Srikakulam District Research Articles

Assessment of Production System Improvement Activities in Sancham PMKSY of Srikakulam District of Andhra Pradesh

Assessment of Production System Improvement Activities in Sancham PMKSY of Srikakulam District of Andhra Pradesh

Assessment of water balance for a forest dominated coastal river basin in India using a semi distributed hydrological model

Nagavali River plays a major role in supporting agriculture and water supply demands in parts of the Kalahandi, Rayagada and Koraput districts of Odisha and Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts of Andhra Pradesh. With the increase in demand for water and stress from the climate change, there is a need to understand the water balance of the river basin and suggest suitable measures to improve water resources development and water harvesting. In this study, a semi-distributed model, soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) is used to study the spatio-temporal water balance for the entire basin. The model was calibrated and validated at monthly scale using the observed river discharge at Srikakulam over a period of 15 years from 1985 to 2000. Calibration and Validation results for stream flow are satisfactory on a monthly scale. The seasonal water budget analysis reveals that 70% of the annual rainfall and 74% of the annual runoff occur during the monsoon season. The sensitivity analysis showed that the lateral flow travel time, average slope steepness, curve number, available water capacity of the soil basin are the most sensitive parameters. Further the spatial analysis of the water balance components show that there is considerable difference in the precipitation and streamflow within the basin ranging from 914 to 1319 and 82 to 246 mm respectively. The results from the study provide valuable information for the proposed interlinking projects in the future.

Assessment of Marketing Skill Application in Tourism Places in Srikakulam District, Andhra Pradesh

The importance of marketing skill to Tourism industry is increasingly seen as a viable development strategy to promote for sustainable economy in an effective way to counter declining tourism incomes especially in the developing countries. The efforts associated with different strategically applications suited to the industry in the area of marketing with an emphasis on skill assessment are found to be the need of the hour now. The aim of this research study is to explore the essence of marketing skills and its applicability in tourism places in Srikakulam District of Andhra Pradesh. The design of the study is descriptive type in association of both applications of qualitative and quantitative approaches. Field surveys, focus group discussions, interviews, questionnaires’ distribution and direct observations were the focal instruments in data gathering. Real and practical representatives and key informants were confronted from tourism office, government leaders, tourism businesses and tourists through both probability and non-probability sampling techniques to understand the underlying scenarios. Qualitative approaches were used to analysis predominantly with the variables that are subject to descriptions of phenomena and narrations, whereas quantitative analysis was used for the quantifications of major themes and phenomena that consist quantifiable variables expressed in numerical figures and magnitudes using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) 21 version software.

Additions to the flora of Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh, India

While exploring the floristic wealth of Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, 43 species of angiospermshas not been reported from Srikakulam district, hence here reported as a new addition to the flora of Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh.

