Sutlej Research Articles

Reflecting on changes in the drinking and irrigation water quality of rivers Beas, Satluj and confluence waters.

Prevention and control of water pollution for maintaining and restoring the wholesomeness of rivers are unavoidable. The current water quality approach of designated best use has some limitations such as it is non-integrative and inflexible with regard to the consideration of variables and does not provide a separate rating scale for a given designated use. We thus used water quality index approach proposed by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME WQI) to evaluate and develop a separate rating system for drinking and irrigation purposes of rivers Beas, Satluj and their confluence water of the Indian Punjab using information collected over 4 years (2016 to 2019). River Beas exhibited better water quality compared to river Satluj for irrigation as well as for drinking. The overall drinking water quality index (DWQI) for Beas was marginal (45.5), whereas it was poor for Satluj (37.7) and confluence waters (40.1). The spatial variation in DWQI was greater for Satluj compared to Beas and confluence waters reflecting the effect of dumping of untreated industrial and domestic waste waters. Variables such as Total coliform (T. coli), dissolved oxygen (DO), turbidity and biological oxygen demand (BOD) contributed to the deterioration of DWQI. The irrigation water quality index (IWQI) was good for Beas (86), marginal for Satluj (60.1) and fair for confluence waters (71.2). Faecal coliform (F. coli), Kelly ratio (KR) and %Na contributed to the deterioration of IWQI. Calcium-magnesium-bicarbonate (Ca-Mg-HCO3) was the dominant water type in Beas and confluence waters, whereas for Satluj, in addition to Ca-Mg-HCO3, sodium-potassium-chloride-sulphate and mixed water types were also prevalent. The river waters witnessed salinity hazard but did not pose sodicity hazard except at a few locations of Satluj. The study indicates the need to take location specific measures for improving river water quality for drinking as well as irrigation purposes. The current status of water quality calls for an urgent need to formulate stringent policy regulations to maintain the surface water quality.

Deep electrical resistivity imaging of crustal structures along the Satluj River valley, northwest Himalaya, India

Magnetotelluric (MT) investigations along the Nahan- Kourick Chango transect in the Satluj river valley, northwest Himalayas, provide insight into the subsurface electrical properties. In the geoelectrical model, medium to highly metamorphosed crystalline rocks in the Lesser and the Higher Himalayas are observed as high resistive features. At a depth approximately 5–15 km, an intra-crustal low resistive layer is consistently present along the entire profile. The geometry of this dipping intra-crustal layer signifies the presence of the Main Himalayan Thrust, which represents the base of the accretionary wedge where all the major thrusts of the Himalayan tectonics sole down. The geometrical differences and distinct resistivity of this layer compared to the adjacent regions of Garhwal-Kumaon and Nepal Himalaya indicate the variability of tectonic processes in this part of the Himalaya. Another significant observation is the existence of a thin, highly conducting layer at a shallow depth (approximately 1–3 km). The spatial extent of this layer, along with the bending extent of the main central thrust toward the south, suggests its role in the southward translation of crystalline sheets during Himalayan tectonics.

Snow/Ice Melt, Precipitation, and Groundwater Contribute to the Sutlej River System

Snow/Ice Melt, Precipitation, and Groundwater Contribute to the Sutlej River System

Groundwater hydrogeochemistry and non-carcinogenic health risk assessment in major river basins of Punjab, India.

