Hydrology
is defined as the science that deals with
global water (both liquid and solid), its
properties, circulation, and distribution,
on and under the Earth’s surface and
in the atmosphere, from the moment of its
precipitation until it is returned to the
atmosphere through Evapo-transpiration or
is discharged into the ocean. (Jackson,
1997) The word hydrology is derived from
the Greek words hydro, which means water,
and logos, which means science. So in layman’s
term hydrology is defined as the study of
water in all forms.
For the last two decades the river basin
approach has become not only the focus of
hydrological investigations but also to
understand and integrate other natural resources
and human interventions with the management
of water resources.
Thematic Objective:
The broad objective of
the hydrology group of Baitarani River Basin
Study Team is to have a comprehensive hydrological
appraisal of the basin and to explore interlinks
between hydrologic, socio-economic and environmental
aspects of water management at multiple
scale. Among others, the hydrological works
will focus on the following four aspects:
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- Water balance of the
entire basin
- Water quality aspect
(Both SW and GW)
- Flood prone zones, frequency
and hazards
- Water logging and salinity
hazards
As part of comprehensive
hydrological appraisal, the group proposes
to take up the following studies in the
basin
- Drought analysis
- Flood frequency analysis
- Seasonal variation in
surface water flow and Groundwater fluctuation
- Appraisal of geo- hydrological
condition of the basin for artificial
groundwater recharge
- Overall water demand
of the basin at various seasons and
water available at that particular season
- In- situ rainwater management
options
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Methodology:
The methodology involves secondary review
of similar and on-site projects in other
basins in India and abroad, collected primarily
through web-search and peer reference. For
comprehensive hydrological appraisal of
basin, tools like case studies within the
basin, web search, various government and
non-govt publications (district gazetteers,
statistical handbooks, department reports
etc.) etc. will be reviewed. It would be
followed up with rigorous analysis and peer
review to identify critical issues and locations
in the basin for primary intensive investigation.
Primary data acquisition from the field
will be taken up through field visits and
measurements, interaction with people and
collections of samples for analysis.
These works will be carried
out in following five phases:
- Inception phase
(Round table discussion with local contributing
stakeholders – peer groups and
inception workshop)
- Secondary data
collection and analysis (Desk
Study i.e. secondary literature, government
publications, district gazetteers and
web search)
- Development of
study methodology and planning for Primary
Survey (preparation of detail
work plan).
- Primary data collection
(field survey)
- Data processing,
problem analysis, approach planning
and final reporting (communication
with the stake holders).
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Research
Questions:
These are some critical questions which
arise out of the study till today.
- Why the pH is declining over the
years?
- Is it due to increasing acid
leachates from mining and industries?
- Is it due to low flow in the
river?
- Why according to CPCB the desired
class is C?
- does the surface water of Baitarani
come under class C since the birth
of the river?
- If not when and why it came under
class C?
- Is it due to heavy mining activities/
industrial interventions?
- Is any sort of measure being taken
to maintain the pH of the Baitarani
river water? Or the responsibility of
the govt. has been limited up to the
sampling and measurements of different
parameters only?
- Why all of sudden the BOD value which
was beyond permissible value for a long
period changed?
- Is there any external or internal
factor that affected the sudden change
of BOD?
- Why did with in just four years the
quality of water deteriorated to class
C from class A.
- Is it due to heavy industrial
interventions?
- Is it due careless use and treatment
of river water?
- Is it due to growth of population
which directly adds feacal matter
to the river water?
- Since Baitarani is a religious
river, does the water quality deteriorate
due to heavy human ablution on various
festive occasions?
- Is it due to low flow of Baitarani
which affects the dilution of human
excreta and other waste matters?
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Emergence
of critical issues:
As the River Basin study looks holistically
at different and cross-cutting aspects of
basin resources and its management, hydrology
group will also tries to address strategic
and emerging cross thematic issues. And
to further exploration and analysis in that
direction, it is proposing linkages with
R & D Organizations and interested Researchers
to initiate action research initiatives
in desired directions.
Some of such critical cross-thematic
studies which are emerging or catching our
imagination at this moment as per the available
information and trends are
Cross-cutting questions:
- Effect of Manganese on criminal behavior
of the local community.
- Impact of hexa-chrome on health and
livelihood.
- Impact of environmental flow on fishery
and self- cleaning of the river.
- Change of land use pattern and its
effect on local hydrology.
- Interaction of mining activities
with qualitative and quantitative aspects
of water
-
Dr. Natabar Rout
-
Mr.
Padma Keshari Sahoo.
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