English

English

ISOLATION AND SCREENING OF NOVEL STREPTOMYCES FROM SEDIMENTS OF BAY OF BENGAL NEAR SRIKAKULAM COAST

Objective: The Objective of this research is to isolate and screen potent antibiotic producing actinomycetes from unexplored regions of Bay of Bengal Near Srikakulam Coast.Methods: The isolation and screening were done on starch casein agar media. Antimicrobial activity screening was done using cross streak method and agar diffusion method. Further, Morphological characterization of the isolate was done using Scanning electron Microscopy (SEM-JSM 6610). Further, the cultural characterization of the isolates was done using standard protocols.Results: A total of sixty-eight isolates of Actinomycetes were collected from marine sediments of coastal line of Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, which is one of the longest coastal lines of Andhra Pradesh. Due to its longest coastal line and geographical distribution, there are promising chance of diversity of the microorganisms and antibiotic producing potential. Each isolate was tested against various bacteria. Among all the isolates twelve isolates were promising and showed good antimicrobial activity. Within twelve isolates the isolate A-10 was very promising and showed antibiotic potential against most of the tested bacteria. This isolate appears to produce high anti-bacterial compounds on potato dextrose agar and nutrient agar medium respectively by using the agar diffusion method. The potent Actinomycete A-10 was further characterised by morphological methods consist of macroscopic and microscopic methods. The mycelium structure, colour and arrangement of conidiophores were observed through the oil immersion (100X). The strain was grown on Starch-Casein agar medium for morphological study using Scanning Electron microscopy. Scanning Electron micrographs of the strain A-10 results that the spore chain was straight and with more than 20 spores per chain. The spores are cylindrical in shape and had a smooth surface. Whirls, sclerotic granules, sporangia and flagellate spores were not observed. Further various biochemical tests performed for the identification of potent isolates are as follows: Melanin reaction, H2S production, tyrosine reaction, starch hydrolysis, casein hydrolysis, gelatin hydrolysis, milk coagulation and peptonization, nitrate reduction, temperature range of growth, pH tolerance and cell wall type by comparing all these results with the Bergey’s manual of Determinative Bacteriology and the organisms were identified. The isolate was identified as Streptomyces sp.Conclusion: Thus the result of antibacterial screening represents that the coastal area of Srikakulam is a potential source of antibiotic producing actinomycetes. Further the phylogenic tree construction and purification of the antibiotic principle from A-10 were under investigation.Keywords: Actinomycetes, Marine Sediments, Starch-Casein agar, SEM

HYDROCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF GROUND WATER SAMPLES OF COASTAL REGION OF SRIKAKULAM DISTRICT, ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA

20Dec 2016 HYDROCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF GROUND WATER SAMPLES OF COASTAL REGION OF SRIKAKULAM DISTRICT, ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA Sathish Mohan Botsa , Punnana Ramu Naidu , Gadi satyanarayana , Manjeera Devaraju and Pondala Seetharam. School of Chemistry, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, India. Dept of Engineering chemistry, SITAM engineering college, Vizianagaram, India.

Ethnomedicine for Bites by the Tribes of Srikakulam District, Andhra Pradesh

The paper deals with 46 species of plants covering 44 genera and 34 families used for curing bites by the tribes of Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh. Cucurbitaceae is the dominant family with 4 species followed by Fabaceae, Caesalpiniaceae, Mimosaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Verbenaceae, Apocynaceae, Loganiaceae, Menispermaceae, Euphorbiaceae with 2 species each and others. Herbs are more (16) followed by trees (11), shrubs (10), climbers (8) and a lone liane. Root is involved in 13 practices followed by whole plant (9), leaf (8), stem bark and seed (6 each), root bark (5) and others. For snake bite 23 species are exclusively used followed by 8 for scorpion sting, 4 for scorpion and snake bite, 3 each for dog bite and dog and snake bites, 2 for insect bite and others. Crotalaria laburnifolia and 7 practices were found to be new.

A Comparative Study on the Infiltration Characteristics of Soils in Srikakulam District, Andhra Pradesh, India

The groundwater resources are decreasing day by day as less amount of rainfall is contributing to natural recharge on one hand and on the other, there is rapid infra-structure development. So there is an urgent need for artificial recharge of groundwater. For effective planning and management of artificial recharge systems in an area, one needs to understand the infiltration characteristics of that region. The present study is aimed to estimate the infiltration characteristics based on the experimental data obtained by using double ring infiltrometer. This study has a scope for understanding the variation of the infiltration capacity with respect to space as well as time and identification of the most suitable mathematical model to be adopted for infiltration. The infiltration tests were conducted in the study area at ten locations in three different seasons and the infiltration capacity was modelled using Horton, Philip and Kostiakov. The model parameters obtained are highly fluctuating with respect to time and space indicating that the infiltration equation is highly location and season specific. The f 0 and f c values (Horton's model) are very high in the pre-monsoon season when compared to the post-monsoon season since the soil is dry and the ability of the soil to allow rain to permeate through it is very high. Horton's model is considered as to be the best amongst the three models considered for this study based on the comparison with the field data.