The Indian Punjab state is drained by the four rivers, along with a well-connected network of canals, and is now dealing with a slew of water quality issues and problems. In this study, basin-wise hydrogeochemical modelling of 323 groundwater samples and identification of NO3- and F- enrichment pathways in aquifer systems of Punjab were studied using different plots and multivariate statistics. To evaluate the groundwater quality and human health risks, an entropy-based water quality index and Monte Carlo simulation were used, respectively. Spatial distribution of NO3- indicated that its very high values were prominent in parts of southwestern Punjab falling under LSRB, along with few pockets in eastern and northeastern Punjab falling under MSRB and GRB. High NO3- values (> 45.0mg/L) were found in 15.0% of Ravi River Basin (RRB) groundwater samples, 22.86% of Beas River Basin (BRB), 23.52% of Middle Sutlej River Basin (MSRB), 36.9% of Lower Sutlej River Basin (LSRB), and 21.31% of Ghaggar River Basin (GRB). The spatial distribution of NO3- revealed elevated concentrations (> 100mg/L) in the southwestern part of Punjab, particularly in LSRB and localized pockets in the eastern and northeastern areas of Punjab within MSRB and GRB. High F- concentration (> 1.5mg/L) was observed in 15.12% and 21.31% groundwater samples of LSRB and GRB, respectively. Spatially southern parts falling under LSRB and GRB reflected high F- content (> 1.5mg/L) in groundwater. In LSRB, evaporative and anthropogenic processes influence the groundwater quality. The results of interionic relationships and statistical analysis revealed that NO3- has anthropogenic origin and that is being aggravated by leaching,the evaporation processes, animal excreta, septic tanks and irrigation return flows in LSRB and GRB, while F- is geogenic in nature. Hazard index (HI) values in 14.63%, 22.2%, 24.6%, 49.58%, and 34.42% samples for adults and 21.95%, 27.7%, 42.0%, 72.3%, and 52.46% samples for children were higher than unity in RRB, BRB, MSRB, LSRB, and GRB, respectively. The basin-wise demarcation of various groundwater quality parameter and assessment of human health risk would be of significance for the management of water resources.

Otolith microchemistry of freshwater indigenous minor carp (Bangana dero) as a biomonitoring tool to trace heavy metals in River Sutlej, Ropar Wetland (Ramsar site), Punjab, India.

The elemental composition of the fish otolith may represent a permanent record of the environmental condition the fish inhabited. Fish otolith grows incrementally from the core to a marginal region that acts as a repository of trace metal signatures. The present study explores the potential application of otolith microchemistry of the benthopelagic indigenous minor carp Bangana dero sampled from the Ropar wetland on River Sutlej, Punjab. The concentration of sixteen metals was evaluated in the otolith (n = 42) and water (n = 48) for the post-monsoon and pre-monsoon season from 2020 to 2022 using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) followed by element detection in the core and marginal region of whole otolith, using energy-dispersive mass spectroscopy (EDS). All the heavy metals exhibited an increase in metal concentrations in fish otolith than water during the post-monsoon season. By indices approach, the otolith was found to have a high bioaccumulation factor for Se in the post-monsoon and Hg in the pre-monsoon. Certain trace metals like As and Hg exhibited fluctuations in their core and marginal region. Thus, trace metal patterns in the otolith could act as a potential tool for monitoring the seasonal changes of metals in water bodies. The EFHg, EFSe and EFAs in the fish otolith predicted its anthropogenic source, while the remaining studied elements showed ambient water origin. Thus, using the otoliths of Bangana dero as a long-term monitoring tool in the future may be helpful for environmental assessments and the reconstruction of historical exposure for safeguarding of water bodies.

Hydrostratigraphy and hydrogeophysical studies to delineate fresh and saline aquifer boundaries in Lesser Cholistan of Pakistan.

The differentiation of saline water and fresh water interfaces is a key objective in ground water exploration and management. Bahawalpur is the twelfth biggest metropolitan area of Pakistan situated in south Punjab near the bank of River Sutlej and lies at 29°59'55" N latitude and 73°15'12" E longitude at an elevation of 521 ft AMSL in the Cholistan area close to the Thar abandon. The study area comprised of Lesser Cholistan experiencing acute shortage of water for inhabitants and livestock as well. The occurrence of fresh water is also challenging because of high salinity in groundwater. The present study is intended to identify hotspots of fresh groundwater zones. To achieve the goal, vertical electrical resistivity and borehole data are used to mark fresh and saline interfaces in groundwater. To achieve the results 230 vertical electric sounding were performed in the study area. A total of 3 to 5 geo-electric layers are identified with modeling along with the processing and interpretation of resistivity data. In the study area, resistivity values are classified as very high (>230 Ω-m), high (230-100 Ω-m), medium (100-40 Ω-m), low (40-20 Ω-m) and very low (<20 Ω-m). Borehole data is used to interpret subsurface lithologies and to calibrate the modeled resistivity curves. The electric resistivity data indicates that thick layers of Quaternary sediments is present in the subsurface that is primarily composed of clay, silt, sand, gravels and some kanker. Inversion technique is applied to generate 2D subsurface resistivity maps to delineate fresh and saline water zones. The generated 2D resistivity maps at variable depth above and below water table and formation resistivity maps are successfully utilized to differentiate fresh and saline water zones. The identification of a saline water aquifer within sediments rich in clay was made possible by the observation of very low resistivity measurements in the southern region. Conversely, the detection of relatively high resistivity values, coupled with the presence of sand and gravel deposits in the northern section of the lesser Cholistan area, provided compelling evidence of the existence of fresh groundwater. These findings have significant implications for the management of water resources in the region, as they provide valuable insights into the distribution and availability of groundwater resources for future use.

