Thar Desert Research Articles

SELF CARE TRAININGS FOR NCD MANAGEMENT IN OLD AGE IN INDIA

Abstract With over 100 million older people, India has the second largest elderly population in the world. Older people in many parts of India, especially in the rural settings live in vulnerable conditions with limited facilities and with an overall poor health status. GRAVIS has been working actively in the Thar Desert of India to address older people’s health. It has multi-layered health intervention combining medical services, public health activities and research component. Self-care training is integral part of our work with older people. With help of locally designed contents, GRAVIS team trains older people on healthy ageing. The curriculum includes 10 modules focusing on basics of human body and biology of ageing, Common diseases in old age, prevention of common diseases, management of common diseases and useful information on Government health programmes. Older people in groups of 12-15 attend trainings once in 15 days. To provide service to older people and to take self care education further, GRAVIS also works with a cadre of Village based Health Workers (VHWs). The impact of our self-care training interventions has been quite positive. The trainings are well received within the community. Over 1,500 older people have been trained and over 85% report a significant increase in their knowledge levels. GRAVIS has been able to draw the attention of local health authorities and hopes that the trainings could be scaled up further. Self care and improved health knowledge are critically important for older people to stay healthy, particularly in remote and resource scarce settings.

Modeling Plant Height and Biomass Production of Cluster Bean and Sesbania across Diverse Irrigation Qualities in Pakistan’s Thar Desert

Plant height (PH) plays a crucial role in determining per-plant growth and biomass production. Various characteristics of PH, along with the formulation of mathematical growth models, can provide a theoretical yield or biomass production based on water quality, fruit quality, and yields. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between PH and biomass per-plant production of two fodder crops (Cluster bean and Sesbania) under different water quality irrigation parameters in the Thar desert of Pakistan. Universal models of PH were established in which growing degree days (GDDs) and different water quality irrigation techniques have been applied as independent variables to calculate the maximum plant height of both of these crops. For this purpose, the logistic growth model, Gaussian growth model, modified Gaussian growth model, and Cubic polynomial growth model were used. Furthermore, universal biomass per plant production models have been developed for both crops, between biomass per plant, GDDs, and PH. However, among all these developed models, the modified Gaussian and Cubic polynomial growth models produced the best results. The Cubic polynomial model has meaningless parameters that make the model not very accurate, so the modified Gaussian growth model is the best among all models. Furthermore, the relationship between biomass per plant and different water qualities was established using Michaelis–Menten equations for both crops. It was observed that an increase in salt concentration within the water quality led to a decline in biomass per plant, indicating a negative linear relationship between these factors. The growth of Cluster bean and Sesbania ceased when the electrical conductivity (EC) reached or exceeded 12.34 ds/m and 11.51 ds/m, respectively. Furthermore, the results show that Cluster bean and Sesbania have the maximum plant height under brackish water irrigation when the GDD is at 1500 °C, while in freshwater irrigation, the maximum plant height of Sesbania and Cluster bean was observed when the GDD is at 1444 °C and 1600 °C. It was concluded that these developed mathematical models can provide crucial insights for enhancing production in desert conditions by improving water use efficiency across diverse irrigation water qualities.

Thermal Modeling of Photovoltaic Panel for Cell Temperature and Power Output Predictions under Outdoor Climatic Conditions of Jodhpur

The rise in the temperature severely affects photovoltaic cell efficiency and hence its power output. Moreover, it also causes the development of thermal stresses that may reduce their life span. Thus, there is a need for an accurate estimation of the cell’s working temperature. In this paper, a detailed thermal model based on various heat transfer modes involved and their governing equations has been presented to estimate the cell temperature of a PV module using MATLAB software under different climatic and solar insolation conditions. In order to validate the presented model, an experimental setup has been built and operated under actual outdoor conditions of Jodhpur, a city in the Thar Desert of Rajasthan. For the peak summer month of June, the predicted glass cover outer surface temperature has been found to be within 0.2–4.5°C of experimentally measured values and the back sheet temperature is found to be within 0.5–5.5°C. The predicted and measured power outputs have been found to be within 0.85–1.2 W while the efficiency values are within 0.17–0.38%. For the early summer month of April, the variations are 0.13–4.1°C, 0.2–4.1°C, 0.44–1.65 W, and 0.1–0.5% for glass cover temperature, back sheet temperature, power output, and efficiency, respectively. Thus, the predictions of the developed thermal model have exhibited a good agreement with the experimental results. The maximum glass cover temperatures recorded were 60°C and 65.5°C when the ambient temperatures were 35°C and 42°C near the noon for the early summer and peak summer day experiments, respectively. The presented model can be used to generate a year-round cell temperature data for the known environmental data of a location, which can help in the selection or development of appropriate cooling technology at the planning stage of the installation of a solar PV plant.

