Palar River Research Articles

Northeast monsoon variations during the Holocene inferred from palaeochannels and active channels of the Palar River basin, Southern Peninsular India

The present-day Palar River and its palaeochannel located in the Southern Peninsular India were investigated with a multidisciplinary approach. The main aim of the study was to reconstruct the palaeoenvironment history of the Palar River basin and to delineate the role of Holocene fluctuations that played a major role in the geomorphological evolution of the region since the Holocene period. The results obtained based on sedimentary facies analysis supported by elemental concentrations and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dates reveal distinct seven climatic phases since the past ~10 ka. Phase 1 signifies a very high precipitation as attested by the low CWI with high Rb/Sr ratio. Subsequent to Phase 1, a decreasing trend in the northeast monsoon rainfall (NEMR) is observed (Phase 2). Phase 3 (~4.83–3.59 ka) reflects a decrease in NEMR further supported by low Mn/Al, Mg/Al and Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) values. Phase 4 (~3.59 ka) is marked by high sand flux, higher K/Al, Ti/Al, Rb/Sr and Ba/Sr ratios coupled with lower values of CaO/MgO, Mn/Al and Fe/Al indicating wetter conditions in the catchment area resulting in the intense weathering of the bedrocks caused owing to the increase in NEMR precipitation. Phase 5 (3.26–2.42 ka) reveals a decline in NEMR precipitation coupled with rapid upstream avulsion because of neotectonic activity that occurred in an intense dry phase. Phase 6 (~1.88–1.44 ka) is marked by an augment NEMR causing higher K/Al, Mg/Al, Ti/Al ratios, CIA and CWI values. Finally, Phase 7 (~1.44 ka–present) is marked by lowered elemental solubility and mobility reflecting short periods of weaker or deteriorated NEMR. The documented record of the Palar River and palaeochannels suggests Holocene NEMR variability in the study region and is synchronous with the various proxy records of NEMR-dominated regions, however, revealing an inverse coupling with southwest monsoon rainfall (SWMR) during the Holocene period.

Holocene tectonic uplift using geomorphometric parameters, GIS and OSL dating: Palar River basin, southern peninsular India

Holocene tectonic uplift using geomorphometric parameters, GIS and OSL dating: Palar River basin, southern peninsular India

Speciation of Zinc Heavy Metal in Ground Water of Middle Palar River Basin by DPASV Technique

Speciation of Zinc Heavy Metal in Ground Water of Middle Palar River Basin by DPASV Technique

Investigation On Chemical Contamination In Bore Well, Dug Well and Palar River Water Near Tannery Locality Of Vellore district, India

Investigation On Chemical Contamination In Bore Well, Dug Well and Palar River Water Near Tannery Locality Of Vellore district, India

An Assessment of Drinking Water Quality in Cauvery Delta Region and Palar Region, Tamil Nadu

Delta regions of the Cauvery River basin are one of the significant areas of rice production in India. In spite of large-scale utilization of the river basin for irrigation and drinking purposes, the lack of appropriate water management has seemingly deteriorated the water quality due to increasing anthropogenic activities. Vellore is the second most populous district of Tamil Nadu in India where the Palar River flowing towards east for about 295 Km. Vellore is surrounded by many leather tanneries and small scale dying industries and their effluents are discharged into the Palar river causing impact on the quality of the underground water. To assess the extent of deterioration, physicochemical characteristics of surface water were analyzed select regions of Cauvery Delta River basin and Palar region, Tamil Nadu, during March 2016 to May 2016. This study aimed to examine quality of drinking groundwater. The results represented whether the water was suitable or unsuitable for drinking purposes in this area. It was also observed that some areas like Tiruvarur, Needamangalam, Kamalapuram, Arcot, Soraiyur, Ranipet had low quality drinking water. It is suggested to take some necessary measures for supplying desirable water to the people living in these areas.