Magnitude and timing of transient incision resulting from large‐scale drainage capture, Sutlej River, Northwest Himalaya

AbstractFew studies have constrained the magnitudes and timescales associated with large‐scale drainage captures (areas &gt;103 km2), even though these constraints are crucial to reconstruct sediment budgets, assess the potential for drainage reorganization to be preserved in the rock record, and determine the extent to which environmental signals (i.e., structures, composition and fossil assemblages within sedimentary rocks that are influenced by sediment supply and transport) are representative of conditions during deposition. In this work, we characterize the Pleistocene capture of the Zhada Basin, an ~23 000 km2 extensional basin in southern Tibet, by the Sutlej River, a prominent tributary to the Indus River. We quantify the magnitudes and timescales of capture‐driven erosion using knickpoint celerity modelling, paleotopographic reconstructions, 10Be‐derived denudation rates, and topographic analyses of drainage divides. We find that capture has removed 2010 ± 400 km3 of sediment from the Zhada Basin, increasing sediment supply to the Sutlej network by 17%–29% since 735 ± 269 ka. This work represents a crucial step towards reconstructing the Pleistocene sediment budget of the Indus sedimentary system and identifying potential impacts from sediment redistribution. We also identify several plausible tectonic or autogenic mechanisms that may have facilitated capture of the Zhada Basin, including: (1) preferential erosion of weak lithologies along active faults, (2) headward erosion in response to prior capture of the Spiti River and (3) headward erosion generated by breaching of a structural culmination downstream (the Kullu‐Rampur Window). This provides a framework to assess the mechanistic links between arc‐parallel extension, large‐scale drainage capture, landscape evolution and orogenic wedge deformation.

AN ECONOMIC ILLUSTRATION OF RAVI BEAS AND SUTLEJ RIVER BASINS

Economics of water is certainly multifaceted. To each of its dimensions in turn,there exists a whole range of economic activities. The paper under reference would attempt to introduce one of such an area where various dimensions of the economics of water could be seen as alarmingly visible, i.e. the eastern component of the world-famous Indus Basin, which was virtually detached from the western part because of a water treaty signed amongst the two neighboring states. The eastern part of the basin includes the rivers Sutlej, Beas and Ravi, as well as their tributaries, and western part includes rivers Indus, Jhelum and Chenab along with their tributaries. For discussion on the detrimental effects of hydraulic constructions in upper catchments of both the eastern and western sides of the basin, the pre-treaty and post-treaty scenarios were required to be taken into consideration. The findings reveal that the construction of dams on the upper catchments eventually turned out to be the cause of a severe decline in the river flows. The dam construction on the eastern rivers in particularseriously deteriorated the total environment of the eastern side of the basin as the water compensation through the link canals did not matcheven a part of an earlier flow pattern.The western side, however, asking for entirely a different approach, has not been made a part of this study.

Physiochemical Analysis of River Sutlej, Sindh and the Arabian Sea to Evaluate the Water Quality

Globally, water pollution is caused primarily by growing populations, urbanization, and modern agricultural techniques. In this study, freshwater samples were collected from Satluj river, Sindh river, and Arabian sea to assess water quality. A variety of physicochemical parameters were measured in these samples, including pH (7.5 to 8.4), color (variable), odor, turbidity (7 NTU to 18 NTU), taste (salty/bitter), total dissolved solids (182 mg/L to 34768 mg/L), total soluble solids (52 mg/L to 1244 mg/L), EC (109 µS/cm to 51488 µS/cm), total hardness/Ca+2+Mg+2 (25 mg/L to 125 mg/L), total alkalinity or CO3 -2 , HCO3 - (80 mg/L to 172 mg/L), exchangeable ions like Cl- (27 mg/L to 19742 mg/L), F- (0.3 mg/L to 1.29 mg/L), SO4 -2 (30 mg/L to 2974 mg/L), PO4 -3 (8 mg/L to 35 mg/L), NO2 -2 (18 mg/L to 43 mg/L), Mn+2 (0.0002 mg/L to 0.63 mg/L), Cu (0.0005 mg/L to 0.08 mg/L), Cd+2 (0.0005 mg/L to 0.88 mg/L), Cr+3 (0.003 mg/L to 0.32 mg/L), Zn+2 (0.001 mg/L to 2.72 mg/L), Fe+2 (0.01 mg/L to 0.9 mg/L), Ni+2 (0.002 mg/L to 0.23 mg/L), Na+ (15 mg/L to 10157 mg/L), K+ (4.4 mg/L to 379 mg/L), Ca+2 (20 mg/L to 380 mg/L), Mg+2 (5.4 mg/L to 1584 mg/L) tested by standard methods reported in Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) with little modifications. Most of the parameters studied in these water samples were beyond the National Environment Quality Standard of drinking water guidelines for seawater, but within acceptable limits for rivers. Consequently, these trends made seawater unfit for the survival of aquatic plants and marine life as well as for the people who use river water for domestic and agricultural purposes.