Three-Dimensional Distribution and Transport Features of Dust and Polluted Dust over China and Surrounding Areas from CALIPSO

Dust plays a very important role in the Earth’s climate system by its direct and indirect effects. Deserts in northwestern China contribute a large amount of dust particles, both inland and outside, while the vertical distribution and transport mechanism of dust still have many uncertainties. Using Level 3 cloud-free monthly aerosol products of the Cloud–Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) system from 2007 to 2020, we analyzed the spatial and temporal variations and transport features for dust and polluted dust aerosols over China and the surrounding areas. The results show that the Taklimakan Desert (TD) and the Thar Desert (TRD) always act as the high-value centers of dust optical depth (DOD), while the centers of polluted dust optical depth (PDOD) are located in eastern China, the Sichuan Basin and the Indian subcontinent. The DOD shows an increasing trend in most areas, while the PDOD presents a significant decrease and increase in eastern China and central India, respectively. The largest DOD appears in spring over the TD and the Gobi Desert (GD), while the largest DOD in summer is over the TRD. Although most dusts in the TD and TRD are concentrated below 4 km, they may be higher over the TD. Most of the polluted dusts are confined to under 2 km. The dust input to the Tibetan Plateau (TP) could come from both the TD and TRD and occurs mostly in spring and summer, respectively. The polluted dusts of South Asia and the Indian subcontinent are mostly contained in the boundary layer in winter, but they could extend much higher in spring and summer, which favors their transport into southwestern China. The dust layer shows apparent seasonality. Its top reaches a higher level in spring and summer, while the base stays at a similar height in all seasons. The dust layer appears to be the thickest in spring over most areas, while the thickest layer in summer is over the TD and TRD. The polluted dust layer is thickest in the Indian subcontinent in spring. The overlapping of dust and polluted dust layers present different patterns in different regions, which suggests diverse mixture processes of dusts and pollutants. Finally, we compared and found different influences of meteorological factors, such as wind field, boundary layer height and precipitation, on the variations in DOD and PDOD over dust sources and other areas.

Identification of Playa Lakes and tracking their evolution pathways using geochemical models in the Great Indian Thar desert

Playa Lakes of the great Indian Thar desert are unique and intricate systems with pronounced scientific and ecological significance. In this study, the combined use of geospatial and field data assisted in depicting and understanding the changes within these natural systems. The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive dataset of Playa Lakes, which can help with an overall understanding of playas from a geochemical, ecological, and economic perspective. The 1163 surface depressions were accounted for as possible playas considering the threshold area of >5 km2. A total of 42 representative surface water samples were collected from the selected playas (Sambhar, Didwana, Pachpadra, and Pokhran) and hydrochemical analysis was carried out to identify the geochemical evolution of these playas. The major water types were Na-Cl and Na-Cl-SO4 type. Hardie and Eugster's model was used to explain the possible sequence of evolutionary pathways and brine shifts in the selected playas. Simulated evaporation modeling suggests precipitation of major evaporites (chlorides, carbonates, and sulphates) during progressive evaporation. Surface sediment analysis (X-ray diffraction) confirmed the presence of calcite, halite, and dolomite minerals in the playa sediments. The greatest economic value of these playas may be mineral production and providing food and habitat for migratory birds, though conservation and policy intervention is required for their sustainable utilization.