Spatio – Temporal Variation of Meio-fauna Distribution in Bhavanapadu Creek, Srikakulam District, Andhra Pradesh, India

Spatio – Temporal Variation of Meio-fauna Distribution in Bhavanapadu Creek, Srikakulam District, Andhra Pradesh, India

Environmental Impact Assessment of A Proposed 2640 MW Thermal Power Plant at Sompeta Using RIAM

Coal is the only natural resource and fossil fuel available in abundance in India. Consequently, it is used widely as a thermal energy source and also as fuel for thermal power plants producing electricity. India has about 90,000 MW installed capacity for electricity generation, of which more than 70% is produced by coal-based thermal power plants. Hydro-electricity contributes about 25%, and the remaining is mostly from nuclear power plants (NPPs). The problems associated with the use of coal are low calorific value and very high ash content. The ash content is as high as 55– 60%, with an average value of about 35–40%. Further, most of the coal is located in the eastern parts of the country and requires transportation over long distances, mostly by trains, which run on diesel. About 70% oil is imported and is a big drain on India’s hard currency. This paper evaluates an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) using the Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix (RIAM). It considers all 4 components: physical / chemical, biological / ecological, social / cultural, economic / operational. These are then evaluated using universal criteria common to all impact consideration. Figures and tables made comparisons much easier. This Matrix was applied to the EIA of the future Coal based thermal power plant at Sompeta village in Srikakulam District, Andhra Pradesh.

A study on Avifaunal Diversity in and around the Telineelapuram Bird Sanctuary near Tekkali in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh

Telineelapuram bird sanctuary was recognised as globally Important Bird Area (IBA) by Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and Birdlife International. It is located in Telineelapuram village near Tekkali Mandal of Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh. Survey was conducted from January 2015 to December 2016 to measure avian diversity in this sanctuary and its wetland vicinity. The Telineelapuram wetland is a winter home to a large number of migratory birds and also provides numerous wetland services to thousands people in the surrounding villages. The objective of the study was to identify the avian diversity in the sanctuary and its surroundings. Data was collected by direct census method. In total 132 bird species belonging to 42 families were recorded. It is an important foraging ground for nearly 650 spot billed pelicans and 1000 painted storks for every year and plays a major role in the sustainability of the bird population. Researchers of Andhra University found that the migratory movement of birds was first noticed over twenty years ago, when the number of birds exceeded 10,000. At present, the figure has been reduced to about 3500. Main threats identified to survival of birds were habitat degradation, pesticide usage and illegal hunting. The species richness and composition are important parameters for stability and functioning of an ecosystem, therefore, there is an urgent need to conserve the biodiversity of the sanctuary and its surrounding area. Any qualitative or quantitative changes in the wetland area will adversely affect the survival of these ‘Near threatened’ bird species. The conservation of habitats and threatened and endangered species is largely governed by the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972

A Study on Socio Demographic Profile of Adult Female Smokers in Rural Areas of Srikakulam District, A.P.

A Study on Socio Demographic Profile of Adult Female Smokers in Rural Areas of Srikakulam District, A.P.

Ecosystem services provided by the Telineelapuram and Telukunchi Wetland sanctuaries of Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh, India

Telineelapuram and Telukunchi bird Sanctuaries are very important wetlands and A-1 IBA (Important Bird Area) with code-IN229. Both the Important Bird Areas (IBA) in the coastal wetland of Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh in India. Telineelapuram and Telukunchi bird sanctuaries are small in size but rich in biodiversity. Telineelapuramharbours more than 450 Spot billed Pelicans and 800 Painted Storks,Telukunchi sustains thousands of Open Bills and many other birds. Birds are excellent indicators of ecosystem health. The IBA programme of Birdlife International aims to identify, monitor and protect a global network of IBAs for conservation of the world's birds and associated biodiversity. In recent time it has become an important ecosystem for wildlife as well as bringing significant benefits to the local people in term of crop yield and climate regulation. Ecological Services are defined as the benefits that people derive from nature (MEA 2005).The values of the wetlands are increasingly being acknowledged all over the world as a result of the ever increasing awareness about the role they have been playing in the development of civilizations and over all welfare of the humanity by ensuring water security and food security and several other services being derived from them. The study has been conducted to assess the economic benefits derived from these wetland resources by the rural people of the district and also to assess their socio-religious and cultural attachment with these wetlands. The fishermen completely depend on fish resource of these wetlands. Such resourceful wetlands have been found to degrade gradually due to anthropogenic activities like, encroachment, residential and commercial developments, dumping the garbage and wastes in the wetlands, etc. Therefore, appropriate measures should be adopted to conserve and save these important wetlands of the district

