Publications

The predictions on the disaster scenarios in the Himalayan states have come true. We are now witnessing the consequences of human interventions that have contributed to the intensity of disasters, impacting the lives and livelihoods of the people.

Simultaneous charging and discharging operations of thermal energy storages render effective energy-harnessing features. However, it leads to thermocline formation due to the dynamic interplay between energy input, energy extraction, and losses. Reliable retention of good thermodynamic quality of energy is realized by minimizing the energy degradation and thermocline thickness. Near real-time tracking of heat content degradation is a tedious task for real-sized storage systems, which involves accurate quantification of the temporal evolution of thermocline thickness. A few simplified, one-dimensional energy-based models are available for tracking the movement of the thermocline layer inside the thermal energy storage tank. However, these models largely assume the thermocline layer to be a thin horizontal plane within the tank, without quantifying the thermocline thickness. In this study, a reduced-order realistic stratification (RS) model has been developed for the vertical cylindrical tank equipped with an immersed helical discharging coil, working under dual-dynamic mode. For evaluating the thermocline thickness, the prediction equations for the average temperatures in the upper and the lower regions of the tank are formed using a machine-learning-based technique, considering a reasonably wide range of operating and geometrical parameters. The developed model utilizes approximate formulations for the average temperatures of the upper and lower regions of fluid within the storage tank, coil outlet temperature, and the overall average temperature of working fluid. For the larger storage tank (155 L), the thermocline thickness predicted by the new RS model is 738.26 mm at the end of simultaneous charging and discharging operation, whereas that estimated by detailed numerical simulation is 798.12 mm. This improved model reduces the computational time by about 80 % owing to effective approximations and can be used for a reasonably accurate rapid assessment of thermal degradation in the storages deployed for low-temperature solar thermal applications, including domestic hot water systems.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, under Goal 6 (SDG 6), aims to ensure universal access to water and sanitation. SDG-6.1 focuses on achieving safe drinking water for all by 2030. India's Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) targets providing tap water to rural households by 2024. This article discusses a study on water demand and availability in seven villages in Ballari and Raichur districts, North Karnataka. It reveals heavy reliance on groundwater due to inadequate surface water. Only 14% of households meet JJM standards, with projected worsening scarcity. The authors recommended a revised Krishna (Almatti)–Pennar river interlinking project by 2030 to minimize environmental and social impact, which is crucial for North Karnataka's sustainable development.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development includes Goal 6 (SDG 6): ‘Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all’. SDG target 6.1 aims to achieve by 2030 ‘universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all’. The Government of India has also launched the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) to provide potable tap water to every rural household by 2024. In this context, this article explains the findings of a study to assess the domestic water demand and the availability of water in seven villages in the Ballari and Raichur districts in North Karnataka. This study indicates that groundwater is predominantly used for domestic purposes in these districts due to the lack of adequate and reliable surface water. Only 14% of households in the study area receive adequate water as per the JJM norms and this water stress is projected to worsen due to the increasing supply–demand mismatch in the future. The authors recommend the implementation of the revised configuration of the Krishna (Almatti)–Pennar river interlinking project by 2030 since this alignment is optimised to reduce project-related deforestation, people displacement, project duration and costs. This is critical for the sustainable development of North Karnataka.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, under Goal 6 (SDG 6), aims to ensure universal access to water and sanitation. SDG-6.1 focuses on achieving safe drinking water for all by 2030. India's Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) targets providing tap water to rural households by 2024. This article discusses a study on water demand and availability in seven villages in Ballari and Raichur districts, North Karnataka. It reveals heavy reliance on groundwater due to inadequate surface water. Only 14% of households meet JJM standards, with projected worsening scarcity. The authors recommended a revised Krishna (Almatti)–Pennar river interlinking project by 2030 to minimize environmental and social impact, which is crucial for North Karnataka's sustainable development.

A large-scale socio-cultural transition such as the ‘shift toward eCooking’ is a process (or a journey) rather than a destination. Apart from the business potential it offers, it would potentially create a large number of aware and educated citizens. Strengthening appliance and vessel manufacture would reinforce the country’s domestic MSME sector. Improved eCooking appliance safety culture would enhance manufacturers’ competitiveness (and also acceptability) globally. Academic training on energy efficiency, environmental benefits, nutritional benefits associated with eCooking, and hands-on training for appliance manufacturing, demonstration, servicing, and repairing, will lead to large capacity building in the country. The formation of efficient public relations channels would help improve the transparency of communication across the whole ecosystem encompassing industry, entrepreneurs, innovators, educators, policymakers, and consumers.

Methane (CH4) is one of the most abundant organic trace gases in the atmosphere having a strong global warming potential of 28 in 100 years, is a significant GHGs, and has a vital role in atmospheric chemistry and climate change. India is home to the largest number of livestock in the world and is responsible for higher methane emissions from enteric fermentation and manure management. In the present study, the methane emissions from Indian livestock, i.e., enteric fermentation, is estimated to be 11.63 Tg yr-1 in 2019 using IPCC methodology and recent census livestock activity data from the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Govt. of India, and corresponding country-specific revised emission factors. The CH4 emissions from livestock manure management system was found to be 1.11 Tg yr-1, resulting in 12.74 Tg yr-1 of CH4 emission from the Indian livestock sector. The district-level spatial CH4 emission pattern was developed to identify the potential emission hotspots across the country. Initial findings suggest that changing livestock population patterns plays an important role in governing methane emissions in rural India. The information generated could be important tools for policymakers to control methane emissions across the country.