Evaluating geo-hydrological environs through morphometric aspects using geospatial techniques: A case study of Kashang Khad watershed in the Middle Himalayas, India

The present study analyzes the geo-hydrological behaviour of the Kashang khad basin of the satluj river system in Kinnaur district, Himachal Pradesh. The major source of water in the region is the snowmelt, which contributes to the evolution of a drainage pattern. It highlights the importance of ASTER GDEM and satellite images for assessing and understanding the various geo-hydrological parameters such as drainage analysis, and topographic analysis for better basin management. Hydrological modelling of ArcGIS 10.5 has been used for the delineation and analysis of basins using SRTM DEM with 30 m resolution. Morphometric parameters like linear, relief, and aerial further help in the micro-level study of its physiographic characteristics and structural control of flow along with runoff, which can help predict floods, their extent, and intensity. It was found that the basin had a dendritic pattern with uniform lithology. The stream order ranges from 1st order to 5th order signalling homogeneity in texture and medium to high drainage density meaning permeable soil and good surface runoff. The drainage texture of 2.19 indicates the basin is prone to weathering and erosion. The bifurcation ratio ranges from 4.43 to 5.23, with a mean Rb of 4.82 showing the structural control on the elongated basin with Re of 0.56. The ASTER DEM and sophisticated morphometric attributes and hydrological environs can be effectively utilized in watershed management and other hydrological studies in higher mountainous regions.

Population Dynamics and Stock Assessment of Stripped Murrel Channa striata from River Sutlej, Punjab

Population Dynamics and Stock Assessment of Stripped Murrel Channa striata from River Sutlej, Punjab

Urban water crisis and the promise of infrastructure: a case study of Shimla, India

Urban water configurations evolve through synergetic relationships that are non-linear, spatially variable, and temporally contingent. As urban development grows in complexity, dense water flow networks intensify within the urban landscape and pose a major challenge to urban water governance. At this junction, this study takes up the specific case study of the water crisis in Shimla, a city situated in the Western Himalayas, which was once the summer capital of British India. Shimla witnessed two significant episodes of a severe water crisis in 2016 and 2018, respectively. While the mainstream discourses identified erratic rainfall due to climate change, urban growth, and tourism as the prime causes, the crisis was not marked by absolute scarcity. Multitude configurations of infrastructure politics, distribution, and access produced scarcity, which differentially impacted the people in the city and continues to do so. Marginalized social groups (class, caste, gender, and religion) and people living on the periphery, such as slum dwellers, daily wage laborers, and informal sector workers with inadequate economic and social safety nets seem to have been missing from the discourse. In addition, the crisis events in Shimla have led to institutional changes in the governance of water by establishing a parastatal body for a water utility in the city and the proposal of mega water infrastructure projects for the bulk supply of water from the Sutlej River. Deriving from a situated urban political ecology approach, this study presents an in-depth empirical understanding of the complex urban waterscape of Shimla city, where the tourism industry is a major stakeholder, and a critical analysis of the emerging “new” politics of water, which is also a politics of infrastructure in Shimla's post-crisis phase. It adopts a qualitative research design involving in-depth interviews with different stakeholders in urban water governance in Shimla and a neighborhood-level case study to understand the post-crisis water scenario in the city. Locating the Shimla case study within the broader planetary geography, this study argues that the water crisis, as a context, is dialectical. Despite the implementation of several hydraulic projects and the financialization of nature, the inherent fissures of inequality within the city that cause differential access to water remain.

Arsenic pollution and associated human health hazards in Rupnagar district, Punjab, India.

