Parganas District Of West Bengal Research Articles

Analysis of the Phytochemical Composition of Leaves of Six Superior Salt-Tolerant Mulberry Germplasm Grown Under Coastal Saline Soils of South 24 Parganas District of West Bengal, India

The nutritive value of mulberry leaves makes it the only food of silkworms (Bombyx mori L.). It is recorded that 6.73 million hectares of area are affected by salinity and sodicity stresses covering various states of the country, which is becoming one of the major threats to popularizing sericulture in India. In the present study, chlorophyll, protein, catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase content of leaves of six mulberry germplasm viz., English Black, Kolitha-3, C776, Rotundiloba, BC259, and S1 grown under coastal saline soils of South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India was investigated. Results demonstrated a sharp decrease in the chlorophyll (2.35 to1.19 mg.g FW-1) and protein (30.10 to 15.20 mg.g FW-1) contents of leaves of all the mulberry germplasm with increasing soil salinity (1.60 to 22.70 dS.m-1). On the contrary, the number of stress-related antioxidant enzymes like catalase, peroxidases, and superoxide dismutase increased from 1.15 to 5.43, 1.43 to 4.76, and 8.65 to 25.15 g-1 FW.min-1, respectively. Overall, the field study indicated the superiority of Kolitha-3 and C776 grown in Canning (Canning I and II), Basanti, Namkhana, Kakdwip, and Sagar blocks of coastal regions of South 24 Parganas. The study deals with issues of the utilization of scarce land promoting income-generating avenues like sericulture in saline areas.

Coastal Aquaculture in the Indian Sundarban: Evaluating Production Economics and Farmers Perception of Mangrove Ecosystem Benefits

Abstract: Expansion of shrimp-based aquaculture in Sundarban is one of the major causative factors for the degradation of mangroves though has proven positive impact on aquaculture. In order to understand the perception of the local coastal community on the contribution of Mangrove Ecosystem Service in brackish water aquaculture in Indian Sundarban, a situational analysis was carried out in 2019-2020 with 30 farmers of Kultali block under South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. Based on the descriptive and inferential statistical analysis of the data collected from aquaculture pond owners, it was observed that the smaller farms, located in the vicinity of the mangroves (<50 mts from the mangrove creek) showed significant benefits through higher yield and lower operational costs. The results also showed that the farmers were not adequately aware of ecosystem benefits and the need to conserve mangroves for sustainable pond-based aquaculture.

Silvalis jairajpurii sp.n. with diagonostic compendium and keys to species including one known rare soil nematode (Nematoda: Dorylaimida) from Sundarban region of South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, India

Silvalis jairajpurii sp. n., a new dorylaimid nematode under the subfamily Thornenematinae is described and illustrated in this study. This is found from rhizospheric soil of paddy in Gosaba block of Sunderban region of South 24 Parganas District of West Bengal, India. The species is characterised by medium sized body (1.5-1.6 mm) with sclerotized cheliorhabdions encircling the strong odontostyle, amphidelphic reproductive system with a very minute vaginal opening terminated by a short blunt, but rounded tail which show marked differences from other species of the genus. This is a plant parasite that affects paddy cultivation and rice in our staple food. So, this type of plant parasite causes economic loss of our country. The species key of this genus with compandium is also provided. Mylodiscus nanus is also rare nematode, reported from paddy field rhizospheric zone of Gosaba block, Sundarbans part of South 24 Parganas, West Bengal of India. It is a predatory nematode.

Gender-Specific Education Status after COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparative Study between Two Adjacent Subdivisions of West Bengal, India

Education plays a crucial role in the empowerment of women. Nearly half of the world's population is female, and women often face barriers to achieve equal opportunities due to the dominance of masculine ideologies. The objective of this study is to compare the gender-specific education status between two neighbouring subdivisions: Barasat-I and Barrackpore-II, in the North 24 Parganas District of West Bengal. Researchers conducted structured interviews randomly within 60 adults to collect data for the study. The study revealed that the Covid-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the education system, particularly affected women's education. Furthermore, it had been observed that Hindu women were more empowered as compared to Muslim women. Another noteworthy finding was that the individuals lived in Kacha houses had exhibited greater empowerment than those lived in Pucca houses. This study underscores the pressing need to address gender inequalities and provide equal opportunities for female education. The lack of awareness regarding women's rights and government schemes for their welfare highlights the necessity for awareness campaigns and educational programs. Furthermore, recognizing the prevalence of child marriage, the government should proactively implement measures to tackle this issue. To empower women and promote education, governments should expand awareness campaigns, implement policies that ensure equal educational opportunities for girls, and work towards eliminating gender disparities for holistic development.

