018910   Singh V S (Statistics Dep, H.N.B. Garhwal Univ, S.R.T. Campus, Badahithaul, Tehri Garhwal) : Comparative study of migration differentials. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 174-82.

In this paper, an attempt is made to describe the comparative study to examine whether the pattern of out-migration in different groups of the society is still similar or there has been some shift in the pattern in recent years. For this purpose, we have used data collected in two surveys namely 1978 and 1990. It is to be found that in recent years the situation has remained almost similar with few changes.

6 tables, 28 ref

018909   Singh K P;Chinglianmawi M (Geography Dep, Manipur Univ, Canchipur) : Prospect of urban land use in Churachandpur town. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 127-36.

Urban sprawl is a worldwide phenomenon. In developed countries 3,000 sq. km area of agricultural land are covered every year by urban growth. In India, 180,000 sq. km (5.5% of the total area) is under and other non-agricultural uses (Citizens Report, 1982). Growth of town has a great bearing on physical expansion and population growth of any region. It is the process of transformation of both productive and unproductive land for residential, commercial and other purposes. The present study is mainly focused on the land use/ land cover changes due to population pressure in the Churachandpur town.

3 tables, 23 ref

018908   Singh A;Singh B N (Geography Dep, Banaras Hindu Univ, Varanasi-221 005) : Southwest monsoon and its impact on kharif crop production: a case study of eastern Uttar Pradesh. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 41-6.

Water, in all its forms plays a fundamental role in growth and production of all the crops. The success of Indian agriculture is highly dependent on the monsoon rainfall. More than 85 percent of the annual rainfall occurs in rainy season of the study area. In this way rainfall constitutes almost all the water supply to the area and significant proportion of it is stored in the forms of soil moisture. It is establish fact that vegetation reaches its fullest development where conditions of moisture as well as heat are most favourable. The drastic feature of southwest monsoon is bulk of rainfall with high temperature and humidity, which makes a favourable condition for the production of Kharif crops. At many occasions, the region suffers from delay in monsoon with high rainfall variability in reference to space and time both mainly responsible for decrease in crop production. In this paper an attempt has been made to analyse and find out the relationship between the southwest monsoon rainfall and production of Kharif crops in Eastern Utter Pradesh using linear regression analysis. Although, with increase in artificial means of irrigation, farmers are now in a position to save their Kharif crops to some extent only. Overall the analysis shows a high positive correlation between south-west Monsoon and Kharif production in study region.

4 illus, 2 tables, 11 ref

018907   Siddiqui A R;Chaudhary A (Geography Dep, Allahabad Univ, Allahabad) : Measuring desertification risk through water table heterogeneity in Churu district of western Rajasthan. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 21-4.

The district Churu usually witnesses low and erratic rainfall with a very few exceptional years of heavy rainfall. Water demand in desert is mainly met from ground water resource. Unconsolidated or Semi-consolidated aquifers are potential sources of water in the arid lands of western Rajasthan. The study area is a typical representative of semi-arid to arid climatic conditions. The temperature variation in the district is extreme throughout the year. The area also lacking any established river system. However, an ephemeral river, Kantly, emerging from the hills of Khandela, enters in the district during heavy rainy season from extreme southern end of Rajgarh tehsil. Ground water exploitation without adequate recharge has affected desert ecosystem. The present paper is an attempt to investigate the spatial depth heterogeneity which leads to vulnerability to desertification.

1 table, 6 ref

018906   Sherpa N L (Geography Dep, Calcutta Univ, Kolkata) : Tikjuk-a study in settlement geography. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 477-80.

Tikjuk is a lepcha term which means bee hive and in the early days, there were numerous bee hives. Tikjuk houses administrative offices and therein lives its importance.Otherwise it is a very small village having 694 population accommodating in 84 houses.A detailed survey of 25 households were carried out by the reasearcher to analyse its socio-economic functions.

1 table

018905   Sen P (NO, Dum Dum Motijheel College (Day), Kolkata, West Bengal) : Conserving water by rainwater harvesting-Indian scenario. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 395-400.