The hydrosphere although covering almost 70% of the Earth contributes only 3% of fresh water out of which groundwater covers almost 98%. The presence of some unwanted substance in this limited natural resource causes pollution when the substance causes serious harm to human beings and to the total ecosystem in a way. Arsenic is such a pollutant that is most naturally released in groundwater and long-term exposure to As-rich groundwater causes skin lesions and often leads to different types of cancers in humans. Rupnagar district in the Malwa region of Punjab is situated alongside the river Satluj which is one of the five important tributaries of Indus. The lowest reported concentration of As in this district is 10µg/L and the highest is 91µg/L. The higher values of As (> 50µg/L) that are above the permissible limit of IS 10500, 2004 in drinking water, are dominantly found in the western and south-western parts of the district. The average hazard quotient (HQ) indicates high risk for the consumers of the As-polluted groundwater in the district. The present study deals with the major cause of high arsenic (As) concentration in groundwater and its correlation with intensive agriculture in the Rupnagar district. Owing to the large size of the district, GIS techniques like ArcGIS 10.4.1 and QGIS 3.22.8 software were used for analysis in this study. The study reveals that high As concentration (> 50µg/L) is mostly found in agricultural lands and moderate concentration of As (10-50µg/L) in groundwater is distributed all over the district and are mostly reported from the urbanised areas. Overall, the water table shows a declining trend but no such decline is observed in the western and south-western parts of the district. As pollution in groundwater can also be caused due to water level decline owing to intensive agriculture and rapid water abstraction though As is naturally sourced in groundwater. A detailed study using the geochemical analysis of groundwater in the district can be effective in clearing out the scenario in the study area.

Persistence of Heavy Metals in River Sirsa Around Industrial Hub Baddi, India.

The Indian riverine system has become dumping site for toxic industrial pollutants. For assessing the flow of pollutants at various trophic levels, it is primarily important to do elemental profiling first so as to detect their load in Sirsa tributary of river Sutlej flowing through foothills of Shivalik in Himachal Pradesh, around the industrial hub Baddi, Solan. The study area includes three observation sites (S1, S2, and S3) on river Sirsa and drainage system of Baddi industrial units; the Effluent Nallah as demarcated in figure1. Heavy metal concentrations in water samples were detected using inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy of elements (Ti, V, Cr, Co, Ni, As, Li, Cd, Cs, Pt, Pb, Hg) as these were found to be very common in effluents of chemical, cement, textile dyeing, electronics and pharmaceutical industries. Statistical analysis showed that the concentrations (ppb) of elements found to be within permissible limits of WHO at sites under study for seven metals (Hg, Li, Ti, V, Co, Cs, Pt) but it was higher for five toxic heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Pb, As, Cd) at S2 only, streamlined in order Cr &gt;Ni &gt; Pb&gt; As &gt;Cd &gt;Hg &gt;Li &gt;Ti &gt;V &gt;Co &gt; Cs &gt; Pt. It may be due to improper installation of common effluent treatment plant (CETP) on the bank of river Sirsa or due to leakage by tanker carrying waste water from various industrial set ups as these units were not directly linked to CETP. These sites were committed to act as ultimate gutter to receive all types of industrial pollutants as part of mismanagement. The load of Arsenic and Lead is increasing in lotic region and its impact on aquatic ecosystem at trophic level can be explored to combat toxicant pollution.

Landslide detection in Kinnaur Valley, NW India using PS-InSAR technique

ABSTRACT Remote sensing techniques, such as Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR), have the potential to document and monitor surface deformation up to a millimetre scale especially in areas where ground monitoring is not feasible. The InSAR technique has been used to isolate and map some current and potential landslide areas in Kinnaur region of the Satluj Valley in Himachal Pradesh. The fragile ecosystem of Kinnaur has been challenged by the shifting climatic pattern and immense anthropogenic pressure associated with burgeoning hydroelectric projects, leading to destructive landslides of epic proportions. Three recent landslides that occurred at Ribba and Pangi villages of the Satluj River Valley and the Batseri landslide in the Sangla Valley were studied and potential landslide areas along the Satluj Valley were mapped with Sentinel-1 multi-baseline interferograms using data acquired between 2016 and 2021. The analysis suggests significant changes in velocities (±11 mm/y) where the subsidence rate ranges from −6 to −11 mm/y with a cumulative displacement of ±45 mm/y. Our study highlights the potential locations for future landslides and provides an early warning landslide map to support future disaster prevention in highly deformed regions.