Middle to late Holocene paleochannels and migration of the Palar River, Tamil Nadu: Implications of neotectonic activity

Geomorphic, tectonic and sedimentary investigations have been carried out to understand the landscape evolution of the Palar River basin, Southern Peninsular India. For this purpose, satellite data interpretations coupled with field investigations, fluvial architecture and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating methods were adopted to infer climatic variations and neotectonic deformation that took place during the mid to late Holocene period. Several paleochannels have been identified in the Northern part of the present day Palar River. The distribution pattern of the Palar paleochannels and its present course indicate its migration towards the south, leaving behind the old Palar River streams as paleochannels. Significant changes in the morphological characteristics, channel width and river pattern in the successive paleochannels reveal evidences of channel movement by avulsion largely controlled by reactivation of pre-existing lineaments and intensified NE monsoon. Based on OSL ages, two major phases of migration have been identified that occurred between 4.83 ka to 1.88 ka. First phase occurred between 3.59 ka to 3.26 ka due to intensified monsoon accompanied with small scale neotectonic activity. The second phase took place between 2.42 ka to 1.88 ka which occurred probably due to the rapid upstream avulsion. This rapid avulsion is due to the close proximity of MPA and the reactivation of the pre-existing lineaments. Moreover, the present Palar River basin exhibits evidences of neotectonic activity such as soft sediment deformation structures, anomalous drainage deflections and reactivation of lineaments and faults further indicating that the Palar River is still draining a tectonically active region. Thus, neotctonics and fluctuations in the intensity of monsoon are largely responsible for sculpting the present landscape.

Rock of Eternity: The Megalith of Pallikonda

The south Indian megalithic age exhibits a wonderful range of sepulchral and non sepulchral stone monuments erected possibly within 1100 BC–300 AD. However, building megalithic graves fell into disuse post-1000 AD for yet unknown reasons. The state of Tamil Nadu, southern India, hosts a large number of such megalithic sites and one monument, in particular, erected in the small panchayat town of Pallikonda, demands special attention. The site harbors a large, non-sepulchral stone arrangement comprising a large capstone balanced on three boulders. The entire structure lies at the foot of the large Pallikonda hill and overlooks the fertile basin of the Palar river. The capstone is oriented in the north-south axis, with a double projection that points towards north-west. Spatial analysis of the site reveals several unique features of the megalith. The structure is positioned strategically, so that a straight line drawn from the tip of the hill and passing through the north-west projection of the cap stone points towards the confluence of rivers Palar and Koundanyanadi, and on further extrapolation, to the summer solstice sunset. It is positioned at a point separating the arable from the non-arable lands. The capstone of the structure is dotted with cupules, some of which form distinct sightlines. Most of the sightlines match with the Iron age rising and setting azimuths of the stars Vega, Capella, Cassiopeia and Deneb. The study concludes that unique characteristics of the Pallikonda megalith mark it as a geographical, territorial and most possibly, as an astronomical marker.

BIOREMOVAL OF TRIVALENT CHROMIUM USING INDIGENOUS Bacillus species - A BIOFILM BASED APPROACH

Heavy metal pollution is a major source of aquatic contamination and has deleterious effect on the environment, therefore treatment of the polluted sites and wastewater becomes very essential. Biofilm based bioremoval of heavy metals have been a new area of research. Bacterial strains belonging to the genus Bacillus, isolated from chromium polluted soil (Palar river basin, India) have been employed as consortium for Cr(III) removal from chrome tanning effluent. The bacterial isolates were found to be Bacillus subtilis VITSCCr01 and Bacillus cereus VITSCCr02 by 16s rRNA gene sequencing. Kaolin clay was used as a supporting material for bacterial biofilm formation. Incorporation of 0.25 % MgSO4 to the growth medium resulted in effective biofilm formation. Scanning electron microscopy and Confocal laser scanning microscopy results reveal thicker and denser biofilm formation with kaolin as support. The mechanism of sorption was confirmed by FT-IR and SEM-EDS. Bacterial biofilm prepared using low cost adsorbents like kaolin and bacteria proves to be effective for Cr(III) removal, especially when the metal ion concentration is = 100 mg/L. This work promotes a feasible sorption method for Cr(III), which leaches out during leather processing.

Spatial Distribution of Benthic Foraminifera in the Palar Estuary, Tamil Nadu

Abstract: Spatial variability of estuarine benthic foraminiferal assemblages in the surface (0-1cm) sediments has been determined for the Palar river estuary, Tamil Nadu. Twelve bottom water and sediment grab samples were collected at different water depths in the estuarine zone to determine the ecological relationship of benthic foraminiferal assemblages with physicochemical characteristics. The water analyses revealed that hypo saline, high dissolved oxygen and low pH conditions were prevailing at water-substrate interface at the time of sampling. The study indicated that salinity, pH and substrate have a patchy linear relationship with living and total faunal frequency but individual species Ammonia beccarii, A. tepida and A. parkinsoniana showed positive linear correlation with salinity and dissolved oxygen values. The restricted connectivity of the estuary with Bay of Bengal and frequent anthropogenic activity appeared to have an adverse effect on the faunal abundance, diversity and spatial distribution. The Q mode cluster analysis based on single linkage approach was performed to determine if any groups of samples or species correlated with ambient environmental factors. The study identified a total of 36 benthic foraminifer species belonging to 3 sub-orders. The faunal assemblages were dominated by two species Ammonia parkinsoniana and A.beccarii nearly at all the sampling stations.