A Study on The Prevalence of Overweight and Associated Risk Factors in Urban Adult Women (19-49 Years) Of South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India

The prevalence of overweight and obesity is escalating worldwide, and it has been acknowledged as a global issue by the World Health Organization (WHO). Even though India's overweight rates are comparatively lower than those of Western countries, they are steadily increasing. Therefore, it becomes crucial to understand the extent of overweight in cities like Kolkata. The main objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of overweight among urban adult women (aged 19-49 years) in the South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India. A cross-sectional survey was conducted, involving 130 subjects, and a pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect data on socio-economic details, physical activity, dietary patterns, and perceptions and knowledge related to overweight through interviews. The outcome variables measured were Body Mass Index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC). Univariate, bivariate, and logistic regression analyses were performed using MS Excel. There was a 54% overweight prevalence among urban adult women, and a 67.4% abdominal obesity prevalence. Several factors were significantly associated with being overweight (having a BMI over 25). These factors included women perceiving themselves as thinner than they actually are, being aged over 35 years, and having a husband who is self-employed. In urban West Bengal, overweight, obesity, and abdominal obesity levels are considerably high. This highlights the urgency of addressing the issue of overweight in this region and calls for targeted interventions to promote healthier lifestyles and combat the growing problem of overweight and obesity.

Value Addition by SHgs in Jute Diversified Products (JDPs) in North 24 Parganas District of West Bengal

"Jute Diversified Products (JDPs) can be termed as all jute products excluding the sacking of any weave & geometry and excluding yarn for sale. The proportion of JDPs in total jute product exports has steadily increased over the last decade, rising from 17.12 per cent in 2010-11 to 43.37 per cent in 2019-20. With the increasing share of profit in terms of exports, JDPs can act as the silver lining in an otherwise declining jute industry. Other than that, environmentally friendly goods and services are now highly sought after globally. Manufacturing JDPs can thus provide employment opportunities to rural communities, especially women and various artisans, causing the least possible impact on the environment too.This paper investigates the value addition done on selected JDPs (Jute jewellery, Handbags, Handicrafts/ Gift items/ Showpieces, Decorative fabrics, Conference/ Seminar files) by SHGs in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. It was based on primary data collected from 9 SHGs and 120 SHG member respondents. The value addition by SHGs can be understood based on the channel through which the product is marketed. Two specific marketing channels were identified in the study area, i.e., Channel I: Input supplier → SHG → Retailer → Buyer and Channel II: Input supplier → SHG → Buyer. In channel I, the value addition made by SHGs in the case of Jute jewellery (33 nos.) was 69.26% (` 4564.99), for Handbags (3 nos.) was 74.72% (` 539.69), and for Handicrafts/ Gift items/ Showpieces (50 nos.) was 60.77% (` 16918.56). Meanwhile, it was 67.72% (` 841.49) for Decorative fabrics (1 no.) and 65.05% (` 599.84) for Conference/ Seminar files (4 nos.). In channel II, the value addition done by SHGs in the case of Jute jewellery (33 nos.) was 96.52% (` 5351.05); for Handbags (3 nos.), it was 90.57% (` 614.12) and for Handicrafts/ Gift items/ Showpieces (50 nos.) was 96.17% (` 18142.56). Meanwhile, it was 94.95% (` 1052.12) for Decorative fabrics (1 no.) and 91.99% (` 762.48) for Conference/ Seminar files (4 nos.) in the channel. The results showed that most of the value addition activities were done by SHGs. Hence, in these channels, SHGs were responsible for adding maximum value by transforming the raw materials into a product. Irregular orders of JDPs, unavailability of coloured yarn, and lack of exposure to international markets were the major problems faced by SHGs. There is a need to popularize and showcase the JDPs made by SHGs from India to tap into international markets through fairs or different government programmes to earn more foreign exchange. Production of coloured yarn should be encouraged."

