©2022 China Geology Editorial Office.

The Dynamics of Canal Colonies; Agricultural Development and Socio-Political Change in British Multan

Punjab was the last province which annexed with British India in 1949.British implemented many reforms in sub-continent, but Canal Colonies were excellent irrigation system introduced by the British, especially in the south west part of the Punjab province. These canal colonies proved very useful for the agriculture sector which boost up the not only the economic condition of the native people of the colonies areas but also increase revenue collection of the British government in India. Canal Colonies changed the arid/ barren land of the southern district of the province into a fertile land. British government also achieved their objectives through canal colonies. Therefore, government allotted the land of the canal colonies in different categories and rewarded some specific classes in native communities of the canal colonies. In canal colonies government reserved huge piece of land for their military objective because Indian Military was necessary for the strong law and order in British India and their strong influence in Middle East and other parts of the world. These canal colonies bring an agriculture revolution in the province which change the socio-economic condition of the people of the native districts. In Multan three major canal colonies were introduced, Sidhnai, Lower Bari Doab and Nili Bar canal colony. In these canal colonies British government also implemented same polices like the previous canal colonies of the province. Therefore, the in Multan district landed elites were loyal and cooperative with government with their wealth and men. These landed elites played important role at political canvas of the province during British rule in Multan.

Rapid deforestation of a coastal landscape driven by sea-level rise and extreme events.

Climate change is driving ecological shifts in coastal regions of the world, where low topographic relief makes ecosystems particularly vulnerable to sea-level rise, salinization, storm surge, and other effects of global climate change. The consequences of rising water tables and salinity can penetrate well inland, and lead to particularly dramatic changes in freshwater forested wetlands dominated by tree species with low salt tolerance. The resulting loss of coastal forests could have significant implications to the coastal carbon cycle. We quantified the rates of vegetation change including land loss, forest loss, and shrubland expansion in North Carolina's largest coastal wildlife refuge over 35yr. Despite its protected status, and in the absence of any active forest management, 32% (31,600hectares) of the refuge area has changed landcover classification during the study period. A total of 1,151hectares of land was lost to the sea and ~19,300hectares of coastal forest habitat was converted to shrubland or marsh habitat. As much as 11% of all forested cover in the refuge transitioned to a unique land cover type-"ghost forest"-characterized by standing dead trees and fallen tree trunks. The formation of this ghost forest transition state peaked prominently between 2011 and 2012, following Hurricane Irene and a 5-yr drought, with 4,500±990hectares of ghost forest forming during that year alone. This is the first attempt to map and quantify coastal ghost forests using remote sensing. Forest losses were greatest in the eastern portion of the refuge closest to the Croatan and Pamlico Sounds, but also occurred much further inland in low-elevation areas and alongside major canals. These unprecedented rates of deforestation and land cover change due to climate change may become the status quo for coastal regions worldwide, with implications for wetland function, wildlife habitat, and global carbon cycling.

Energy and water co-benefits from covering canals with solar panels

Solar power development over canals is an emerging response to the energy–water–food nexus that can result in multiple benefits for water and energy infrastructure. Case studies of over-canal solar photovoltaic arrays have demonstrated enhanced photovoltaic performance due to the cooler microclimate next to the canal. In addition, shade from the photovoltaic panels has been shown to mitigate evaporation and potentially mitigate aquatic weed growth. However, the evaporation savings and financial co-benefits have not been quantified across major canal systems. Here we use regional hydrologic and techno-economic simulations of solar photovoltaic panels covering California’s 6,350 km canal network, which is the world’s largest conveyance system and covers a wide range of climates, insolation rates and water costs. We find that over-canal solar could reduce annual evaporation by an average of 39 ± 12 thousand m3 per km of canal. Furthermore, the financial benefits from shading the canals outweigh the added costs of the cable-support structures required to span the canals. The net present value of over-canal solar exceeds conventional overground solar by 20–50%, challenging the convention of leaving canals uncovered and calling into question our understanding of the most economic locations for solar power. Over-canal solar photovoltaic arrays are likely to reduce water evaporation and carry financial co-benefits, but estimates are lacking. With hydrologic and techno-economic simulations of solar panels covering California’s canal network, this study shows the advantages of covering canals with solar panels.

