Water quality of springs and lakes in the Kumaon Lesser Himalayan Region of Uttarakhand, India

The scarcity of drinking water has become a bitter reality in many countries. The gap between demand and supply of water has been increasing exponentially year by year. Deforestation, vigorous use of groundwater for agricultural practices, and pollution of our present water resources such as rivers, lakes, and wells are triggering the freshwater scarcity problem. Ninety percent of people in Uttarakhand depend on springs for their daily life activities. In such a case, the quality and quantity of spring water should be a prime topic to be focussed on. In the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, spring water quality is good but there is an issue with its availability, especially in summer. This review paper details the studies that have been conducted on nutrient status, hardness, heavy metals, and the presence of microbiological diversity in spring water. It also uncovers information on some critical springs, geological settings of their aquifers, and the steps that have been adopted to rejuvenate the spring. Some other measures have been carried out by the government and local communities for springs’ revival and their improvement in discharge rate, including the construction of percolation pits, contour trenches, check dams, and improvement of water resources. It has been observed among the analyzed sample that the Kumaon region is dominated by arsenic, cadmium, chromium, and lead, whereas aluminum, barium, cobalt, and manganese are more in the Garhwal region. Apart from springs, this review paper also reveals the physicochemical characteristics of the spring-fed rivers and lakes of the Kumaon region

The impact of irrigation with treated wastewaters on soil and kikuyu grass nutrient compositions

A lysimeter study was conducted for 1 year to examine how the source of wastewater for irrigation impacted soil physicochemical properties and kikuyu grass (Pennisetum clandestinum) nutrient composition. The wastewater used included treated wastewater produced by a membrane bioreactor (MBR) and intermittently decanted aerated lagoon (IDAL) treatment systems. No significant differences were observed between the treatments regarding total nitrogen and total phosphorus across the depths of the columns. However, highly significant differences were observed for Na content of the soils at various depths. Remarkable differences were recorded for soil exchangeable K and Na at different depths. In contrast, soil exchangeable Ca and Mg experienced no significant differences concerning the depth of the columns. For kikuyu grass, sodium contents of the grasses irrigated with MBR and IDAL treated wastewaters increased more than 200% and 100%, respectively, when compared with the grass irrigated with tap water. Over the period of monitoring considered in this study, there was no sign of excessive soil salinity/sodicity issues. The MBR treated wastewater has the potential to supply the grass with a constant dosage of valuable nutrients such as N and P without the requirement of using chemical fertilizers. This reduces the risk of contamination of receiving waters and groundwater and enhances the recycling of the nutrients in the wastewater to achieve a circular economy of nutrients

Impact of recycled water irrigation on soil salinity and its remediation

Continuous use of recycled water (treated wastewater) over a long period of time may lead to the accumulation of salt in the root zone of the soil. This is due to the relatively higher levels of salt contained in the recycled water compared to a town water supply. The increase in salt concentration in the soil can adversely influence the amount of water a plant can uptake from the soil due to the osmotic effect. Despite significant benefits, recycled water may deteriorate soil health in terms of increased salinity and sodicity. Although several studies in the past have highlighted the increase of soil salinity due to recycled water irrigation, the phenomenon depends on the variability of soil characteristics. In this study, the impact of using three different types of irrigation water (with electrical conductivity 0.2, 0.8, and 2.0 dS/m) on the mechanism of salt accumulation in the soil was investigated. To contribute to the addition of the existing knowledge of soil salinisation, soil from two paddocks (i.e., D33 and Yarramundi) in Western Sydney, Australia were analysed, and relationships among parameters associated with salt accumulation were evaluated using the results from continuous column studies. Results show that if the irrigation is conducted with high saline water, there is a possibility for salinisation of soil to occur. To prevent this from occurring, one of the solutions could be to use a normal town water supply for irrigation at some intervals. This will allow for the leaching of excess salt accumulated in the soil to deeper layers

Training young water professionals in leadership and transdisciplinary competencies for sustainable water management in India