Cytotoxicity, Genotoxicity, and Phytotoxicity of Tannery Effluent Discharged into Palar River Basin, Tamil Nadu, India.

Ambur, a town located on the banks of Palar River, is considered one of the most polluted areas in India and occupied by hundreds of tanneries and leather product units. The present study was designed to evaluate the toxic effect of discharged tannery effluent (TE) on model agricultural crops, ecofriendly microorganisms, and human blood cells. The phytotoxic effects of TE tested on Allium cepa and Lemna minor revealed inhibition of root growth and significant reduction in number of fronds, protein, and chlorophyll content. Moreover, TE induced chlorosis and tissue necrosis in Nostoc muscorum at low concentration (10%). TE has also negative impact on ecofriendly microorganisms, Bacillus thuringiensis, Rhizobium etli, and Aspergillus terreus which play an important role in the nutrition of plant growth. The genotoxicity of TE was investigated in human leukocytes which showed interference with normal mitotic division with subsequent cell lysis. It also intervened with the normal replication process and induced micronucleus formation in the healthy leukocyte. 5% concentration of TE has been revealed to be toxic to erythrocytes. From this study TE found in the Palar River of Ambur has adverse effects on all the three levels of organisms in ecosystem even at lower concentrations.

Natural radioactivity and hazardous index of major South Indian river sediments

The activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th and 40K have been determined by gamma ray spectrometry with an NaI(Tl) detector in sediments of Palar River, Tamil Nadu, India. The absorbed dose rate, radium equivalent concentration, external (Hex) and internal (Hin) hazardous indices are calculated from criteria formula and compared with the international recommended limits. The Radioactive Heat Production (RHP) rate and Excess Lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR) are also calculated. The observed dose rate from ERDM (Environmental Radiation Dosimeter) at 1 m above the ground level at each site of the river is measured and correlated with calculated absorbed dose rate. The distribution of quartz, feldspar, magnetic susceptibility and weight of the magnetic minerals is correlated with radioactivity results. From the observations, the weight of the magnetic minerals is an index to identify the sediments of low or high radiological risk.

A Gravity and Bathymetric Study in the South East Continental Margin of India

The Eastern Continental Margin of India (ECMI) has formed as an upshot of separation of India from Antarctica during the early cretaceous period and subsequent seafloor spreading led to the evolution of Bay of Bengal. The study area, which lies between latitude 8° to 14°N and longitude 77.5° to 81°E, has been selected to delineate the width of the continental shelf region of the south east coast of India. GEBCO bathymetry data and Satellite gravity data has been used for the present study. The bathymetry contour map generated by GEBCO bathymetry data shows gradual increase in the depth from the coastal region (~100 m) to the central basin (~3700 m) and nearly follows a N-S trend from Karikal to Chennai. 24 profiles were extracted from the bathymetric as well as satellite gravity grid. The profiles were created perpendicular to the coastal margin. The maximum width of shelf (~45 km) is observed along the coast near Mamallapuram which is the river mouth of Palar River. Shelf width is gradually decreasing from Chennai to Karikal and the continental slope is also very steep. On the southern part of it, the continental shelf of India merges with that of Srilanka. Further south, in the Mannar basin, the shelf width ranges from 25 to 33 km. The continental shelf region is marked by a relatively high (-40 to 40 mGal) compared to the low gravity anomaly (-40 to -180 mGal) observed towards the basinal area. A local gravity high compared to the surroundings centered at 80.6A‹ÂsE and 11.8A‹ÂsN can be associated with the offshore extension of Moyar- Bhavani shear zone, which dissects south Indian terrain.