Rapid urbanization and industrialization has led to incessant withdrawal of groundwater in recent times, without paying much attention to the resultant hydro-geological characteristics of the area. However scarcities of water even for drinking purpose is a common phenomenon throughout the world, especially in developing and underdeveloped countries. When the rain water falls on the ground, some of it percolates deep down into the ground. The remaining or surplus water adversely flows out as streams or as run-off. The soil indeed can hold only a fraction of water that falls on it and the rest gradually percolates down, depending on the type of the soil and joins the aquifers that are groundwater. The percolated water joins aquifers and this contributes enormously to the building of the ground water table. Artificial recharge is a process of augmenting the underground water table by artificial infiltration of rain water and surface run-off. Rainwater harvesting in urban areas is designated to collect rainwater falling on the rooftop or paved areas so as to conserve non-committed surplus monsoon runoff as much as possible, either at the surface or in sub-surface reservoir (aquifer). The principle of collecting and using precipitation from a catchments surface is what is called Rain Water Harvesting. The process is nothing new; it is simply an old technology gaining popularity in a new way. Extensive rain water harvesting apparatus existed 4000 years ago in the Palestine and Greece. In ancient Rome, residences were built with individual cisterns and paved courtyards to capture rain water to augment water from city's aqueducts. As early as the third millennium BC, farming communities in Baluchistan and Kutch impounded rain water and used it for irrigation dams. This paper concerns this methodology of water conservation which has been used in India with some case studies.

7 ref

018904   Sen M;Mondal P K (Geography Dep, Burdwan Univ, West Bengal) : Environmental impact of urban sprawling on physico-cultural landscape: a case study of Bolpur-Santineketan, Birbhum, West Bengal. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 365-8.

Most of the third world countries like India are now facing problems of urban sprawling as a result of unplanned and uncontrolled growth of urbanization related to housing development alongside main roads and engulfing the fertile agricultural lands. Negative impacts of such forced urban extension invites further sprawling towards rural areas at the cost of the deterioration of physical environment and deculturation. The present study concerns with the unplanned housing development around Bolpur town of Birbhum district, west Bengal including the impacts of housing projects on badland topography formed on lateritic soil(khoai), and also is an effort to find out the prospects of solution of the problems keeping alive the tribal culture of this region.

018903   Sen J;Sherpa N L (Geography Dep, Siliguri College, Siliguri, West Bengal) : Evolution of settlement pelling in Sikkim. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 527-36.

Pelling, lying at an altitude of 2150 m, and under the administrative control of west district of Sikkim and a land of rich, varied scenic beauty, is fast emerging as a hotspot of tourist destinations. The village has grown in four phases, viz late 16th and early 17th century, late 17th century, early 19th century,and late 20th century. It is tourism which is fast changing the cultural landscape of Felling.

4 tables

018902   Satpati L N;Boral M (Geography Dep, Calcutta Univ, Kolkata) : Shifts in developmental paradigms: an appraisal. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 251-6.

The idea of development is very wide, often controversial in its theoretical perceptions as well as mode of applications, and it changes with time as human societies always try to adopt ways and means for his betterment. This has witnessed various shifts in the focus of policies and actions related to development, the meaning and approaches of which has also undergone drastic changes overtime, from classical to the present one. This article is an attempt to assess the essentials of different thrusts or paradigms of development, as they have been put forward and practiced with regard to progress of man.

13 ref

018901   Sarkar S;Mishra S P (Geography Dep, Banaras Hindu Univ, Varanasi) : Land use/land cover mapping using DIP technique: a case study. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 151-8.

Present study attempts to delineate the spatial variations in different land use/land cover classes of Chandauli district of eastern Uttar Pradesh by applying Digital image processing technique (DIP). Specially unsupervised classification with Isodata algorithm is used to classify IRS-1D LISS III data with the help of ERDAS IMAGINE 9.1 image processing software. Total six classes have been identified namely forest cropland, waste land, built up land and water bodies of which cropland predominate with approximately 59 per cent. Maximum forest covers found in southern part of the area covering the plateau top. From ecological point of view it has an immense importance along with four major reservoirs.

2 tables, 14 ref'

018900   Sarkar R;Mondal M (Geography Dep, The Univ of Burdwan, Burdwan, West Bengal) : Women empowerment in West bengal : a geographical study. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 339.