Young water professionals (YWPs) have a critical role in ensuring how water resources will be managed to contribute towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. To address the challenges of climate change, population growth, and urbanization, YWPs require leadership skills, transdisciplinary competencies, technical knowledge, and practical experience. This article presents the India YWP training program, led by Western Sydney University and the Australia India Water Centre (AIWC), aimed at developing a cohort of skilled YWPs and nurturing the next generation of water leaders in support of India’s water reform agenda and the National Water Mission. The program engaged 20 YWPs, consisting of an equal gender representation, selected by the Ministry of Jal Shakti from various water management agencies and departments across India. The 11-month training program was designed to be transformative and interactive, and it used an online platform comprising online lectures, mentoring, and project-based learning facilitated by the AIWC team. The training methodology focused on engaged learning, incorporating online workshops, Situation Understanding and Improvement Projects (SUIPs), online group discussions, and mentoring. The SUIPs provided a platform for YWPs to work in pairs, receiving guidance from AIWC members, enabling them to develop practical skills and knowledge in realworld contexts. The program effectively enhanced participants’ capacities in project planning, design, implementation, and management, while fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills by adopting transdisciplinary approaches. Furthermore, participants demonstrated improved leadership, project management, time management, and communication skills. The training helped YWPs to equip them with a holistic perspective and stakeholder-focused mindset to address diverse water challenges from a holistic and long-term standpoint

On-site sanitation technologies for reuse

Wastewater is now being considered more as a resource rather than a waste. Technologies are now available to treat wastewater to acceptable standards for reuse. In small communities or industries, small decentralized wastewater treatment systems can be used to treat and reuse water for purposes such as irrigation, industrial reuse, groundwater recharge or even potable water augmentation. In this article, a description of some of the technologies that can be adopted by small communities is given. Decentralized wastewater management is also becoming popular in single homes where the householder is responsible for treatment and discharge of wastewater on the premises. Due to increased awareness even among lay people, technologies are now being used to treat and reuse domestic wastewater on-site for various purposes. In this article some of these technologies such as suspended growth aerated wastewater treatment systems (AWTS) and packed bed filters are described in detail. Irrigation, being the most common reuse option, techniques such as evapotranspiration, land treatment by drip irrigation and advanced FILTER techniques are also discussed

Impact of online quizzes on students' results in a blended learning system of an engineering subject

Due to rapid changes in the communication technologies, teaching and learning have changed dramatically over the last two decades. Nevertheless, the face-to-face (classroom-based) teaching remains one of the most predominant ways of imparting knowledge to students. On the other hand, different online activities are increasingly being used to supplement traditional face-to-face engagement. In this chapter, engagement strategies adopted while delivering Infrastructure Engineering (one of the civil engineering subjects) of the Bachelor of Engineering program offered at Western Sydney University (WSU) are presented. The subject includes mathematical calculations and completion of a design project using computer-aided design (CAD) software. In addition, students participate in an online in-class engagement tool and after-lecture weekly quizzes, tutorial sessions and a final exam. While some of the activities in the subject, such as in-class engagement tool and weekly quizzes, are online, tutorial sessions are delivered via face-to-face mode. It was found that the failure rate was significantly lower (17%–24%) for students who passed online quizzes compared to the failure rate (31%–63%) for students who failed in the quizzes. This indicates that online quizzes have led to deeper understanding of the lecture materials covered in the subject

Increasing Dairy Farm Productivity Through Stormwater Harvesting, Resource Recovery and Recycling. Progress Report 1: Selection and Preparation of Sites

