Solar Thermal Energy Generation Potential in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu States, India

Government of India has come out with an ambitious target of 100 GW of using solar energy alone by the year 2022. To reach this target, innovative ideas are required to use the solar energy more effectively. For solar electricity generation, mainly two types of technologies are presently in use, namely, solar PV and solar thermal. Being a tropical country, India has large solar PV and solar thermal energy. More research is required on economic aspects to make the solar thermal competitive to solar PV. Towards this direction, in our present study we have simulated a solar thermal power plant using Parabolic Trough Collector (PTC) technology and normalized with 1 MW solar thermal power plant at Gurgaon near New Delhi. Through simulation, we have extended our study and computed the electricity generation possible at different locations of India. For this purpose with 1? × 1?spacing, computations have been carried out at 296 locations. The work is further extended for more detailed study at two representative states, namely, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. In these two states, closer data points with 0.25? × 0.25? spacing have been considered at 273 locations for Gujarat and 197 locations for Tamil Nadu. Our results indicate a large potential of electricity generation using solar thermal energy in southern states of India, namely, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, southern and western part of Andhra Pradesh and eastern part of Maharashtra. Good potential has also been observed in eastern parts of Gujarat and parts of Madhya Pradesh and eastern part of Rajasthan. The annual potential ranges from 1800 MWh to as much as 2600 MWh. Major parts of northern states, for example Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir have medium range potential. Here, the annual potential ranges from 1000 to 1500 MWh. Poor range of potential is observed towards eastern parts of India and north eastern states. Here, the electricity generation potential ranges from 600 to 1200 MWh. Our results are useful to solar thermal developer and decision managers.

Laboratory Capacity for Surveillance of Infectious Diseases in Gujarat: Quantity, Quality, Effects and Way Forward

Background: India carries one of the largest burdens of infectious diseases in the world. To estimate this, laboratory confirmation is vital. We estimated the lab capacity and effectiveness in the state of Gujarat for Enteric Fever, Infectious Hepatitis, and Dengue. Methods: We estimated the number of labs in the state through telephonic surveys and physical screening of a representative sample of labs. We created four levels of tests, Level-0 being no test and 3 being the best confirmatory test available in the state. For the profusion of rapid diagnostic test kits (RDTKs), we constructed Effective Diagnostic Scores (EDS) calculated from their sensitivity and specificity at disease prevalences specified in the literature. Tests with EDS > 0.51 were level-2 tests, and EDS Results: Our analysis showed that there are 4293 labs in the state (1765 public and 2528 private), 7/100,000 population. However, only 2878 labs contributed to a total pooled Effective Lab Diagnostic Score (ELDS) of 6776 in the state. Strikingly, 94% of the lab effectiveness lay in RDTs (level-2 and 1 tests) which are essentially screening tests. Ninety-six percent of the overall lab effectiveness of Gujarat existed in private and only 4% in public labs. Contrarily, the level-3 confirmatory testing effectiveness, through ELISA and culture constituted only 4% of private and 36% of public lab effectiveness. More than half of the private lab effectiveness was located in eight Tier 1 cities. Level-3 confirmatory testing effectiveness was present only in Tier 1 and 2 towns. Hepatitis B testing contributed 34% of the total ELDS, followed by Dengue (30%), Enteric Fever (26%) and Hepatitis A and E (10%). Conclusion: Our study has established that the capacity and effectiveness of the lab network in Gujarat lie predominantly in RDTKs. We need to adapt our systems to capture this data in a manner that will allow us to monitor the burdens of these diseases.

Solar Energy Generation Potential Estimation in India and Gujarat, Andhra, Telangana States

It is well known that the rampant increase for the demand of electricity and rapid depletion of the fossil fuels has called for immediate response in the direction of energy sufficiency. To accomplish this, one of the important tasks is to identify the locations of high potential for renewable energy generation. It is a well-established fact that solar energy proved to be the most sought after source for energy generation. Although, solar energy potential maps of India have been prepared based on solar irradiation maps in the earlier studies, the present research study has been carried out with a focused attention directly on solar energy generation considering various parameters. In this work it is shown that solar energy generation does not depend on solar radiation alone at a location. Instead, there are various other factors that influence the energy generation. Some of them are ambient temperature, wind velocity and other parameters like weather and topographic conditions. In this study the locations with high and low solar energy generation potential in India have been identified through systematic analysis by computing the solar energy parameters at every grid point (1°× 1°). The work has been extended with more detailed study for Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and the newly formed Telangana states. The data points considered for the states are 0.25°× 0.25°having resulted in adding more number of locations. Our results indicate that the total annual energy generation in India varies from 510,000 KWH to 800,000 KWH per acre of land. The least energy generation location pertains to the eastern parts of Arunachal Pradesh and eastern part of Assam and the highest annual solar energy generation has been identified in the eastern parts of Jammu & Kashmir and eastern part of Uttarakhand.