Arsenic toxicity, biomarkers of exposure and risk assessment among different aged young population from endemic areas of West Bengal, India

Arsenic exposure and associated risks in various age groups, including toddlers (1–6 years), children (7–11 years) and adolescents (12–17 years) have been evaluated through ingestion of drinking water (134 and 23.1 μg/l), rice grain (209 and 180 μg/kg) and vegetables (206 and 80.6 μg/kg) from two respective arsenic exposed villages namely Jamdani in Gaighata and Bade Khantura in Habra-I block from the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. ‘Spearman correlation’ found a significant association between arsenic intake particularly from drinking water and biomarkers exposure. Statistical analysis, employing ‘ANOVA’ followed by ‘Bonferroni correction’, demonstrated a strong correlation between age and arsenic deposition in biomarkers. Notably, age-dependent drop in urinary arsenic level and rise in hair and nail was observed among the studied age groups. Based on the SAMOE (Risk Thermometer), drinking water poses the highest risk for Jamdani (class 5) than Bade Khantura (class 4), while rice grains and vegetables both were classified as risk class 4 for the studied age groups. The cumulative estimated-daily-intakes (EDICumulative) of arsenic in central tendency exposure (CTE) for Jamdani and Bade Khantura were observed to be 1.09 × 10−2 and 2.7 × 10−3 mg/kg bw/day; 1.01 × 10−2 and 2.53 × 10−3 mg/kg bw/day; 9 × 10−3 and 2.46 × 10−3 mg/kg bw/day for respective age groups. Likewise, the EDICumulative for possible reasonable maximum exposure (RME) for two villages were observed to be 1.67 × 10−2 and 5.18 × 10−3 mg/kg bw/day; 1.56 × 10−2 and 4.91 × 10−3 mg/kg bw/day; 1.42 × 10−3 and 4.76 × 10−3 mg/kg bw/day for respective age groups. Furthermore, arsenic exposure was higher in all the age groups from Jamdani compared to Bade Khantura and calculated health risk (cancerous and non-cancerous) was more in toddlers followed by children and adolescents. It is highly recommended to prioritize the consumption of arsenic-safe drinking water and ensure access to a nutritious food supply to effectively combat the arsenic toxicity.

Evaluation of socio-demographic profile and basic risk factors of tuberculosis patients in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India: a hospital-based study.

To study and analyse the socio-demographic profile and basic risk factors of tuberculosis(TB) patients and their relation with the current epidemiological status of TB registered under the RNTEP program in the study area. This prospective study was conducted on 1743 newly registered tuberculosis patients at TB-DOT center of South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India from 2011-2014. Socio-demographic variables and baseline characteristics of the participants were noted by a semi-structured questionnaire. Our study results indicate that more than 95% of the TB patients were from lower socioeconomic class, and had poor literacy status and tuberculosis was observed highest in non-agricultural labour and cultivators. Among the young adult's majority of the affected population were females from the lower/upper-lower socioeconomic class. Our analysis revealed that, in successful tuberculosis therapy, men were more defaulters than women. Our study provides a socioeconomic profile and the risk factors of tuberculosis in patients such as the status of therapeutic intervention, involvement of other chronic diseases, age, sex and malnutrition. The findings of this study can be used to plan future studies with specific risk factors of the region and also for implementing the intervention and evaluating its effectiveness.