Trend Analysis of Rainfall and Groundwater Level in Jaisalmer District of the Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India

Trend Analysis of Rainfall and Groundwater Level in Jaisalmer District of the Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India

Local Coal for Power Generation in Pakistan

PREFACE
 Coal contributes significantly to global energy supplies. In 2021, coal was the second-largest energy source consumed globally (Chart 1). Over the years, coal demand has increased substantially from 2.6 billion tons in 1980 to 5.5 billion tons in 2021 (Chart 2). Because of environmental concerns and the increasing trend towards renewables, its share declined in the United States and many European countries, decreasing global consumption in 2014 and onwards. But the trend reversed in 2020. It is because of the Russia-Ukraine war leading to the worldwide energy crisis that the demand for coal has increased.
 According to the International Energy Agency (IEA) forecast, coal demand is expected to exceed the previous coal demand record of 2014 in the next few years. The United States and many European countries are shifting back to coal as it is still one of the cheapest energy sources.
 The primary coal-consuming sector is electricity generation. High natural gas prices have increased reliance on coal for generating power. Coal consumption in electricity generation is expected to grow by more than 2%. If the gas prices continue to increase in 2023 or onwards, dependence on coal will remain, and demand will surge further. Besides gas prices, coal prospects will depend on the transition speed towards renewable energy sources.
 PAKISTAN COAL POTENTIAL
 Pakistan has 186 billion tons of coal reserves, primarily located in the province of Sindh (Chart 4). Only Thar desert (10,000 sq. km) contains the world’s 7th largest coal reserves of about 175 billion tons (Chart 5), equivalent to 50 billion tons of oil equivalent (more than Saudi Arabia and Iran’s oil reserves) and 2000 trillion cubic feet of gas (68 times more than Pakistan’s total gas reserves). Thar Block-II alone contains 2 billion tons of lignite reserves, of which 1.57 billion tons are exploitable. This Thar Block-II can produce 5,000MW of electricity for 50 years, while the total Thar reserves can sustain 100,000MW for over two centuries . Most of the coal in Pakistan is lignite (with more moisture content, up to 50%).

Cartographic Anxiety on the Thar Desert: The Border Security Force and Jaisalmer’s Tanot Mata Mandir

The spatiality of the Tanot Mata Temple, in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan, places it at the crossroads of religion and nationalism. Firstly, its location near the international border makes it a marker of territorial integrity as well as the bearer of a ‘cartographic anxiety’ which aspires to keep the periphery intact and unharmed. Secondly, its spatiality is defined in terms of majoritarian religious beliefs which have been shaped in postcolonial India over a period of cultural and ideological interactions between the dominant and the marginal, mainstream and vernacular. Despite its past, which attests to fluid regional connections and itinerant migratory circuits, the temple’s sacredness operates today within a repository of visual registers which celebrates a specific kind of patriotism that is both exclusive and retaliatory. This paper will discuss a range of literary and visual material that establishes the temple’s legend on precincts founded on an imagined relationship of the citizen with the land.

Geomicrobial Exploration of Sulfur Oxidizing Bacteria Indigenous to Kapurdi and Jalipa Lignite Mine Site, Rajasthan

Abstract The metabolic versatility and potential of microbes enables their survival and growth in harsh condition such as sites ravaged by mining activities. The Kapurdi lignite deposit of the Barmer Basin is one of the important Tertiary lignite deposits underlying the Great Indian Thar desert in the north-western part of Rajasthan. The diversity of culturable sulfur oxidizing bacteria (SOB) in Kapurdi and Jalipa lignite mine site, Barmer, Rajasthan was assessed in this study. Bacteria were isolated by plating on selective thiosulfate mineral media, and dominant isolates were identified from their physiological characteristics and 16S rRNA gene sequences. The obligate chemolithotrophic SOB were identified as Thermithiobacillus sp. strain KO11, KO12, KO13 (OP788122, OP788123, OP788124). Whereas heterotrophic SOB was identified as Bacillus sp.strain KO1 (OP788112), Bacillus sp. strain KO2 (OP788113), Bacillus sp.strain KO3 (OP788114), Enterobacter sp.strain KO4, KO5, KO6, KO9 (OP788115, OP788116, OP788117, OP788120), Leclercia sp. Strain KO7 (OP788118), Pantoea sp. strain KO8(OP788119), and Rhodococcussp.strain KO10 (OP788121). The culture condition was optimized for the two most potential SOB i.e., Thermithiobacillus sp. strain KO11 and Leclercia sp. strain KO7. Both the isolates grew well and produced maximum amount of sulfate in thiosulfate mineral media at pH 8.0 and with 40 mM of thiosulfate substrate. Thermithiobacillus sp. strain KO11 had the optimum growth at 45°C indicating its thermophillic nature whereas, Leclercia sp. strain KO7 had optimum growth at 35°C. This study significantly enhances our knowledge of native bacteria in mining impacted environments and their role in biogeochemical cycling of sulfur.