Найновіші досягнення Координаційно-методичного центру (КМЦ) «Садівництво» як реалізація ідей Володимира Симиренка в сучасних умовах

The paper is dedicated to the 130th anniversary of the birth of Volodymyr Levkovych Symyrenko. The authors have elucidated the main directions of the research work on the fruit and small fruit growing in the country and the newest achievements of the Coordination and Methodological Centre (CMC) "Horticulture" in the scientific support of horticulture in Ukraine, as the realization, deepening and enrichment of the great scientist`s ideas. The Institute of Horticulture of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences (IH NAAS) of Ukraine has developed methods that provide the systematic approach to the organization of scientific researches. A number of methodological tasks have been formulated and are used, the implementation of which enable to increase significantly the effectiveness and scientific and practical value of the developments in the branch of horticulture. The directive of V. Symyrenko concerning the necessity of breeding at the genetic level has been translated in reality. When elaborating zonal ecologically safe technologies of growing, storage and processing of competitive products of fruit and small fruit products in the institutions of CMC "Horticulture" comprehensive research are carried out, thanks to which the Centre scientists managed to develop modern high-efficient technologies for the main horticultural zones of our country. Scientific and practical recommendations on the use of promise ornamental plants forms and cultivars in the landscape and shade gardening have been developed under the subprogram "Ornamental horticulture". Winterhardiness of 70 roses has been estimated, the valuation of perspective hybrid forms continued. The reproduction regime for the Lavandula angustifolia promise have been optimized, the comprehensive assessment of 40 ornamental forms of the coniferous ornamental crops has been conducted, effective stimulants and reproduction regimes selected for 10 of them. The database of the ornamental crops producers has been created their major sales canals have been analyzed as well as the principal market functioning elements. The Recommendations for optimizing the inland ornamental crops market until 2030 have been developed as well as its development strategy.

IRRIGATION SYSTEM IN DHARWAD DISTRICT: A GEOGRAPHICAL ANALYSIS

Irrigation in India has been practiced from ancient times and irrigation tanks and wells are a familiar feature of the India landscape to supplement and conserve the rainfall. Artificial lakes and canals that dot the country in the hundred are centuries old and some of them has served for more than thousand years. Storages and their water courses are common in south, central and eastern India. Hindu monarchs and the Mughal emperors later on, the Britishers undertook a large number of irrigation works. Water is needed in almost every sphere of human activity. Irrigation through major and medium canal systems was a key component of green revolution that transformed India and made the spectre of famines in India history. Irrigated agriculture is thus responsible for the rapid improvement in the agriculture productivity in the 1960’s, 70s, and 80’s. There is a marked difference in the levels of contribution from agriculture in the rain-fed and the irrigated areas. In general irrigation is seen to be affecting poverty by increasing returns to the physical, human and social capital; integrating the poor with factor, product and information markets and improving the overall national growth rates. Among taluks, the area of corps, production and productivity of crops are higher in Dharwad and Navalgund taluks owing to more area under irrigation. Even horticulture crops are also more in these two taluks as compared to other taluks as a consequence of more area under irrigation. The available utilizable water resource of the District, viz: Dharwad, Hubli, Kalghatgi, Kundagol, Navalgund; is considered insufficient to meet all the future needs. Under such a situation, in order to face the challenge of water deficit, apart from accelerating pace of development of available utilizable water resources, all out efforts, on the part of people from every walk of life, would need to be made to conserve every drop of water and improve efficiency in all areas of water use. Keywords: Irrigation; Sources of Irrigation; Yielding; Cropping; Agriculture Economy

Tracing the colonization process of non-native gobies into a large river: the relevance of different dispersal modes

Ponto-Caspian gobies have invaded many river systems in the northern hemisphere, but their colonization patterns often remain unrecognized at the early stages of invasion. Here, we analyzed the ongoing invasion of the round goby Neogobius melanostomus (Pallas, 1814) in the Elbe River (Germany) by combining literature research with electrofishing and environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling. Along the surveyed 517 km, abundances peaked in the upper and lower sections, while low or no goby abundances were detected in the middle section. Combining the results of the field survey and literature data, we inferred four dispersal modes, jointly appearing during the colonization. (1) Human mediated transport, which was responsible for the initial colonization of the tidal Elbe and for a jumpy expansion to the upstream sections. (2) Fast downstream colonization, which was particularly observed for juvenile individuals. (3) Slow upstream migration, which was also recorded for another goby species, the bighead goby Ponticola kessleri (Günther, 1861) and (4) Lateral invasion via a major shipping canal in the middle river section. The eDNA analyses generally supported these conclusions and showed a high sensitivity and thus increased detection strength at low goby densities. Our study showed that the location of the first occurrence, as well as the dispersal mode, strongly determines the invasion process of non-native gobies.