Geographic distribution of arsenic contamination in the Himalayan Rivers flowing through Pakistan: Implications for its natural source and effects of anthropogenic activities

Arsenic (As) in natural hydrological systems is known as a worldwide major environmental concern. A geochemical and sedimentological study was done to ascertain the origin and geographical distribution of As in surface water and fluvial sediment collected from the floodplains/basins of the River Indus and its four major tributaries that drain through the northern Pakistan. The hydrogeochemical compositions of all five rivers were similar with calcium (Ca2+) and bicarbonate (HCO3−) being the dominating ions. The concentration of As ranged from 0.62–24.05 μg/L (average 3.7 ± 3.5 μg/L, n = 61) in river water, 2.3–23.4 mg/kg (average 5.7 ± 3.9 mg/kg) in suspended sediment, and 2.0–13 mg/kg (average 4.13 ± 2.3 mg/kg) in fluvial sediment. Various approaches were used, including mineralogical, sequential extraction, geochemical, and statistical analyses to investigate the distribution, behavior, and potential sources of As in the sediment. The effect of geological factors on the distribution of As was also studied. No noticeable changes in the relative abundance of minerals were observed in the sediment at different locations along the river. Both mineralogical and statistical analyses showed that silicate minerals like muscovite, biotite, and chloride are the main As reservoir while oxides minerals like hematite and magnetite, which are minor components in the sediment are second largest As carrier. A geochemical baseline, using the normalization and cumulative frequency distribution curves was constructed for As. The estimated mean human contribution of As was 3.4% in the Indus River, 1.9% in the Jhelum River, 13.7% in the Chenab River, 17.5% in the Ravi River and 5.4% in the Sutlej River, indicating relatively higher effects of anthropogenic activity along the Chenab River and Ravi River. The almost negligible effects of anthropogenic activities were additionally confirmed through the pollution assessment parameters estimated from the geo-enrichment, contamination factors, and accumulation index analyses. The current data suggest that As transported by the Indus River and its major tributaries is accumulated in the sediment and is potentially incorporated in the sedimentary aquifers situated along the Indus Basin and surrounding areas. Based on the current study, it is concluded that the source of As is dominantly geogenic whereas the role of anthropogenic activities is considered negligible except along the Ravi River which showed relatively a higher percentage (17.5%) of human or industrial contribution.

Machine-learning- and deep-learning-based streamflow prediction in a hilly catchment for future scenarios using CMIP6 GCM data

Abstract. The alteration in river flow patterns, particularly those that originate in the Himalaya, has been caused by the increased temperature and rainfall variability brought on by climate change. Due to the impending intensification of extreme climate events, as predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in its Sixth Assessment Report, it is more essential than ever to predict changes in streamflow for future periods. Despite the fact that some research has utilised machine-learning- and deep-learning-based models to predict streamflow patterns in response to climate change, very few studies have been undertaken for a mountainous catchment, with the number of studies for the western Himalaya being minimal. This study investigates the capability of five different machine learning (ML) models and one deep learning (DL) model, namely the Gaussian linear regression model (GLM), Gaussian generalised additive model (GAM), multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARSs), artificial neural network (ANN), random forest (RF), and 1D convolutional neural network (1D-CNN), in streamflow prediction over the Sutlej River basin in the western Himalaya during the periods 2041–2070 (2050s) and 2071–2100 (2080s). Bias-corrected data downscaled at a grid resolution of 0.25∘ × 0.25∘ from six general circulation models (GCMs) of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 GCM framework under two greenhouse gas (GHG) trajectories (SSP245 and SSP585) were used for this purpose. Four different rainfall scenarios (R0, R1, R2, and R3) were applied to the models trained with daily data (1979–2009) at Kasol (the outlet of the basin) in order to better understand how catchment size and the geo-hydromorphological aspects of the basin affect runoff. The predictive power of each model was assessed using six statistical measures, i.e. the coefficient of determination (R2), the ratio of the root mean square error to the standard deviation of the measured data (RSR), the mean absolute error (MAE), the Kling–Gupta efficiency (KGE), the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), and the percent bias (PBIAS). The RF model with rainfall scenario R3, which outperformed other models during the training (R2 = 0.90; RSR = 0.32; KGE = 0.87; NSE = 0.87; PBIAS = 0.03) and testing (R2 = 0.78; RSR = 0.47; KGE = 0.82; NSE = 0.71; PBIAS = −0.31) period, therefore was chosen to simulate streamflow in the Sutlej River in the 2050s and 2080s under the SSP245 and SSP585 scenarios. Bias correction was further applied to the projected daily streamflow in order to generate a reliable times series of the discharge. The mean ensemble of the model results shows that the mean annual streamflow of the Sutlej River is expected to rise between 2050s and 2080s by 0.79 % to 1.43 % for SSP585 and by 0.87 % to 1.10 % for SSP245. In addition, streamflow will increase during the monsoon (9.70 % to 11.41 % and 11.64 % to 12.70 %) in the 2050s and 2080s under both emission scenarios, but it will decrease during the pre-monsoon (−10.36 % to −6.12 % and −10.0 % to −9.13 %), post-monsoon (−1.23 % to −0.22 % and −5.59 % to −2.83 %), and during the winter (−21.87 % to −21.52 % and −21.87 % to −21.11 %). This variability in streamflow is highly correlated with the pattern of precipitation and temperature predicted by CMIP6 GCMs for future emission scenarios and with physical processes operating within the catchment. Predicted declines in the Sutlej River streamflow over the pre-monsoon (April to June) and winter (December to March) seasons might have a significant impact on agriculture downstream of the river, which is already having problems due to water restrictions at this time of year. The present study will therefore assist in strategy planning to ensure the sustainable use of water resources downstream by acquiring knowledge of the nature and causes of unpredictable streamflow patterns.

