Impact of Drought on Agriculture in the Indo-Gangetic Plain,India

In this study, we investigate the spatiotemporal characteristics of drought in India and its impact on agriculture during the summer season （April-September）. In the analysis, we use Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index （SPEI） datasets between 1982 and 2012 at the six-monthly timescale. Based on the criterion SPEI 〈 -1, we obtain a map of the number of occurrences of drought and find that the humid subtropical Upper Middle Gangetic Plain （UMGP） region is highly drought-prone, with an occurrence frequency of 40%-45%. This UMGP region contributes at least 18%-20% of India＇s annual cereal production. Not only the probability of drought, but the UMGP region has become increasingly drought-prone in recent decades. Moreover, cereal production in the UMGP region has experienced a gradual declining trend from 2000 onwards, which is consistent with the increase in drought-affected areas from 20%-25% to 50%-60%, before and after 2000, respectively. A higher correlation coefficient （-0.69） between the cereal production changes and drought-affected areas confirms that at least 50% of the agricultural （cereal） losses are associated with drought. While analyzing the individual impact of precipitation and surface temperature on SPEI at 6 month timescale [SPEI （6）] we find that, in the UMGP region, surface temperature plays the primary role in the lowering of the SPEI. The linkage is further confirmed by correlation analysis between SPEI （6） and surface temperature, which exhibits strong negative values in the UMGP region. Higher temperatures may have caused more evaporation and drying, which therefore increased the area affected by drought in recent decades.

Atmospheric particle-bound mercury in the northern Indo-Gangetic Plain region:Insights into sources from mercury isotope analysis and influencing factors

Lumbini is a world heritage site located in the southern plains region of Nepal, and is regarded as a potential site for evaluating transboundary air pollution due to its proximity to the border with India. In this study, 82 aerosol samples were collected between April 2013 and July 2014 to investigate the levels of particulate-bound mercury(PBM) and the corresponding seasonality, sources, and influencing factors.The PBM concentration in total suspended particulate(TSP) matter ranged from 6.8 pg m^(-3) to351.7 pg m^(-3)(mean of 99.7 ± 92.6 pg m^(-3)), which exceeded the ranges reported for remote and rural sites worldwide. The Hg content(PBM/TSP) ranged from 68.2 ng g^(-1) to 1744.8 ng g^(-1)(mean of 446.9 ±312.7 ng g^(-1)), indicating anthropogenic enrichment. The PBM levels were higher in the dry season(i.e.,winter and the pre-monsoon period) than in the wet season(i.e., the monsoon period). In addition, the δ^(202) Hg signature indicated that waste/coal burning and traffic were the major sources of Hg in Lumbini during the pre-monsoon period. Meanwhile, precipitation occurring during photochemical processes in the atmosphere may have been responsible for the observed Δ^(199) Hg values in the aerosol samples obtained during the monsoon period. The PBM concentration was influenced mostly by the resuspension of polluted dust during dry periods and crop residue burning during the post-monsoon period. The estimated PBM deposition flux at Lumbini was 15.7 lg m^(-2) yr^(-1). This study provides a reference dataset of atmospheric PBM over a year, which can be useful for understanding the geochemical cycling of Hg in this region of limited data.

Seasonal Variation of Potential Source Locations of Atmospheric Particulates over the Indo-Gangetic Plain of India

Ambient particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) concentrations were measured during two different seasons (summer and winter) at three different locations of Gurugram which is located in the Indo-Gangetic plain of India. The ambient concentrations of both PM2.5 and PM10 were higher during winter season (PM2.5: 261 μg·m-3;PM10: 440 μg·m-3) when compared to summer period (PM2.5: 114 μg·m-3;PM10: 202 μg·m-3). Potential Source Contribution Function (PSCF) analysis suggests significant seasonal variation in potential contributing locations of ambient PM2.5 over the study area. The PSCF analysis suggests that cross country transport of PM2.5 from Pakistan and Afghanistan significantly attributed to higher concentrations of PM2.5 at the study locations;whereas, PM2.5 emitted from locations in the south-western direction of the study sites attributed to the ambient PM2.5 concentrations at the study site during summer seasons. Further study is required to measure percentage contribution from different sectors and locations to the ambient particulate concentrations at the study site to develop sector specific mitigation plan.