Study of Some Physical & Chemical Characteristic Properties of Ground Water in the Villages of Veeraghattam and Palakonda Mandals in Srikakulam District, A.P, India

Human beings require potable water for drinking to keep them healthy. Clean, safe and adequate fresh water is vital to the survival of all living organisms. Drinking water affects the health of human beings due to the presence of various dissolved chemical constituents. Problems arising out of chemical constituents in drinking water are different from the problems of microbial contamination. Therefore, consumers should have at least minimum knowledge on quality of drinking water. People across the world depend on ground water for drinking. Ground water is a major source, so based on the importance of the matter; a research topic is taken up on the assessment of quality of groundwater in the selected areas of villages in Veeraghattam and Palakonda Mandals of Srikakulam District, Andhra Pradesh. This preliminary study assessed the quality of physical and chemical characteristic properties of underground water in the selected locations of 40 villages in Veeraghattam and 39 villages in Palakonda Mandals of Srikakulam District. Some physico chemical characteristic parameters are estimated in the samples and the results obtained are compared with the available standard values such as WHO and BIS.

SUBGRADE STRENGTHENING OF ROADS ON BLACK COTTON SOIL USING QUARRY DUST

Black cotton soil is a highly clayey soil it has very low bearing capacity and high shrinkage and swelling characteristics. Due to its peculiar characteristics, it forms a very poor foundation material for road construction and due to very low CBR values of black cotton soil; excessive pavement thickness is required for designing flexible pavement. Ground improvement technique such as soil stabilization and reinforcement are employed to improve the mechanical behavior of soil thereby enhancing the reliability of construction. The wide spread of black cotton soil in various places in India posses problems to the construction activities, especially sub grade problems. The quarry dust a by-product from the crushing process during quarrying activities is one of the waste products. This by product is left in the neighborhood of the quarry causing environmental pollution and serious health hazards. Quarry dust consists mainly of excess fines and it exhibits high shear strength which is highly beneficial for its use as a geotechnical material. Hence an experimental study is undertaken to check the suitability of quarry dust as a stabilizer to improve the engineering properties of black cotton soil. Black cotton soil sample which is used for the study is taken from an area called Bhimavaram which is located in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh state in India. The quarry dust sample which is used in improving the black cotton soil characteristics is taken from Tekkali Srikakulam district located in Andhra Pradesh state, India. An attempt is being done to stabilize the black cotton soil by adding quarry dust in percentages of 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%. The test values of CBR test, swell test are compared for different percentages of quarry dust with black cotton soil values

A Contribution to the Seasonal Distribution and Biodiversity of Fresh Water Phytoplankton of Karagam Lake, Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh, India

In the present study, Seasonality and Species diversity of Phytoplankton studies were made on the Karagam Lake of Srikakulam District, Andhra Pradesh from November 2006 to October 2008. The phytoplankton population was represented by a Total taxa of 64 genera were recorded in this study. This includes Chlorophyceae (26 genera- 74 species), Bacillariophyceae (18 genera-41species), Cyanophyceae (17 genera-39 species) and Euglenophyceae (3 genera-8species). The abundant algal forms belong to Volvocales (9 genera, 12 species), Chlorococcales (7 genera, 16 species), Conjugales (9 genera, 43 genera), Nostocales (9 genera, 18 species) in Karagam Lake.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ije.v4i1.12180International Journal of Environment Volume-4, Issue-1, Dec-Feb 2014/15, Page: 82-100

Base Line Widal Titres among Apparently Healthy Individuals in Srikakulam District, Andhra Pradesh