The present paper seeks to identify district level status of women empowerment on the basis of 2001 census data. West Bengal has the legacy to produce many brave, courageous, empowered women who have contributed immensely in socio-economic & political life of India. Even today, for instance, rail ministry portfolio of Govt. of India is handled by a woman of West Bengal. Under this circumstance this paper has identified districts which are clubbed together into three board categories namely- High Women Empowered Districts, Moderate Women Empowered Districts and Low Women Empowered Districts based on composite index. Among the nineteen district Kolkata shows high empowerment compared with others and five districts belong to poorly empowered while rest of the districts are in moderately empowered group.

2 illus, 1 table, 3 ref

018899   Saikia D;Datta L (Geography Dep, Nowgong Girls' College, Nagaon, Assam) : Impact of population pressure on agricultural land use in Nagaon district of Assam, India. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 755-62.

The pressure of population on agriculture is one of vital issues in present day context. It is more so in the agrarian society of Nagaon district of Assam. The district has recently loaded with rapid growth of population and its allied problems. Nagaon district located in the middle part of Assam has plenty of plain land dotted with beels and swamps. The rapid population growth in the district coupled with mounting pressure on land has resulted in the decrease of size of operational holdings. With high population growth the Nagaon district is present the most thickly populated districts of Assam with population density of 604 person per sq. k.m. in 2001 recording the highest among all the district of Assam. Along with people of Assam the agriculture is the mainstay of economy of people of the district which has resulted in excessive population pressure on land resources in general and agricultural land in particular. Obviously more and more areas are converted to agricultural land to mitigate the demand of the growing population and thereby agricultural landuse pattern has also been changing with introduction of cash crops, plantation crops and some other commercial crops leading to increase in the intensity of cropping. However at present different social groups cultivate varieties of crops in different localities of the district. In addition to this H.Y.V of rice is cultivated in almost all parts of the district by all social groups.

2 illus, 3 tables, 6 ref

018898   Roychowdhury P (Geography Dep, Chandernagore College, Chandernagore, Hugli, West Bengal) : Appraisal of total sanitation campaign in Nandigram-II block in Purba Medinipur district, West Bengal. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 159-64.

An attempt to evaluate the performance of the total sanitation campaign in Nandigram-II block in Purba Medinipur district in West Bengal. The study critically analyzes the factors operating behind the success of total sanitation campaign in the study area. The study also focuses on the neighbouring effects of the project to promote sanitation in the other blocks of the district as well as in the entire country.

018897   Roy T (NO, Katwa College, West Bengal) : Conditional approach towards development in an unique geo-environmental platform-a case study on Dehradun city. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 383-95.

Literally the name of Dehradun is made up of two words, that is Dera means camp and Dun stands for valley. The city is the gateway to Gharwal subdivision and Queen of Hill-Musoorie of Uttarakhand. The most contrast feature of Dehradun city is that of its adverse geographical location which is surrounded by Himalayas whereas its overall development is quite remarkable. The prime objective of the present study of Dehradun city is to explore the Physio and socio-economic disparity of the city and also its conspicuous level of development that has been achieved.

4 tables, 5 ref

018896   Roy S;Ghosh D (Geography Dep, Maheshtala College, Maharashtra College, Maheshtala) : Micro level study about a buddhist agglomeration-a case study from Maheshtala municipality of 24 Paraganas (South). Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 679-84.

Religion is one of the most important determining factors of social life of human being. Buddhism is an ancient religion, ranks fifth among all other religions in India. The study area is one of the large concentrations of Buddhists in South 24 Paraganas of West Bengal. Here, Buddhists maintain a good social life but rigid to their customs. They are well-known for their ethnicity. This micro-level study reveals the socio-economic and cultural aspects of this buddhists' agglomeration.

4 tables, 10 ref

018895   Roy A (Geography Dep, Calcutta Univ, Kolkata) : Impact of seasonal migration in Uluberia-I block of Howrah district. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 685-98.