Basement Configuration from Magnetotelluric Studies in Bhuj Earthquake Epicentral Zone, Gujarat, India

A wide band (1000 - 0.001 Hz) magnetotelluric study has been taken up in the Bhuj earthquake epicentral zone and 21 sites have been occupied along three profiles during March-April 2001 to understand the deep structure of the region. In addition the region surrounding Bhuj has been probed earlier with number of MT profiles and the subsurface structure is well constrained from hydrocarbon exploration point of view besides seismotectonic studies. In the present study, the results obtained along 130 km long profile from Mundra to Rapar oriented in NE-SW direction passing through the epicenter are presented considering these two databases. The subsurface structure has shown interesting correlation with the surface deformations, a new basement configuration and associated seismotectonics of the region. Our main result is relating the basement configuration and surface ruptures.

New distribution record of Cyathus stercoreus(Schwein.)De Toni(Nidulariaceae)for India from Gujarat state

Cyathus stercoreus(Schwein.)De Toni(Nidulariaceae)was collected from Shoolpaneshwar Wildlife Sanctuary from the Narmada districts of Gujarat state,India.Present study reports C.stercoreus as a new distribution record from the Gujarat state.It was identified by using morphological features and further confirmation was carried out by using molecular methods with its DNA barcoding.Nucleotide sequence is submitted into NCBI and molecular data are submitted into BOLD data system for DNA barcoding.

Fishery Resources in Arid Zone Mangroves in Gulf of Kachchh, Gujarat, Northwest Coast of India

The finfish and shellfish resources were assessed quantitatively and qualitatively in regard to their abundance in creek waters at three sites within a period of two years, from January 1999 to December 2000, in the western mangrove areas of Kachchh. The catch rate varied from 0.69 to 6.99 kg h-1. It was low during monsoon (July to October), which could be due to the freshwater-flow-induced salinity reduction in all the sites. Among 38 species recorded, 5 were shellfish and 33 were finfish. The spawning period of fishes was found to be during summer and early monsoon period (May to August). Surface water temperatures varied from 17 ℃ to 37 ℃. Salinity values varied from 34 to 44 and the pH ranged between 7 and 8.9. Variation in dissolved oxygen content was from 3.42 to 5.85 mL L-1. The high fishery densities in these semi arid mangrove creek areas were recorded during monsoon and early winter season.

Phytochemical analysis and antifungal activity of selected seaweeds from Okha coast,Gujarat,India

Objective:To deal with the assessment of the chemical composition of carbohydrate,protein,phenol,flavanoid,chlorophyll,and carotenoid and antifungal activity of various marine seaweeds collected from Okha coast,Gujarat during September,2013.Methods:Biochemical compounds of selected seaweeds were quantified and antifungal activity of these species belonging to red,green,and brown seaweeds was explored and the seaweeds were extracted in acetone,ethanol and chloroform.Results:The carbohydrate content was highest inCystoseira indica Mairh,protein was highest inGracilaria corticataJ.Agardh and phenol content was highest inPadina boergesenii;flavanoid content was found greater inCystoseira indica,chlorophyll content was found greater inMonostroma latissimum Wittrock and carotenoid content was more inDictyopteris acrostichoides Bornet.The highest inhibiting effect was noted forSargassum tenerrimum J.Agardh andTurbinaria ornata J.Agardh belonging to brown algae,againstAspergillus niger andPenicillium janthinellum in chloroform extracts and ethanolic extracts,which caused opportunistic infection ofHIV-infected person,lung disease,aspergillosis,and otomycosis(fungal ear infections).Conclusions:The study reveals that the seaweeds contain high amount of biochemical constituents.Besides,the crude extracts of the seaweeds showed promising activity against the tested fungal pathogens.Therefore,seaweeds collected from Okha coast,Gujarat region are biochemical compounds with potential capacity which make them useful for screening natural products for pharmaceutical industry.

2001年1月26日印度古吉拉特邦7.8级地震综述

20 0 1年 1月 2 6日印度古吉拉特邦发生 7.8级地震 ,造成生命和财产的严重损失 ,这是该地区历史上发生的第二次大地震 ,引起国际社会的普遍关注。本文综述了这次地震的情况 ,内容包括 :震源参数、发震背景、震灾情况、救援情况、地震造成的社会和经济影响以及值得思考的几个问题。

“空间技术揭示的古吉拉特地震的地球系统过程”国际研讨会

“空间技术揭示的古吉拉特地震的地球系统过程”国际研讨会于 2 0 0 3年 1月 2 7～ 2 9日在印度坎普尔举行。来自印度、美国、中国、德国和俄罗斯约 80位专家参加了该研讨会。会议收到约 70篇研究报告。文章介绍了会议概况、学术报告和专题辩论的情况。

Drinking Water Quality Surveillance in a Vulnerable Urban Ward of Ahmedabad

The World Bank estimates that 21% of all communicable diseases in India are related to unsafe water with diarrhoea alone causing more than 0.1 million deaths annually. The WHO drinking water surveillance parameters of quality, quantity, accessibility, affordability and continuity were assessed in one vulnerable ward of Ahmedabad—a fast growing city in Western India. Interviews with key informants of the ward office, health centre and water supply department, secondary analysis and mapping of field test reports and a questionnaire-based survey of different household types were conducted. We found that Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) supplies water to the ward intermittently for two hours during the day. Housing society clusters supplement their AMC water supply with untested bore-well water. The water quality surveillance system is designed for a twenty-four-hour piped distribution of treated surface water. However, in order to maintain surveillance over an intermittent supply that includes ground water, the sampling process should include periodic surveys of water actually consumed by the citizens. The laboratory capacity of the Central Water Testing Laboratory should expand to include more refined tests for microbial and chemical contamination.