Geochemical characterization, its controlling factors, and comparison between the upstream and downstream segments of the Himalayan Satluj River basin, India

Satluj River Basin (SRB) has special economic significance, representing the country's most incredible hydro-structure with fresh water, a primary source of irrigation and hydroelectric power in Northern India. Therefore, SRB's geochemical characterization is vital for hydropower and agricultural sustainability. This study provides a preliminary characterization of the hydrogeochemical processes controlling the natural water evolution in SRB by observing the spatial variation and qualitative assessment of solute chemistry (major ions and trace/heavy elements) in the Satluj river, associated tributaries, and groundwater. Hydrochemical characteristics displayed the predominance of geogenic weathering processes with carbonates dissolution and silicate weathering as end members that could explain all the geochemical variability within the SRB. The results reveal that the chemical signature of the upstream segment is possibly influenced more by carbonate weathering than silicate weathering, and the trends reverse in the downstream section with the increasing influence of silicate weathering. Dissolved heavy metals (HMs) such as Mn, Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb showed large fluctuations among upstream and downstream sampling sites, indicating diverse environmental conditions. Human health risk assessment (HHRA) studies revealed less or no potential noncarcinogenic via HMs, except for the downstream stretch of tributaries inferring increased non-cancerous risk. Moreover, the HHRA with HMs (Cr, As, Cd, and Pb) manifested high carcinogenic risks for adults and children across the SRB. The finding of this study could be the baseline dataset for assessing the future status, effective management, and better utilization of water resources of the SRB.

Stock Structure Analysis of Channidae Family from River Sutlej in Punjab by using Truss Networking System

Stock Structure Analysis of Channidae Family from River Sutlej in Punjab by using Truss Networking System

Resonant column and cyclic torsional shear tests on Sutlej river sand subjected to the seismicity of Himalayan and Shivalik hill ranges: A case study

The study of site-specific dynamic properties of soil holds vital importance in many geotechnical engineering problems for the region holding high active seismicity. The Sutlej River basin, a valley and high-risk seismic zone in the north-eastern part of the Punjab state, has been considered for the study. The site-specific shear modulus reduction curves and material damping ratio curves for a range of shear strain amplitudes have been developed under varying experimental conditions of confining pressure, relative density, and loading frequency using the resonant column (RC) tests and cyclic torsional shear (CTS) tests. The study addresses the usage of two testing approaches, i.e., resonant column test (RC) and cyclic torsional shear test (CTS), for the estimation of shear modulus and damping ratio values at varying shear strain amplitudes. The regression analysis has been performed for the two testing techniques viz. RC and CTS to study the sensitivity of shear modulus values and material damping ratio values towards varying experimental conditions. The shear modulus and damping ratio values determined from cyclic torsional shear tests were observed to have great dependency on the frequency of loading. The knowledge of site-specific dynamic properties will support practical interpretation for the geotechnical engineering problems in the region.