Background: Enteric fever is an endemic problem in Srikakulam and Widal agglutination test is widely used for its diagnosis Aim and objective: The interpretation of the Widal test depends upon the baseline titre among healthy individuals in a particular geographical area. This study was undertaken to determine the baseline titre in apparently healthy individuals in Srikakulam District, Andhra Pradesh. Materials and methods: The average baseline antibody titres against O and H antigens of Salmonella enterica serotype typhi and H antigens of serotypes paratyphi A and B among apparently healthy blood donors (n=250) were determined by using Standard Widal confirmatory Quantitative tube test. Results: Among the 250 serum samples which were tested, 182 (72.8%) serum samples were positive for agglutinins against Salmonella serotypes (≥1:20). Among 182 samples with an anti-O titre ≥1:20, 60 (24%) samples had titres of 1:80. Among the 50 samples demonstrating anti- H titres of >1:20 to Salmonella serotype, 25 (10%) had a titre of 1:80. For Salmonella paratyphi A and B, anti -H titres of 1:20 were found in 8 (3.2%) and 8 (3.2%) respectively, for all samples tested. Conclusion: When a single Widal agglutination titre is used for diagnosis of enteric fever,it will be more appropriate to change the currently used cutoff levels against Salmonella enterica serotype typhi to >1:80 for anti- O and H of S. typhi and >1:20 for S. paratyphi A and B for Srikakulam district.

Antenatal Care Utilization of Savara Tribe Women: A Most Vulnerable Tribe of Andhra Pradesh

This paper examines the patterns of antenatal health care utilization among the Savara Tribe Women of Andhra Pradesh. The aim of this study was to identify the knowledge, attitude and accessibility related to the utilization of antenatal care (ANC) service among Savara tribe women in the Srikakulam district, Data for this cross-sectional study were using a multi-stage random sampling strategy from 6 selected mandals in Srikakulam district. A total of 600 married women of reproductive age who had at least one child and had delivered the last child within two years from the date of data collection were interviewed using structured questionnaires. To get the antenatal check-ups, majority of the women were attended by traditional healers at their homes. During the antenatal care, the pregnant women were tested for body weight, blood pressure, hemoglobin, abdominal check-ups, haemogram and HIV/AIDS, but nearly 10.0% of Savara women have not received any one of these services. Almost all the pregnant tribal women have received 2 TT injections. Due to various reasons majority of the women are not consuming the IFA tablets, it needs more awareness about the importance of consumption of IFA tablets and the health workers and other family members should monitor the intake of IFA tablet by the pregnant women.

Isolation and Identification of Specific Pathogens, Presence of Antibiotics, Aflatoxins, Pesticide Residues and Industrial Contaminants in Supply Chain of Milk in Selected Coastal Districts of Andhra Pradesh

A research study was undertaken to carry out isolation and identification of specific pathogens, presence of antibiotics, aflatoxins, pesticide residues and industrial contaminants in supply chain of milk in selected coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh. The milk is a whole food; it is categorized under perishable foods as it is biologically nutrient liquid that supports the growth of wide variety of microorganisms and is susceptible to spoilage. The quality of milk can be affected by the presence of additional water, detergents, disinfectants, antibiotics, pesticides and pathogens like bacteria, viruses, toxins released by molds such as aflatoxins and heavy metals etc. The raw milk is usually colonized by pathogens like Campylobacter jejuni, enterohemorrhagic Escherichia. coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and Yersinia enterocolitica. The milk samples were collected from vendors of East and West Godavari, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts. The milk samples were found to be positive for Tetracycline and Beta lactam antibiotics. The Aspergillus flavus was identified and the colonies producing aflatoxin M1 appeared in yellow color on the Aspergillus agar (M1127). The pesticides and heavy metals in raw and chilled milk samples were detected by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The pesticide residues were found in raw and chilled milk samples include Lindane, Endosulfan, Chlorane, Heptachlor and Methoxchlor. The heavy metals like lead, arsenic, zinc and mercury residues were found to occur in raw and chilled milk samples. The hygienic quality of the milk in the current study was found to be poor due to exceeding the standard limits in number of specific pathogens, antibiotic, aflatoxin M1, pesticide and heavy metal residues. Immediate measures are needed to be taken to ensure safety of raw milk in public point of view in Visakhapatnam, East & West Godavari regions.