Seasonal migration is a typically rural phenomenon in India, associated with vulnerabilities of several kinds. Rural poor are forced to migrate for their livelihood by several push and pull factors. Uluberia-I, a southern block in Howrah district experiences seasonal migration at the winter harvest season. Bands of migrant labors from villages of West Midnapur district come here to offer manual labor at the agricultural fields. A symbiotic cooperation exists between the migrant labors and farmers of Uluberia-I block. This seasonal migration definitely has an impact in the local economy and social situation.

4 ref

018894   Purkait P;Sheet S;Ghosh S (Geography Dep, The Univ of Calcutta, Kolkata) : Quantitative assessment of diversity, inequality, development and backwardness of Bardhaman district, West Bengal. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 369-82.

Development is a dynamic concept, having different meanings for different people. Development can be defined as a process of growth, expansion or realization of potential; bringing the regional resources into full productive use. It is a worldwide legitimacy that the concepts of inequality, disparity, differences and backwardness are integrated with the developmental process. We cannot eliminate those, but we can make an effort to minimize these through the developmental planning. So being a part of developing country Barddhaman district has numerous glimpses of inequality, disparity and backwardness in spite of 20th century's radical development in industry and agriculture (after formation of D.V.C.). Having east to west physical diversities, this region bears the imprints of different human developmental distinctiveness as well as both industrial and agricultural economic diversification. The present paper is a humble effort to analyse the degree of development and backwardness of the 31C.D. blocks of Barddhaman between 1991 and 2001. The main focus of this study is given on the fruitful application of quantitative techniques and G.I.S. mapping to sketch the significant spatial variations of socio-economic attributes precisely. With the help of statistical techniques we have tried to throw some light on the crucial areas of the development which is now required immediate attention. As a whole this paper emphasizes upon the efficiency, potentiality, flaws, problems and prospects of Barddhaman district in an organized way. Statistical methods and G.I.S. play the majorroles of extraction, judgment, evaluation and representation ofnoteworthy information from ajumble of data.

9 illus, 3 tables, 12 ref

018893   Prabir Kumar D E (Political Science Dep, Kalyani Univ, Kalyani, West Bengal) : Conservation of bio-resources: role of West Bengal government. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 47-60.

The Convention of Biological Diversity during UN conference on Environment and Development in 1992 called for preservation and maintenance of indigenous knowledge and practices of local communities relevant for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. A decade later The Biological Diversity Act was passed in our country with the object to regulate access to genetic resources and associated knowledge by individuals, Institutions, Organizations, Commercial Houses, Industries and ensures equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the biological resources and associated traditional and indigenous knowledge available in the Country. The Act provided for a three tier system of regulatory bodies - National Biodiversity Authority at the apex level; State Biodiversity level at intermediary level and Biodiversity Management Committee at block level. In compliance with the Act the West Bengal Biodiversity Board has been constituted as a statutory body. Subject to the guidelines of the National Biodiversity Authority the Board advises the State Government for conservation of biodiversity, sustainable use of its components and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the biological resources. Preparation of People's Biodiversity Register, building community awareness about biodiversity and identification of "Heritage Sites" and "Sacred Groves" are important functions performed by the Board. The Government should expand the infrastructures of the Board for proper maintenance of bio-resources. Community-centric approach should be given priority for successful conservation of bio-resources keeping the partisan outlook aside.

18 ref

018892   Papanna C;Nagaraju D (Studies in Geology Dep, Mysore Univ, Manasagangotri, Mysore, Karnataka) : Physical and chemical characteristics of groundwater in Kollegal taluk, Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka. Asian J envir Sci 2010, 5(1), 11-13.

The quality of groundwater in the kollegal taluk covering an area of 2522 sq km² in Karnataka has been studied based on the composition of 60 bore well water samples. An attempt has been made to classify the groundwater by various methods. According to BIS, 97% of the water samples in the study area are within the desirable to permissible limit. 93% of the samples fall in C2S1 class of USSL diagrams according Wilcox diagram, 91% of samples fall within the excellent to permissible classes. The chemical composition of the groundwater which moves from the recharge area to the discharge area reflects changes by various geochemical process. The relationship between groundwater flow, hydro geologic properties and hydrogeochemistry has been studied by many researchers (Back 1960, Scholler 1962, Domenico 1972, Freezeand Cherry 1979, Ophori and Toth 1989, Domenico and Schwartz 1990, Afsin 1997).