This report documents the progress of the Increasing Dairy Farm Productivity Through Stormwater Harvesting, Resource Recovery and Recycling research project over the period between the project’s commencement on 20 November 2014 to 31 March 2015. It is the first of a series of three progress reports scheduled over the life of the project. The project has been initiated to trial a new approach to managing effluent and runoff from dairy sheds in a conventional two-pond treatment and storage system that is designed to improve handling of manure solids and control salt levels in recycled effluent, and in the process increase nutrient recovery rates. It involves retrofitting an existing pond system to enable the distribution to land of mixed pond sludge and effluent (slurry) from the primary pond via irrigation, and the harvesting of stormwater runoff in the secondary pond. The overall aim is to achieve greater farm productivity while protecting catchment water quality. The performance of the retrofit system is to be gauged through monitoring flows and constituents of fresh water, effluent, runoff, and sludge entering, within and leaving the ponds. Outputs of nutrients and pathogens to land are to be compared against outputs from a ‘control’ system – a two-pond system incorporating effluent recycling on a comparable dairy farm

Increasing Dairy Farm Productivity Through Stormwater Harvesting, Resource Recovery and Recycling. Progress Report 2: Site Preparation and Monitoring Set-up

This report is the second in a series of three progress reports for the Increasing Dairy Farm Productivity Through Stormwater Harvesting, Resource Recovery and Recycling research project. Covering the period from 1 April 2015 to 30 September 2015, it documents the activities undertaken in the second half of the first year of the project, which has a two-year lifespan. The project has been initiated to trial a new approach to managing effluent and runoff from dairy sheds in a conventional two-pond treatment and storage system that is designed to improve handling of manure solids and control salt levels in recycled effluent, and in the process increase nutrient recovery rates. It involves retrofitting an existing pond system to enable the distribution to land of a slurry mixture of pond sludge and effluent from the primary pond via irrigation, and the harvesting of stormwater runoff in the secondary pond. The overall aim is to achieve greater farm productivity while protecting catchment water quality. The performance of the retrofit system is to be gauged through monitoring flows and constituents of fresh water, effluent, runoff, and sludge entering, within and leaving the ponds. Outputs of nutrients and pathogens to land are to be compared against outputs from a ‘control’ system – a two-pond system incorporating effluent recycling on a comparable dairy farm

Comparison of energy consumption between the old and modern houses in Sydney

In Australia, traditional low thermal mass houses are being replaced by modern high thermal mass houses. At the same time, houses are becoming increasingly larger with fewer external open spaces. The larger houses, despite needing higher energy, must be more efficient to reduce the residential sector energy demand and emission burden of the nation. The residential sector is responsible for 25% of Australia’s total energy consumption [1]. A number of strategic approaches has been taken to improve energy performance of the residential sector including green building rating schemes and appliance efficiency and incentive programs. The introduction of the Building Sustainability Index in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, is one example [2]. Despite improvement in building energy efficiency, larger building sizes per family, extravagant lifestyles, and increased heat stress due to climate change have greatly influenced residential sector energy consumption. The cooling and heating loads comprise 40% of residential electric energy consumption. As such, significant reduction in energy consumption can be achieved by improving house designs, ventilation, and insulation [3]. Among the many methods of improving residential building energy performance [4], this chapter focuses on the impact of thermal mass on improved energy performance of residential buildings by comparing older and newer designs of buildings in Sydney, Australia

Online quizzes to increase student learning in an engineering unit

Due to rapid changes in the communication technologies, the teaching and learning has changed dramatically over the last two decades. The face-to-face (class room based) teaching remains one of the most predominant ways of imparting knowledge to students. On the other hand, different online activities are increasingly being used to supplement traditional face-to-face engagement. In this paper, engagement strategies adopted while delivering one of the civil engineering subjects (units) from Bachelor of Engineering program offered by Western Sydney University are presented. The engineering course includes mathematical manipulation and engineering software learning. In addition, students participate in online in-lecture engagement tool and quizzes, tutorial sessions, group assignments and final exams. While some of the activities in the course such as in-lecture engagement tool and weekly quizzes are online, tutorial sessions are delivered via face-to-face mode. It was found that failure rate was significantly less for students who passed in online quizzes. Thus indicating that online quizzes may lead to deeper understanding of the lecture materials covered under the unit investigated as part of this study