Can Free Food Attract Attendees to Political Meetings? An Analysis of Attendance Buying to Political Meetings Using Multi-method Approaches with a Particular Emphasis on Scheduled Caste

Vote-buying has become such a frequent kind of electoral ‘malpractice’ in India that it has become conspicuous in election culture. Despite this, we know very little about how it operates, its consequences, and how voters perceive it. While there is a significant body of literature on vote-buying in Indian elections, the research focuses specifically on attendance buying and its impact on diverse demographic groups and caste categories. By examining attendance buying, the research adds to the existing literature on vote-buying tactics, which can inform future studies and policy interventions to reduce electoral malpractice. We investigate and add to the contemporary literature on vote buying by analysing attendance buying and how it relates to diverse perspectives like low income, age, gender and education or regarding it, focusing on two different categories of caste, that is, dominant and Scheduled Caste. We conducted a survey experiment in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal to seek the effect of attendance-buying in the municipalities of Ashokenagar. The focus is on attending middle-sized political meetings rather than smaller meetings, where we thought its efficacy was prominent because of the number of free food and drinks. We found that the effect of the free foods and drinks over the larger meetings is more prominent than in local-level meetings. Our survey could not state that Scheduled Castes voluntarily engage at local-level meetings regardless of free food and drinks.

Utilisation of Maternal Health Services During COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from Rural West Bengal, India

The existing state of health infrastructure and services, which is often poor in rural areas of the country is further faced with challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The current study attempts to provide some key insights on the impact of COVID-19 on utilisation of maternal healthcare services during the pandemic. The study used the mixed-method data, gathered through a cross-sectional study conducted in 2020 in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. Currently, married women ( n = 318) who were pregnant or had delivered a child were selected for the interview through a multi-stage sampling technique. Frequency distribution, bi-variate cross tabulation and logistic regression were performed. Of the eligible women during the pandemic, 86% have received regular antenatal care, 73% have delivered in a health facility even though the quality of service was poor; and only 37.6% received postnatal care within 42 days of delivery. ‘Risk perception of women towards being infected with COVID-19’ were found to be the most significant determinants of maternal healthcare utilisation. COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the quality and utilisation of maternal health services in rural West Bengal. The results suggest the need for better preparedness of healthcare facilities in terms of human resources and physical infrastructure; as well as educating the community through awareness (counter rumours) and through risk and behaviour change communication regarding COVID-19 protocols and community engagement to effectively manage utilisation of Maternal healthcare services during pandemic.

Study on the Impact of Agrochemicals on Environment and Human Health in North 24 Parganas District of West Bengal: An Insight of Farmers’ Perception

Nowadays farmers use more and more chemical pesticides and fertilizer per acre of land in return to maximize crop production. Crop Protection from various types of pests and weeds is another concerning issue. Climate also plays more significant role by increasing temperature, it multiplies the use of insecticides. Excessive use of chemical fertilizer and pesticides pollutes the environment simultaneously and it also affects the food chain and human health. Farmer is the primary user of chemical inputs in the field. Therefore, this study aims to analyze farmers' knowledge and information related to safety concern of agrochemical uses and their impact on the environment and human health. The data of this cross-sectional study has been collected from randomly selected 50 farmers of Amdanga Block of North 24 Pargana district, West Bengal through a semi-structured interview schedule. In this study, it has been found that 54% of farmers use crop-wise fertilizer more than the recommended amount; only 10% of farmers abstain from chemical fertilizer use. There is a significant relationship between crop-wise fertilizer use and the application of weedicides and pesticides to the environment. The farmers who are using this kind of chemical pesticides reported severe environmental hazards like 62% of farmers observe any birds extinction surrounding their agricultural field, 36% responded that the water quality of the pond nearest to the agricultural field deteriorates and 28% reported occurrence of fish death and 36% farmer reported that on monsoon season their field water goes to low water region (Bil) and contaminate water. On the other hand, most of the respondents experience health issues like nausea, headache, and skin problem immediately after spraying on the field. It has been also found that 62% of respondents knew that the use of pesticides and weedicides impacts our health. Still, only 40% always use any protective measure while spraying on the field. ..............