Water Quality Assessment along With Pollution Sources of the Halda River

In the present study water quality assessment and land based sources of pollutants discharged into the Halda River through four major canals were investigated. The ranges of pH, DO, BOD, NO3-N, PO4-P, chloride and total alkalinity of the collected samples varied from 7.1-8.8, 3.35-4.70 mg/L, 0.055-5.0 mg/L, 0.12-3.1 mg/L, 0.06-0.16 mg/L, 8.4-69.30 mg/L and 73-220 mg/L, respectively. pH, DO, BOD showed significant changes at Mondakini Canal and Chengkhali Canal for monsoon, post-monsoon and winter (p <0.05) while chloride at Chengkali Canal for all seasons (p≤0.05). Moreover, TA, NO3-N and PO4-P exhibited significant variation in the concentration at Mondakini Canal, Madari Canal and Chengkali Canal for three seasons (p ≤0.05). River Pollution Index indicated that the water of river at Mondakini Canal, Madari Canal, Chengkhali Canal and Khondakia Canal varied from low to moderate pollution. According to the interviewers, the Halda River is being polluted due to industrial waste (53%), sewage contamination (20%), tobacco farming (13%), rubber dam (8%) and sand extraction (6%). Therefore, necessary preventive measures should be taken in order to control the unwise and unauthorized discharge of harmful pollutants into the Halda River for the better management and conservation of natural resources.
 Asiat. Soc. Bangladesh, Sci. 43(1): 61-70, June 2017

The Romantic Days of Juniata Charcoal Iron

ABSTRACT In the annals of Pennsylvania history, few industries had as significant an impact as iron and steel. From its beginnings in the southeast, the industry headed westward after the American Revolution, until firmly landing in Pittsburgh in the mid-nineteenth century. Historian Arthur C. Bining documented the origins of ironmaking in the state, and numerous authors wrote of the later steelmaking centers in the Lehigh Valley and western Pennsylvania. Sandwiched in between is the Juniata Valley, which has been and is a major transportation corridor, with trails, the turnpike, canal, railroad, and modern highway successively following the Juniata River through central Pennsylvania. It seems a backwater today, but centered in the nineteenth century, the iron and steel industry briefly stopped here and sent the name “Juniata” around the world. In 136 years, around 150 charcoal-fueled furnaces and forges produced iron regarded as among the finest in the world. During its peak, the Juniata produced nearly half of all iron in Pennsylvania, and a fifth of the national output. With the rise of big steel, the Juniata Valley became a mere footnote in history. Few today know of the incredible legacy of Juniata iron. This article brings to life the story of Juniata iron, its rise, prominence, and fall, and sheds light on the veracity of its reputation.

The status of Chinkara Gazella bennettii (Mammalia: Cetartiodactyla: Bovidae) at Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, Supe, Baramati, Pune and a note on its current distribution in the southwestern region of the Deccan Plateau of Maharashtra, India

We conducted monthly road surveys for encounter rates of Chinkara Gazella bennettii in Mayureshwar Wildlife Sanctuary (MWS), Supe Baramati, Pune from June 2011 to May 2012. The sighting records of Chinkara were collected from opportunistic surveys conducted in adjoining areas of the Sanctuary, up to a distance of 200km in the southwestern region of the Deccan plateau, Maharashtra. We observed that the Chinkara was facing threats from habitat depletion, including in MWS which was declared a sanctuary for their protection. Road widening projects such as the four lane Pune-Solapur National Highway runs 13km on its northern side and a district highway from Ahmednagar to Satara running north-south from the boundary of the Sanctuary have been proposed. Other threats like vehicular movement from tar roads crossing the sanctuary, a proposed underground canal, a major irrigation canal to be constructed along the boundary of the sanctuary, and the increasing number of fenced plots for new residential and other development projects are responsible for the reduction in suitable habitats of the Chinakara. It appears that within a few years, the sanctuary will become an isolated patch of protected grassland, affecting the smooth movement of Chinkara within and beyond the sanctuary limits. Therefore, the remaining population of Chinkara from the entire human dominated landscape will struggle for survival.