A Comprehensive Approach to Manage Eriophyes prosopidis Mite induced Flower Galls in Prosopis cineraria (L.) Druce

The Khejri tree (Prosopis cineraria), is a vital resource in the Thar Desert. Sangri, the name of its pods, is the key ingredient in the Rajasthani vegetable dishes Panchkutta and Trikuta. There is severe gall formation and significant pod reduction in P. cineraria caused by the eriophyid mite Eriophyes prosopidis. The gall-infested trees look unwell because they have a lot of disorganized and deformed green galls hanging from them. During the field trials of the present study, we found that the infestation of this mite can be managed by an integrated management approach. The mechanical removal of dried galls fallen on surface and lopping at an interval of one year can reduce the infestation considerably. Treatment with botanicals Putranjiva roxburgii (10%) leaf extract, Balanites aegyptiaca (10%) leaf extract, spray of Metarhizium anisopliae 2.5 x 107 conidia /ml and chemicals Abamectin 1.9% EC @1ml/L and Diafenthiuron 25% WW + Pyriproxyfen 5% WW @ 2ml/L can be utilized for effective management of flower galls of P. cineraria.

Design and optimal energy management of a stand-alone PV/WT/Diesel/battery system with EV charging facility for Thar desert camp: a case study

ABSTRACT Due to different financial restrictions, extending the existing power grid to remote locations like desert camps is not practically possible, forcing the camp owner to utilize expensive and ecologically hazardous diesel generators (DiG). In this regard, renewable sources based hybrid microgrid could be a viable approach toward reliable and sustainable electrification of these desert camps. However, optimum designing and proper energy management of such a system can be a challenging task. In these terms, this study presents a novel model based on the multi-objective PSO (MOPSO) algorithm for optimal design and energy management of a hybrid microgrid employing solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind turbine (WT), battery, and DiG for electrification of Thar desert camp in Jaisalmer, India. To address techno-eco-environmental aspects, objectives such as Dump Energy (DE), Installation and Operation Cost (IOC), and Reduction of Pollutant Emission (RPE) are considered. The optimal configuration of PV, WT, battery, and DiG are determined based on the maximization of RPE and minimization of both DE and IOC. The proposed model is formulated taking into account the seasonal load variation of a typical camp and the stochastic behavior of renewable energy sources. Moreover, electric vehicles (EVs) charging facility for the tourists staying in these camps is also included while modeling the microgrid system. Furthermore, three distinct system configurations are carefully analyzed over a 10-year period based on technical, environmental and economic indicators. The optimum configuration obtained is the hybrid PV/WT/DiG/battery system with 62 kW PV, 76 kW WT, 350 kWh battery and a 117 kW DiG. According to simulation findings, this system has an operational cost of 323.7 × 104 $ and a pollutant emission of 2034.3 tons, which is 33.67% and 63.32% less than that of the DiG-only configuration, respectively. Moreover, as compared to PV/WT/DiG system, PV/WT/DiG/battery system can reduce dump energy by 81.40%, highlighting the necessity of battery for fully utilizing renewable energy. Overall, this analysis suggests that the utilization of renewable energy sources along with the battery is the optimal planning solution for the camp owner to maximize their potential benefits. Moreover, the proposed technique can be effectively used to optimally design hybrid renewable energy system for other remote locations.

Valorization of Scrapped Marble Slurry Powder as Potential Sand Dune Stabilizer: Pilot Studies on Thar Desert Soils

Valorization of Scrapped Marble Slurry Powder as Potential Sand Dune Stabilizer: Pilot Studies on Thar Desert Soils

Dust source tracing and their transport mechanisms before monsoon season from three glaciers at the Tibetan Plateau: revelations from REE analysis and an indirect tracing approach.