Seasonal Inhomogeneity of Soot Particles over the Central Indo-Gangetic Plains,India:Influence of Meteorology

Black carbon（BC） particles play a unique and important role in earth’s climate system.BC was measured（in-situ） in the central part of the Indo-Gangetic Plains（IGP） at Varanasi,which is a highly populated and polluted region due to its topography and extensive emission sources.The annual mean BC mass concentration was 8.92 ± 7.0 μg m-3,with 34%of samples exceeding the average value.Seasonally,BC was highest during the post-monsoon and winter periods（approximately 18 μg m-3） and lower in the premonsoon/monsoon seasons（approximately 6 μg m-3）.The highest frequency（approximately 46%） observed for BC mass was in the interval from 5 to 10 μg m-3.However,during the post-monsoon season,the most common values（approximately 23%） were between 20 and 25 μg m-3.The nighttime concentrations of BC were approximately twice as much as the daytime values because of lower boundary layer heights at nighttime.The Angstrom exponent was significantly positively correlated（0.55） with ground-level BC concentrations,indicating the impact of BC on the columnar aerosol properties.The estimated mean absorption Angstrom exponent was 1.02 ± 0.08 μg m-3,indicating that the major source of BC was from fossil fuel combustion.Significant negative correlations between BC mass and meteorological parameters indicate a pronounced effect of atmospheric dynamics on the BC mass in this region.The highest mean BC mass concentration（18.1 ± 6.9 μg m-3） as a function of wind speed was under calm wind conditions（38%of the time）.

Identification of aeolian loess deposits on the Indo-Gangetic Plain(India)and their significance

Aeolian loess deposits contain abundant information about the evolution of the paleoenvironment.For example,paleoclimate changes recorded in Chinese loess area obtained significant achievement in the past few decades.Compared to Chinese loess,research on Indian loess is lacking.Currently,most studies focus on the Kashmir area located in the southern Himalayas,and studies on other areas are rare.However,field observations demonstrate that the sediments around the New Delhi-Agra-Jaipur Plain are similar to Chinese loess-paleosol sequences.For example,the boundary between two strata is transitional and without horizontal bedding.Moreover,obvious pedogenic horizons developed among sediment sequences,probably indicating unrecognised aeolian deposits in the Indo-Gangetic Plain(IGP).To confirm this,pilot samples were obtained from the IGP and detailed indoor measurements conducted.The results indicate that the distribution patterns of particle size and rare earth elements(REE) of the pilot samples are similar to Chinese loess.Furthermore,the scanning electronic microscopy(SEM) images of pilot samples show obvious conchoidal fractures,dash-shaped concavities,and abundant small pits that usually form through mechanical impact.These are typical characteristics of aeolian particles.In addition,environmental and rock magnetic measurements indicate that the dominant magnetic minerals in the pilot samples are magnetite and maghemite,and that they likely contain small amounts of hematite.Furthermore,conventional magnetic parameters are comparable with Chinese loess.Based on this,aeolian loess deposits are widely distributed in the IGP,which may have promoted the development of Indian farming and contributed towards the prosperity of ancient Indian civilisation.This study also provides a new and valuable record for the research on paleoclimate changes in the study area in the future.

