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G. Resmi ¹, Santosh G. Thampi ¹, S. Chandrakaran ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Civil Engineering, NIT Calicut, Kerala - 673 601, IN

Abstract

Clay liners are widely used as barriers to arrest the migration of pollutants. These liners are subjected to leaching of various chemicals and hazardous wastes. Migration of heavy metals through the liner material may lead to changes in the soil properties and this, in turn, may affect the performance of liners. In this paper, the change in index and engineering properties of clayey soil due to migration of lead is presented. Pronounced changes in soil properties are noticed when the soil is contaminated with high concentrations of lead. The findings from the present study are important while designing liners in landfills used for containment of pollution due to heavy metals and hazardous wastes.

Keywords

Clay Liner, Heavy Metal Pollution, Barrier, Permeability, Strength, Consolidation.

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Anjana Bhagyanathan ¹, A. K. Kasthurba ¹, Santosh G. Thampi ², Deepak Dhayanithy ³

Affiliations
1 Department of Architecture, National Institute of Technology Calicut, Kozhikode, Kerala, IN
2 Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology Calicut, Kozhikode, Kerala, IN
3 Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode, Kerala, IN

Abstract

This paper examines the significance of conserving sacred groves in maintaining the resilience of urban systems. Peri-urban areas that house natural or semi natural ecosystems provide supporting, provisioning, regulating and cultural ecosystem services. The resilience of these systems has an immense impact on the adjacent urban and rural areas. The landscape of India is dotted with sacred groves, large and small. These are remnants of the original forest vegetation that were conserved through cultural practices of ancient nature worshipping societies. Cultural homogenization and the demand for real estate have caused the disappearance of sacred groves at an alarming rate. Within the metropolises of India, these sacred groves remain only as shrines, with no forest vegetation cover whatsoever. Peri-urban areas and rural areas support the remaining sacred groves. This study examines the geographical location of sacred groves with respect to topography generated stream network patterns. The general curvature of the sanctum of sacred groves was calculated. Sacred groves are located in regions where stream flow originates, or in head water regions. The curvature values of these locations indicate surface flow accumulation characteristics. Significance of head water accumulation regions in maintaining the overall health of the watershed is well understood. Thus, sacred groves in peri-urban and rural areas present a unique opportunity in maintaining the resilience of these systems. Systematic conservation of sacred groves will result in a network of accumulation areas under forest cover in urban areas. This study highlights the urgent need to document and map sacred groves, and make this available to policy makers and planners to support informed ecological planning decision-making.

Keywords

Peri-Urban Areas, Head Watershed, Accumulation Areas, Ecological Planning, Resilience, Sacred Groves, Urban Ecosystems.

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Anjana Bhagyanathan ¹, A. K. Kasthurba ¹, Santosh G. Thampi ², Deepak Dhayanithy ³

Affiliations
1 Department of Architecture, National Institute of Technology, Calicut 673 601, IN
2 Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Calicut 673 601, IN
3 Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode, Calicut 673 570, IN

Abstract

Sacred groves (SGs) are forest patches protected by indigenous communities due to their cultural beliefs and taboos. It is estimated that there are between 100,000 and 150,000 SGs in India. These are often relics of the original vegetation that covered the region before slash and burn agriculture became prevalent. The supportive role of SGs in species maintenance and ecological functions is well recognized and reviewed.

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