Understanding the origins of Tibetan Plateau (TP) glacier dust is vital for glacier dynamics and regional climate understanding. In May 2016, snow pit samples were collected from glaciers on the TP: Qiyi (QY) in the north, Yuzhufeng (YZF) in the center, and Xiaodongkemadi (XDK) in the south. Rare earth element (REE) concentrations were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and near-surface PM10 concentrations were extracted from a dataset of Chinese near-surface PM10. Two tracing approaches were used: direct REE tracing and an indirect approach combining potential source contribution function (PSCF) and concentration-weighted trajectory (CWT). Both methods yielded consistent results. Pre-monsoon, TP surface soils, Taklimakan Desert, and Qaidam Basin contributed to glacier dust. Notably, central and southern glaciers showed Thar Desert influence, unlike the northern ones. Taklimakan and Thar Deserts were major contributors due to their substantial contribution and high dust concentration. Taklimakan dust, influenced by terrain and westerly winds, affected central and southern glaciers more than northern ones. Westerlies carried Thar Desert dust to the TP after it was uplifted by updrafts in northwest India, significantly affecting southern glaciers. Furthermore, comparing the two tracer methods, the indirect approach combining PSCF and CWT proved more effective for short-term dust source tracing.

Genetic diversity in Tamarix aphylla (L.) H. Karst. using CAAT box-derived polymorphism (CBDP) and start codon targeted (SCoT) polymorphism markers

Tamarix aphylla (L.) H. Karst. is an evergreen, haloxeric, ecologically and economically important tree species of the Indian Thar desert. Genetic diversity analysis of this tree species is vital as it survives in extreme climatic conditions. In this study, we employed first time two gene-targeted CAAT box-derived polymorphism (CBDP) and start codon-targeted (SCoT) polymorphism markers for the analysis of the genetic diversity in Tamarix aphylla. A total of 47 wild genotypes of T. aphylla from eight populations of the Indian Thar Desert were analyzed using 12 primers, six from each CBDP and SCoT markers. The percent polymorphism was higher for CBDP (94.84%) than for the SCoT (76.57%) markers. The average PIC value for CBDP and SCoT marker was 0.601 and 0.409, respectively. Both CBDP and SCoT markers demonstrated high levels of genetic differentiation, low gene flow, and high fixation index. Using both marker systems, AMOVA revealed the percent molecular variation was higher in the case of within population than among population. The clustering pattern based on UPGMA and PCoA plots clearly showed that the grouping of genotypes is associated with their geographical origin and habitat. However, few genotypes were significantly diverse from their respective population and grouped in separate clusters with the genotypes of other populations. The findings observed in the present study can be further exploited in the breeding and conservation programs of T. aphylla.

Decline of Malaria Incidence in Three Villages of Thar Desert, India: The Impact of Use of Insecticide-Treated Nets.

Malaria is the most important tropical and parasitic disease in the world. Endophagy of many malaria vectors advocates that impeding their entry into houses and preventing their contact with the occupants from infective bites could protect them against malaria. The study was carried out in Jaisalmer District, India and three villages were selected as test villages and three as control. Cross-sectional malaria prevalence surveys and mosquito collections were conducted in all the study villages. Insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) were tied below the beds for personal protection against the mosquito bite. Door and window curtains along with partition curtains were treated with insecticide for baring the entry of mosquito vectors. Plasmodium vivax and P. falciparum were reported from the study villages. Higher malaria cases were detected in the control villages than the insecticide-treated bed net-distributed villages. The percentages of reduction of mosquito density in the houses of the ITNs distributed villages were significantly higher than the control villages. The insecticide activity was decreased slowly, and the knockdown time (KD50) values were found to be increased with the duration of usage of net. The KD50 of Anopheles subpictus s.l. was found to be more than the An. stephensi. Rooms where the ITNs were found to be significantly lower per man-hour density of mosquitoes. The use of alternative forms of ITNs shows a potential for preventing malaria and are making a significant contribution to the mosquito control. Effective use of ITNs could be helpful in the malaria elimination in India by 2030.