Concentration,sources and wet deposition of dissolved nitrogen and organic carbon in the Northern Indo-Gangetic Plain during monsoon

Precipitation represents an important phenomenon for carbon and nitrogen deposition.Here,the concentrations and fluxes of dissolved organic carbon(DOC)and total dissolved nitrogen(TDN)with their potential sources were analyzed in wet precipitation during summer monsoon from the Northern Indo-Gangetic Plain(IGP),important but neglected area.The volume-weighted mean(VWM)concentration of DOC and TDN were 687.04 and 1210.23μg/L,respectively.Similarly,the VWM concentration of major ions were in a sequence of NH_(4)^(+)>Ca^(2+)>SO_(4)^(2-)>Na^(+)>K^(+)>NO_(3)~->Cl~->Mg^(2+)>F~->NO_(2)~-,suggesting NH_(4)^(+)and Ca^(2+)from agricultural activities and crustal dust played a vital role in precipitation chemistry.Moreover,the wet deposition flux of DOC and TDN were 9.95 and 17.06 kg/(ha year),respectively.The wet deposition flux of inorganic nitrogen species such as NH_(4)^(+)-N and NO_(3)^(-)-N were 14.31 and 0.47 kg/(ha year),respectively,demonstrating the strong influence of emission sources and precipitation volume.Source attribution from different analysis suggested the influence of biomass burning on DOC and anthropogenic activities(agriculture,animal husbandry)on nitrogenous species.The air-mass back trajectory analysis indicated the influence of air masses originating from the Bay of Bengal,which possibly carried marine and anthropogenic pollutants along with the biomass burning emissions to the sampling site.This study bridges the data gap in the less studied part of the northern IGP region and provides new information for policy makers to deal with pollution control.

Remote sensing and census based assessment and scope for improvement of rice and wheat water productivity in the Indo-Gangetic Basin

Understanding of crop water productivity (WP) over large scale, e.g., river basin, has significant impli-cations for sustainable basin development planning. This paper presents a simplified approach to combine remote sensing, census and weather data to analyze basin rice and wheat WP in Indo-Gangetic River Basin, South Asia. A crop dominance map is synthesized from ground truth data and three existing LULC maps. National statistics on crop area and production information are collected and the yield is interpolated to pixel level using moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Crop evapotranspiration is mapped using simplified surface energy balance (SSEB) model with MODIS land surface temperature products and meteorological data collected from 56 weather stations. The average ET by rice and wheat is 368 mm and 210 mm respectively, accounting for only 69% and 65% of potential ET, and 67% and 338% of rainfall of the crop growth period measured from Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission (TRMM). Average WP for rice and wheat is 0.84 and 1.36 kg/m3 respectively. WP variability generally follows the same trend as shown by crop yield disregarding climate and topography changes. Sum of rice-wheat water productivity, however, exhibits different variability leading to better understanding of irrigation water management as wheat heavily relies on irrigation. Causes for variations and scope for improvement are also analyzed.

Arsenic contamination of groundwater:A global synopsis with focus on the Indian Peninsula

More than 2.5 billion people on the globe rely on groundwater for drinking and providing high-quality drinking water has become one of the major challenges of human society.Although groundwater is considered as safe,high concentrations of heavy metals like arsenic(As)can pose potential human health concerns and hazards.In this paper,we present an overview of the current scenario of arsenic contamination of groundwater in various countries across the globe with an emphasis on the Indian Peninsula.With several newly affected regions reported during the last decade,a significant increase has been observed in the global scenario of arsenic contamination.It is estimated that nearly 108 countries are affected by arsenic contamination in groundwater with concentration beyond maximum permissible limit of 10 ppb recommended by the World Health Organization.The highest among these are from Asia(32)and Europe(31),followed by regions like Africa(20),North America(11),South America(9)and Australia(4).More than 230 million people worldwide,which include 180 million from Asia,are at risk of arsenic poisoning.Southeast Asian countries,Bangladesh,India,Pakistan,China,Nepal,Vietnam,Burma,Thailand and Cambodia,are the most affected.In India,20 states and 4 Union Territories have so far been affected by arsenic contamination in groundwater.An attempt to evaluate the correlation between arsenic poisoning and aquifer type shows that the groundwater extracted from unconsolidated sedimentary aquifers,particularly those which are located within the younger orogenic belts of the world,are the worst affected.More than 90%of arsenic pollution is inferred to be geogenic.We infer that alluvial sediments are the major source for arsenic contamination in groundwater and we postulate a strong relation with plate tectonic processes,mountain building,erosion and sedimentation.Prolonged consumption of arsenic-contaminated groundwater results in severe health issues like skin,lung,kidney and bladder cancer;coronary heart disease;bronchiectasis;hyperkeratosis and arsenicosis.Since the major source of arsenic in groundwater is of geogenic origin,the extend of pollution is complexly linked with aquifer geometry and aquifer properties of a region.Therefore,remedial measures are to be designed based on the source mineral,climatological and hydrogeological scenario of the affected region.The corrective measures available include removing arsenic from groundwater using filters,exploring deeper or alternative aquifers,treatment of the aquifer itself,dilution method by artificial recharge to groundwater,conjunctive use,and installation of nano-filter,among other procedures.The vast majority of people affected by arsenic contamination in the Asian countries are the poor who live in rural areas and are not aware of the arsenic poisoning and treatment protocols.Therefore,creating awareness and providing proper medical care to these people remain as a great challenge.Very few policy actions have been taken at international level over the past decade to reduce arsenic contamination in drinking water,with the goal of preventing toxic impacts on human health.We recommend that that United Nations Environment Programme(UNEP)and WHO should take stock of the global arsenic poisoning situation and launch a global drive to create awareness among people/medical professionals/health workers/administrators on this global concern.