Delineation of Fresh Aquifers in Tannery Belt for Sustainable Development – A Case Study from Southern India

Abstract The tannery effluents discharged by the existing units on either side of the Palar river at Ambur town (known for tannery industry), has resulted in vertical and lateral spread of pollution. The study area of 55.3 km2 is situated on a granitic terrain of Archaean age with undulating topography and hillocks. The shallow aquifers, in flood plain and valley fills of the river are highly polluted (with EC: 15340 μS/cm) by tannery effluents making groundwater unfit for any use, hence the local population (20000) face health hazards and shortage of potable water. Hydrogeological, geophysical and in-situ groundwater quality measurement were carried out to demarcate fresh groundwater zones and to delineate lateral and vertical extent of pollution. The results show, brackish aquifer was characterized by low order of resistivity (<20 Ω-m) with a thickness of 8.5 to 28 m located in the flood plains, valley fills, and partially in hard rock formations, whereas the fresh water aquifer resistivity varying from 23 to 216 Ω-m in hard rock. Further, these results were correlated with the water quality data and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) signals. The integrated studies revealed that pollution due to tannery effluents has spread over an area of 33.4 km2 (60.4 %) on either side of the river and only a small area of 21.9 km2 (39.6 %) was identified as fresh groundwater zone, which has to be conserved and exploited in sustainable manner for future generations.

Biosorption and Characterization of Metal Tolerant Bacteria Isolated from Palar River Basin Vellore

Metal pollution is a growing problem and microbes have adapted to tolerate the presence of metals and even use them. The investigation was carried out to screen for bisorption property of metals by bacteria and check for correlation between tolerance to heavy metals and antibiotic resistance. Soil samples were collected from Palar River basin site of Vellore and five distinct bacteria were isolated. Antibiotic resistance (bacitracin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, rifampicin, penicillin and ampicillin) was checked and tolerance to heavy metals was screened (Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn). It was found that most of the bacterial isolates had multiple antibiotic resistances which might be due to the stress caused by heavy metals released into the Palar river basin, Vellore. The multiple antibiotics resistance of this bacterial species was found to be associated with tolerance to metals. Biosorption studies revealed that Alcaligenes faecalis could tolerate 59% Cd, 61% Pb, 40% Cu, 39% Zn and Staphylococcus aureus removed 60% Cd, 63% Pb, 42% Cu, 41% Zn and Streptococcus lactis absorbed 61% Cd, 57% Pb, 37% Cu, 38% Zn and Micrococcus luteus reduced 56% Cd, 61% Pb, 39% Cu, 41% Zn and Enterobacter aerogenes removed 60% Cd, 55% Pb, 62% Cu, 67% Zn. Keywords: Antibiotic resistant; Heavy metal tolerance; Biosorption; Metal polluted soils. © 2014 JSR Publications. ISSN: 2070-0237 (Print); 2070-0245 (Online). All rights reserved. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jsr.v6i1.14678 J. Sci. Res. 6 (1), 125-131 (2014)

Geochemical processes controlling the groundwater quality in lower Palar river basin, southern India

Hydrogeochemical study of groundwater was carried out in a part of the lower Palar river basin, southern India to determine the geochemical processes controlling the groundwater quality. Thirty-nine groundwater samples were collected from the study area and analysed for pH, Eh, EC, Ca, Mg, Na, K, HCO3, CO3, Cl and SO4. The analysed parameters of the groundwater in the study area were found to be well within the safe range in general with respect to the Bureau of Indian Standards for drinking water except for few locations. The results of these analyses were used to identify the geochemical processes that are taking place in this region. Cation exchange and silicate weathering are the important processes controlling the major ion distribution of the study area. Mass balance reaction model NETPATH was used to assess the ion exchange processes. High concentration of Ca in groundwater of the study area is due to the release of Ca by aquifer material and adsorption of Na due to ion exchange processes. Groundwater of the study area is suitable for drinking and irrigation purposes except for few locations.

Assessment of groundwater quality in the flood plains of upper Palar River, India

Groundwater is generally presumed to be good for human consumption and is used as a main source of drinking water. Although there are numerous reasons for groundwater pollution, anthropogenic sources are considered as the prime ones. In this study, twenty-two groundwater samples were collected from the flood plains of upper Palar River during the pre- and post-monsoon seasons to assess the extent of pollution and effects on human health. Physico-chemical characteristics of groundwater were analyzed and compared with those of drinking water standards recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The Piper’s trilinear diagram shows the nature of alkali earth with the high contents of alkalies and prevailing sulphate in the present samples. The univariate statistics and correlation analysis were performed to find out the relationships between the variables. The tannery effluents, solid wastes and sewage were suspected to be the predominant sources of pollution in the area.