Digital mapping of soil health card parameters and nutrient management zones in the Thar Desert regions of India using quantile regression forest techniques

Digital mapping of soil health card parameters and nutrient management zones in the Thar Desert regions of India using quantile regression forest techniques

New species of Palpimanus Dufour, 1820 from India (Araneae: Palpimanidae, Palpimaninae), with a catalogue of the Indian palpimanid fauna

Two new species of Palpimanus Dufour, 1820 are described from India: P. godawan Tripathi & Sankaran sp. nov. (♂♀), collected from the Thar Desert in Rajasthan, and P. maldhok Kuni, Tripathi & Sankaran sp. nov. (♂♀), collected from Maharashtra. Images of the endogyne and male palp of the holotype and paratype of P. narsinhmehtai Parajapati, Hun & Raval, 2021 are presented to facilitate its identification. A key to Indian species of Palpimanus and a catalogue of Indian palpimanid spiders are provided. The current distribution of all the known Indian palpimanid spiders is mapped.

A gradual increase of aerosol pollution in the Third Pole during the past four decades: Implication for regional climate change

We analyse the long-term (1980–2020) changes in aerosols over the Third Pole (TP) and assess the changes in radiative forcing (RF) using satellite, ground-based and reanalysis data. The annual mean aerosol optical depth (AOD) varies from 0.06 to 0.24, with the highest values of around 0.2 in the north and southwest TP, which are dominated by dust from Taklimakan and Thar deserts, respectively. However, Organic Carbon (OC), Black Carbon (BC) and sulphate aerosols have significant contributions to the total AOD in the south and east TP. High amounts of dust are observed in spring and summer, but BC in winter. Trajectory analysis reveals that the air mass originated from East and South Asia carries BC and OC, whereas the air from South Asia, Central Asia and Middle East brings dust to TP. Significant positive trends in AOD is found in TP, with high values of about 0.002/yr in the eastern and southern TP. There is a gradual increase in BC and OC concentrations during 1980–2020, but the change from 2000 is phenomenal. The RF at the top of the atmosphere varies from -10 to 2 W/m2 in TP, and high positive RF of about 2 W/m2 is estimated in Pamir, Karakoram and Nyainquentanglha mountains, where the massive glacier mass exists. The RF has increased in much of TP during recent decades (2001–2020) with respect to previous decades (1981–2000), which can be due to the rise in BC and dust during the latter period. Therefore, the positive trend in BC and its associated change in RF can amplify the regional warming, and thus, the melting of glaciers or ice in TP. This is a great concern as it is directly connected to the water security of many South Asian countries.

Prediction of Soil Inorganic Carbon at Multiple Depths Using Quantile Regression Forest and Digital Soil Mapping Technique in the Thar Desert Regions of India

ABSTRACT Soil inorganic carbon (SIC) is important carbon reservoirs in desert ecosystems. However, little attention was paid to estimate carbon stock in these regions. In the present study, the distribution of SIC stock was investigated using digital soil mapping in Bikaner district, Rajasthan, India. A total of 187 soil profiles were used for SIC estimation by Quantile regression forest model. Landsat data, terrain attributes and bioclimatic variables were used as environmental variables. Ten-fold cross-validation was used to evaluate model. Equal-area quadratic splines were fitted to soil profile datasets to estimate SIC at six standard soil depths (0–5, 5–15, 15–30, 30–60, 60–100 and 100–200 cm). The SIC in the study area ranged from 0.27 to 27.85 g kg−1 in 0–5 cm and 0.31 to 27.84 g kg−1 in 5–15 cm, respectively. The model could capture reasonable variability (R2 = 11–21%) while predicting SIC for different depths. The Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient values ranged from 0.20 to 0.32, indicating poor relationship between the predicted and observed values. The values of prediction interval coverage probability (PICP) recorded 86.4–91.1% for SIC at different depths. Annual precipitation and precipitation seasonality were the most important covariates in soil below the 30 cm depth. The predicted SIC stocks were 10.3 ± 0.01, 81.6 ± 0.07 and 186.7 ± 0.13 Mg ha−1 at 0–15, 0–100 and 0–200 cm, depth, respectively. The uncertainty analysis suggests that there is room to improve the current spatial predictions of SIC. It is anticipated that this digital mapping of SIC will be useful for assessment of carbon cycle in arid regions.

Applicability of using portable luminescence reader for rapid age-assessments of dune accumulation in the Thar desert, India

Applicability of using portable luminescence reader for rapid age-assessments of dune accumulation in the Thar desert, India