阿什温尼库玛火葬场,苏拉特,古吉拉特邦,印度

建筑虽然火葬场没有典型形式,但是这座火葬场以展馆似的建筑物形态突显出来,屹立在城市边界外的空地上。然而,在当今的大多数城市中,这类场地已经被城市的发展所吞没,使得这座展馆失去了其象征意义。阿什温尼库玛火葬场位于苏拉特——印度西部的一个大城市——的塔皮河畔。苏拉特位于西部的古吉拉特邦,是钻石和纺织业贸易繁忙的商业中心。

Petrographical and geochemical signatures of Jurassic rocks of Chari Formation, Western India： implications for provenance and tectonic setting

The sandstones of the Ridge and Athleta members of Chari Formation(Callovian-Oxfordian)exposed at Jara have been analyzed for their petrographical and geochemical studies. Texturally, these sandstones are medium to coarse grained, poorly to well sorted, sub-angular to sub-rounded, and show low to medium sphericity.These sandstones were derived from a mixed provenance including granites, granite-gneisses, low and high-grade metamorphic, and some basic rocks of Aravalli range and Nagarparkar massif. The petrofacies analysis reveals that these sandstones belong to the continental block and recycled orogen tectonic regime. The studied sandstones are modified by paleoclimate, distance of transport, and diagenesis. Mineralogically and geochemically, sandstones are classified as quartzarenite, subarkose, arkose, sublithic arenite, and wacke, respectively. The A-CN-K ternary plot and CIA, CIW, PIA, and ICV values suggest that the similar source rocks suffered moderate to high chemical weathering under a hot-humid climate in an acidic environment with higher PCO_2. Generally good to strong correlations between Al_2O3 and other oxides in these sediments indicate clay mineral control. The K_2O/Na_2O versus SiO_2 diagram indicates that the studied samples occupy passive margin fields but the SiO_2/Al_2O_3 versus K_2O/Na_2O plot suggests that the Athleta Sandstone and Ridge Sandstone fall within the passive margin field, while Ridge Shale falls within the active continental margin field.

Cenozoic flora of western India and its significance in palaeoclimatic and palaeophytogeographic interpretation

The Cenozoic flora of western India(Rajasthan and Gujarat) is adversely affected by the tectonic activity such as collision of the Indian subcontinent with the Eurasian plate which is responsible for the Himalayan and Tibetan Plateau uplift. This collision and its resultants affected the ubiquitous tropical lowland vegetation of the Indian subcontinent(including western India) and are responsible for different types of topographic regions as seen today in the Indian subcontinent. The region is important as it has witnessed a drastic change in climate of the region since the Cenozoic time and also provided opportunities to the western and eastern flora to intermingle. The main basins in western India comprising Cenozoic sequences are: Bikaner-Nagaur, Jaisalmer and Barmer in Rajasthan and Kachchh, Mainland and Saurashtra in Gujarat. These basins are very rich in lignite which is the main source of electric power generation in western India. This lignite is mainly of Eocene in age. The Cenozoic flora of western India was almost tropical growing in well drained areas as compared to arid to sub-humid regions with xeric vegetation today. The reported fossils are represented by leaves, woods, fruits and seeds. The leaves are abundant in the Palaeogene as compared to the Neogene. The Neogene period can be marked by the abundant legumes and dipterocarpaceous remains. The important families viz., Anacardiaceae, Annonaceae, Arecaceae, Calophyllaceae, Clusiaceae, Combretaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Flacourtiaceae, Icacinaceae, Lauraceae, Lythraceae, Meliaceae, Moraceae, Myrtaceae, Pandanaceae and Sonneratiaceae have been reported from the Palaeogene sediments, whereas Anacardiaceae, Araucariaceae, Arecaceae, Combretaceae, Dipterocarpaceae, Fabaceae, Lauraceae, Lecythidaceae, Lythraceae, Malvaceae, Meliaceae, Moraceae, Podocarpaceae, Rhamnaceae, Rhizophoraceae, Rutaceae, Sapindaceae and Sonneratiaceae are known from the Neogene sediments. All the recovered elements strongly indicate the presence of much better climatic conditions in the region during the Cenozoic as compared to the present. More importantly, a fossil fruit of Cocos L. described from the Eocene sediments of Rajasthan further indicates the presence of sea in the nearby area at the time of deposition of the sediments. The recovery of a few African elements from western India provides the evidence of establishment of land connections between India and Africa up to the Plio-Pleistocene through which these elements could enter the Indian subcontinent.