Assessment of groundwater contamination from a hazardous dump site in Ranipet, Tamil Nadu, India

Tanneries located in an industrial development area of Ranipet (India) manufactured chromate chemicals during 1976–1996. A large quantity of associated hazardous solid wastes has been stacked about 5-m high above ground level, spread over 3.5 ha inside one of the factory premises. The study area receives an average annual rainfall of 1,100 mm. The granitic formation in the northern part of Palar River catchment has high infiltration rates and has resulted in fast migration of the contamination to the water table. Chromium levels in the groundwater were found up to 275 mg/l. The available hydrogeological, geophysical and groundwater quality data bases have been used to construct a groundwater flow and mass transport model for assessing the groundwater contamination and it has been calibrated for the next 30 years. The migration has been found to be very slow, with a groundwater velocity of 10 m/year. This is the first field-scale study of its kind in this industrial area. The findings are of relevance to addressing the groundwater pollution due to indiscriminate disposal practices of hazardous waste in areas located on the phreatic aquifer. Further, it has been reported that the untreated effluent discharge adjacent to the chromium dump site is most influential in the migration of contaminants.

Modelling the impact of a subsurface barrier on groundwater flow in the lower Palar River basin, southern India

Groundwater modelling is widely used as a management tool to understand the behaviour of aquifer systems under different hydrological stresses, whether induced naturally or by humans. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of a subsurface barrier on groundwater flow in the Palar River basin, Tamil Nadu, southern India. Groundwater is supplied to a nearby nuclear power plant and groundwater also supplies irrigation, industrial and domestic needs. In order to meet the increasing demand for groundwater for the nuclear power station, a subsurface barrier/dam was proposed across Palar River to increase the groundwater heads and to minimise the subsurface discharge of groundwater into the sea. The groundwater model used in this study predicted that groundwater levels would increase by about 0.1–0.3 m extending out a distance of about 1.5–2 km from the upstream side of the barrier, while on the downstream side, the groundwater head would lower by about 0.1–0.2 m. The model also predicted that with the subsurface barrier in place the additional groundwater requirement of approximately 13,600 m3/day (3 million gallons (UK)/day) can be met with minimum decline in regional groundwater head.

Cr (III) bioremoval capacities of indigenous and adapted bacterial strains from Palar river basin

The effluents from tanning industries in and around Palar river basin are the major cause of Cr (III) pollution. Forty-five chromium (III) tolerant bacterial strains were isolated from the Palar river basin. Bacillus subtilis VITSCCr01 showed tolerance up to 1500mg/l and its Cr (III) bioremoval capacity was 64%. Increasing the concentration of Cr (III) increased exopolysaccharide (EPS) production by the bacteria. FT-IR spectral studies confirmed the presence of polysaccharides in the Cr (III) treated bacteria. Adaptation of Bacillus subtilis VITSCCr01 with higher Cr (III) concentration improved the bioremoval capacity to 85%. SEM-EDX showed that the adapted bacteria accumulated high concentration of chromium. Bacillus subtilis VITSCCr01 could be used as a tool for in situ removal of Cr (III) especially in the tannery polluted environment.

Groundwater pollution in the Palar Riverbed near Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India

Vellore is the second most populous district of Tamil Nadu in India where the Palar River flowing towards east for about 295 Km. The river sets as the major water source recharging the ground water nearby areas. The District is now known for its medical tourism and educational excellence. With more migration into the city, it becomes necessary for the corporation to give a good quality drinking water to the people. Vellore is surrounded by many leather tanneries and small scale dying industries and their effluents are discharged into the Palar River causing impact on the quality of the underground water. Hence, it becomes necessary to study the quality of the groundwater of the city as it greatly influenced by the Palar River. Sampling stations were chosen near residential areas, located at a distance of 2-3 Km from the Palar River. The physico-chemical parameters like pH, temperature, total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, chloride, hardness and salinity of the samples collected from various sampling stations were studied. The determined physico-chemical parameters were compared with the BIS and ICMR standards for the drinking water to know about the quality of the groundwater. Various physico-chemical parameters studied in the area between Shenbakkam and Keezhminnal of Vellore, show the quality of the underground water in deteriorating state. The underground water of sampling station S13 and S14 needs special attention, as all the parameters such as TDS, electrical conductivity, chloride, hardness and salinity is found to be very high. It may cause laxative effects on health of the people consuming the contaminated water and it is not much suitable for irrigation purpose also. All the other sampling stations have their respective physico-chemical parameters slightly above the BIS and ICMR limits. Hence, proper water treatment is warranted. The outcome of the study emphasizes the necessity of the riparian bed as a common property resource to be used for better community health instead of short-term benefit.