Publications

The influence of landslides (LS) on forest structure, composition, and functionality has gained limited scientific attention compared to socioeconomic aspects. This study aims to fill this gap by investigating the dynamics of pre- and post-LS occurrences in and around the Kali Tiger Reserve (KTR), Western Ghats. Our approach integrates multi-source, multi-temporal earth observation data, vegetation indices, field observations, and machine learning techniques. This study identified 245-LS caused due to a catastrophic rainfall event in July 2021 the most severe over a century that impacted the tropical dense forests. The present study highlights the emergence of invasive alien species (IAS), particularly Chromolaena odorata, following these landslide incidents. Field observations revealed a significant loss of large trees, which corroborated with the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) based Canopy Height Model (CHM) and very high-resolution (VHR) data. The affected areas witnessed a significant rise in land surface temperature (LST) and a decrease in vegetation moisture. A comparative analysis  with operational tree loss monitoring using optical (30-m Landsat based Global Forest Watch (GFW), and microwave (L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) JICA-JAXA (ALOS-2) Forest Early Warning System) revealed improved performance in mapping small landslides with current approach. These results emphasize the necessity of conducting local and large scale investigations of forest dynamics before and after landslides to meet environmental commitments at various levels. The landslide events will likely induce significant alterations in the forest's microclimate. Our research recommends an immediate action plan to restore affected sites, remove IAS, and encourage the planting of native vegetation for biodiversity conservation.

On May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay scaled the peaks of Mound Everest, becoming the first humans to do so. Since 2008, the day has been observed as International Everest Day to commemorate the event. It serves as an opportunity to inspire people to pursue their dreams. Mount Everest is to be known as Sagar-Matha (Sanskrit name). The significance of Mount Everest Day is to inspire people to achieve their dreams and to raise awareness about the importance of the environment. Climb your own personal Everest. Complete a task you have always wanted to accomplish.

This paper explores the potential of social media data to develop a complementary tool for monitoring and managing recreational angling and conserving megafish mahseer

Hazardous pollutants like Mercury (Hg) have emerged as a pressing challenge in recent times where the expanding industrial sector is regarded as the major source in developing country India. In this study, we are trying to identify all possible industrial sectors at district level to quantify Hg emission load across India for the year 2019 using IPCC methodology where the country-specific technological emission factors are used. We have included 5 major sectors out of which emission from coal combustion in thermal power plants accounts for 186.5 t/yr of Hg emission followed by non-ferrous metal production (88.3 t/yr), captive power plants (65.5 t/yr) and fly ash generation from various manufacturing industries (45.9 t/yr). A total of 459.4 t/yr of Hg is released into the ecosystem in 2019 with an uncertainty of ± 48%. This study also estimated that about 233 million people living in and around 10 km periphery of major industrial zones with as many as 17 million people residing near the 10 major hotspots are susceptible to hazardous Hg emissions directly or indirectly. This information would be quite useful in formulating future Hg emission control strategies in India.