Performance evaluation of Primary Fishermen's Cooperative Societies in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal

Performance evaluation of Primary Fishermen's Cooperative Societies in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal

Analysis of Temperature and Rainfall Trend in South 24 Parganas District of West Bengal (1988-2017)

Analysis of Temperature and Rainfall Trend in South 24 Parganas District of West Bengal (1988-2017)

Hydrogeochemical evaluation and corresponding health risk from elevated arsenic and fluoride contamination in recurrent coastal multi-aquifers of eastern India

Increasing groundwater pollution through toxic contamination is the primary concern for severe environmental and health hazards across the world. Groundwater resources are more vulnerable to toxic contamination compared to surface water because they require a long time to restore. Groundwater vulnerability and risk assessment is a challenging task among the researchers responsible for quality monitoring and management of groundwater. In this regard, predictive modeling for groundwater vulnerability is essential to defend the vulnerability of groundwater resources in current scenario. Contamination of groundwater with arsenic (As) and fluoride (F‾) poses a threat to human health in the Bengal delta region. This study developed a framework approach to assess groundwater vulnerability and related health hazard risks in the South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India. For modeling groundwater vulnerability, the Logistic regression (LR) method coupled with fifteen hydrogeochemical parameters was used for modeling. The health hazard risk of this study region was assessed using the human health hazard index. Furthermore, hydrogeochemical properties and groundwater quality were assessed through Piper, USSL, and Wilcox's diagram accordingly. The study revealed that F‾, depth, PO42− and SO42− are the highest controlling factors of groundwater vulnerability in this area. It is also found that because of the presence of alkaline organisms in groundwater, it is unfit for farming and drinking purposes as well. The evaluation matrices used in this study revealed that LR gives optimal prediction results (AUC-ROC is 0.891 and 0.861, kappa index is 0.810 and 0.720 in training and validation, respectively) in groundwater vulnerability. The applied approach in this study may be useful to other regions for predicting groundwater vulnerability and for the sustainable adoption of several management strategies. In the future, deep learning as well as other sophisticated learning algorithms should be useful for optimal prediction of groundwater resources.

Mites and insects occurring on plants used as spices from South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India

The present paper reports occurrence of a total of 13 species of mites under 6 families, 9 genera, 2 orders and 9 species of insects under 9 genera, 6 families, 2 orders, occuring on spices plants in the Narendrapur campus of Ramakrishna Mission, collected during September 2021 to April 2022. Out of 13 species of mites, 6 and 7 species belonged to phytophagous and predatory groups, respectively. In case of insects, all were phytophagous in nature. Among the phytophagous and predatory mites, none of those occurred abundantly on any of the spice plants and in fact, in all cases, their occurrence was only occasional. Hence, from the present study neither any pest species nor any potential predatory species could be identified. Probably more intensive study in future may throw some light in this matter.

Performance Evaluation of CRIJAF Nail Weeder in Jute Growing Areas of North 24 Parganas District of West Bengal

The study is based on the result of 153 front line demonstrations carried out by ICAR-Central Research Institute for Jute and Allied Fibres, Barrackpore in North 24-Parganas district during 2017-18 and 2018-19 on mechanical weed management through CRIJAF Nail weeder. The FLD on weed management through CRIJAF nail weeder was carried out to show reduction in cost of cultivation due to less labour requirement as compared to conventional practices as well as enhancement in yield. The demonstration yield was increased by 12.11 per cent over the local check. The average extension gap, technology gap and technology index were 360.50 kg/ha, 559.50 kg/ha and 14.38 during the period under study. On an average, the demonstrated fi eld gave higher net returns (Rs. 87337 / ha) and benefi t: cost ratio (2.37) compared to the local checks. It clearly showed that adoption of improved agro-technology can boost the economics of jute growers.

Knowledge and Perception on Rice Pests in South 24 Parganas District of West Bengal

A survey was conducted to study the perception and knowledge gap analysis of paddy pests in selected villages of Budge Budge II Block of South 24 Parganas, West Bengal. Data were collected through focus group discussion, group meeting, personal interview, key informant interview from 100 respondents. Maximum respondents surveyed belonged to general caste (47%). About 42 per cent of the land under paddy cultivation was medium land and 58 per cent of the land was low land. Aman paddy shared the major rice area (45%) and 57 per cent paddy growers totally depended on local market for seed procurement while 14 per cent of the farmers used the seeds of their own. Ten numbers of rice varieties were identified as cultivated variety during boro season. 27 per cent family cultivated Lalat (medium duration variety) which is relatively resistant to stem borer and blast. Stem borer was identified as major insect of rice; 51.16 per cent respondent reported that the infestation level was up to 41–60 per cent in case of stem borer. Blast, brown spot, sheath rot, bacterial leaf blight, false smut and khaira were reported to infest the rice fields though the infestation level was generally low to moderate. Training, farmers' field schools, field days, information from progressive farmers and other sources like mobile phone/television programme etc. were identified as sources of technology diffusion method of which training was identified as the most effective tool over other methods as reported by the farmers.