Impact of sole and combined application of biochar,organic and chemical fertilizers on wheat crop yield and water productivity in a dry tropical agro-ecosystem

Agriculture under changing climate scenario is facing major challenges of water scarcity and resource imbalances.Crop water productivity(WP)may act as an indicator of crop responses to water limitation.Organic amendments such as biochar and manure application to soil are suggested for improving soil quality and reducing water requirements from agricultural sector.However,studies exploring the impact of biochar as sole or in combination with organic and/or chemical fertilizers on WP in dry tropical agro-ecosystems are limited.In this study,we observed the effect of rice-husk ash(RHA,biochar)along with farm-yard manure(FYM)and chemical fertilizers(CF)under varying water conditions on soil hydro-physical properties,yield and WP of wheat crop.Water-filled pore space(WFPS),grain and straw yield,irrigation and total water productivity varied significantly(at P<0.001)at treatment level.Grain and straw yield were found higher under sole and combined CF applied treatments.Sole and combined RHA and FYM amendment improved water holding capacity(WHC)and WFPS,whereas a decrease in crop yield was observed as compared to the control.Irrigation and total water productivity were found higher under combined RHA+FYM and sole CF treatments with reduced water supply(except sole CF)as compared to control and sole RHA treatments with full water irrigation.Crop water productivity was found positively correlated with grain and straw yields,however,significant correlations were not observed with WHC and WFPS.Results indicate that increasing soil hydro-physical properties in silty-loam soil may hinder crop yield and WP under sole biochar applied soils.Overall,the implications of the study would help in devising agro-management practices based on combined application of RHA and FYM with reduced chemical fertilizer and water inputs to mitigate the impacts of climate change without compromising crop yield in the highly vulnerable dry tropical agro-ecosystem of India.Moreover,long-term studies are needed in these ecosystems to identify the appropriate agricultural package for mitigating the forthcoming water scarcity conditions.

Characteristics of fog in relation to tropical cyclone intensity: A case study for IGI airport New Delhi

Widespread catastrophic fog episodes in polluted northern India have been attributed to tropical cyclone activity in the Bay of Bengal&Arabian Sea;however,limited studies have been conducted on the effect of tropical cyclone intensity(’T’Numbers)on different fog characteristics in Indo Gangetic Basin,Northern India.In this study,different characteristics,including persistence,intensity,and areal extension,were analyzed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport,New Delhi during 1998-99,2013-14,and 2016-17.A high-intensity tropical cyclone(Severe to Very Severe Cyclonic Storm)has been found to significantly increase the persistence,intensity,and areal extension of fog by inducing strong subsidence over the IGI Airport/Indo-Gangetic Basin.This knowledge is vital for improving the short-term forecasting of fog in the IndoGangetic Basin of Northern India and will further support the Government agencies to take preventive safety measures and planning well in advance time.