Assessment of Technological Interventions in Farm Women Empowerment

Women play an important role in agriculture. There is a need to empower these farm womento improve their overall wellbeing. An attempt was made to assess the impact oftechnological interventions in terms of participation of farm women in farming activities,change in drudgery involved, involvement in decision making and other attributes relatedto empowerment in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal involving 110 farm families.The results reveal that there is significant increase in participation in all the selected farmingactivities in post intervention period. Majority of the farm women participated in decisionmaking always in activities like drying (95%), weeding (70%) and storing (70%) in thepost intervention period. The mean drudgery score had also decreased for all the activities,the higher decrease was observed in case of retting (1.525) followed by sowing (1.225).Among the personal attributes studied, the highest difference level in mean was attained incase of self-confidence (2.45) followed by decision making ability (2.15). The present studyclearly indicate that special emphasis on women friendly technologies can make a hugechange in their existing status in agriculture by improving their participation in farmingactivities, decision making ability and self-confidence.

IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE MICROBIAL LOAD OF MUD CRAB, SCYLLA SERRATA: A STUDY FROM SOUTH 24 PARGANAS DISTRICT OF WEST BENGAL, INDIA

This study was conducted to evaluate the microbial load in the flesh and gills of the mud crab (Scylla serrata) collected from the Nagendra Bazar area in Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India. The period of collection coincided with the Pre-COVID-19 phase (June 2018 and June 2019) and the COVID lockdown phase (June 2020 and June 2021). It is observed that the total coliform loads in both muscle and gills are more in the pre-COVID phase compared to the COVID lockdown phase. ANOVA analysis also confirmed significant variations between years and body parts (muscle and gills) for both Total coliform (TC) and Fecal Coliform (FC) (p < 0.01). The present study is of considerable importance as crabs are consumed by local people as well as exported in several foreign countries like China, Singapore, Japan, and the U.S.A.

Comprehensive investigation of fever cases enrolled during 2019 dengue outbreaks from three hyperendemic regions of North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India.

For the past several decades, dengue fever has been emerging in epidemic proportions in several regions of the world. During August-September 2019, an increasing number of fever cases were being reported from some areas of North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India. Accordingly, outbreak investigation of fever cases from these affected areas of Bongoan, Barasat, and Habra was carried out. To characterize clinical and biochemical features of fever cases as well as to investigate the utility of CRP as a Dengue severity marker in resource-limited settings. We systematically enrolled 108 patients from the affected region of North 24 Parganas. Standard diagnostic assays along with routine serological and biochemical parameters were performed. Of the 108 patients, 77 (71%) were confirmed with Dengue infection followed by 22 (20%) DENV seronegative and 9 (8%) coinfected DENV cases. Among the 77 confirmed Dengue patients, 53 (69%) had primary infection while 24 (31%) had secondary infection. Among the DENV clinical symptoms, fever (r = 0.50; p = 0.004), headache (r = 0.40; p = 0.03) and abdominal pain (r = -0.40; p = 0.02) were found to bear significant correlation with DENV viral load. The predominant circulating serotype was found to be DENV2. CRP Dengue severity cut-off level of 10.15 mg/L (AUC: 0.85; 86% sensitivity, 77% specificity) was obtained. CRP had correlation with viral load (r = 0.4, p = 0.05) within febrile phase of infection. The performance of biomarkers can be influenced by local epidemiology, geography, and several patient factors, therefore, CRP Dengue severity cut-off value may be region-specific. This study for the first time attempts to estimate CRP Dengue severity cut-off value based on routine immunoturbidometric evaluation from Dengue Hyperendemic zones of North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, Eastern India.