2 illus, 1 table, 10 ref

018891   Panda G K (P.G. Dep of Geography, Utkal Univ, Bhubaneswar) : Hazards of the tropical cyclones and vulnerability of the coastal regions of India. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 9-20.

Present paper concern a study on hazards of the tropical cyclones along with the matter of vulnerability of the both Eastern-(The Bay of Bengal) and Western (The Arabian Sea) coastal regions, India. This author has made and attempt to have a detailed analysis of the tropical cyclones including their characteristics as well as the related affects in the various parts of the settlements and the adjoining coastal tracts. Due weightage has been given on the specified types of hazards like storm surges, Gale Wind and Squall, Torrential and Prolonged Rain, and so on. In fine, some suggetions for the mitigation of the hazards of tropical cyclone are also presented.

11 ref

018890   Naresh Kumar (CSRD/SSS, JNU, New Delhi-110 067) : Migration of cycle rickshaw pullers in Delhi: a comparison between migrant and non-migrant rickshaw pullers. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 517-26.

Most of the cycle rickshaw pliers in Delhi are seasonal migrants whose families are still based in their villages and a good proportion of them are from agricultural families with small and marginal land holdings. Rest of them are from impoverished landless or artisan households. With the growing pauperization of India's traditional artisans and agricultural sectors, people are abandoning their age old occupations and gravitating towards jobs like rickshaw pulling, simply because, entry into this occupation is easy and requires no capital or sophisticated skill. Apart from migrants, some permanent residents of Delhi also undertake this job. This study has focused on migration related aspects of rickshaw pullers and clubbed them into two groups, i.e. migrants and non migrants, finally their causes and consequences of their migration have been compared. The entire study is based on primary data, because, very little systematic studies have been conducted on rickshaw pullers. Therefore, scarcity of reliable secondary data sources is a crucial problem of this study. Statistical techniques like logistic regression, cross tabulation etc have been applied to draw comparison between migrant and non migrant rickshaw pullers. Rickshaw pullers are mainly migrating from the neighbouring states of Delhi and other Indian urban centres with low wage rates and mainly people between 25 to 34 years of age undertake this occupation. With the increase in age, most of them abandon rickshaw pulling.

2 tables, 6 ref

018889   Nandi P;Saha P (Geography Dep, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, West Bengal) : Educational institutes of Birbhum district and its impact on literacy. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 117-26.

It is widely accepted that Education is the basic component for the development of human resource of any region. So it is expected that with the development of the educational infrastructure the quantity and the quality of the human resource of that region will also be improved. This paper is an attempt to find out the total number of educational institutes and their impact on literacy rate of Birbhum District in 1991 and 2001. The spatial pattern of the literacy rate vis-a-vis the number of educational institutes of various blocks of the said district are also depicted. The analysis is made with the help of Co-relation and regression residuals. It is found that the literacy rate is influenced by an increase in the number of educational institutions.

3 tables, 7 ref

018888   Nandi P;Chatterjee S (Geography Dep, Visva Bharati, Santiniketan) : Status of women an urban experience. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 65-72.

In social geography gender is an emerging issue. Changing social-economic setup is largely determined by the character of woman empowerment in a region where it is rural or urban. The present study mainly emphasizes on the socio-economic and educational status of urban woman. For this analysis municipality towns have been chosen and micro level study is done at Bolpur urban area. This urban area has an international importance because it is situated near Visva Bharati university. For this analysis two Wards in the urban area are chosen Ward-5, located in the heart area of Bolpur town and Ward-17, located in the fringe area of Bolpur town. The variables of this analysis are- female concentration, sex ratio, number of children, number of family having girl child/children, literacy rate of women, female empowerment, opinion of girl child about their future etc. The study would have an interesting finding regarding the status of women and their linkage with the university town.

11 tables, 4 ref

018887   Nandan T (Geography Dep, Calcutta Univ, Kolkata) : Hazards and their impact on socioeconomic condition of Malda district, West Bengal. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 589-96.

Malda is bounded on the south west by the river Padma, on the north by the district of West Dinajpur in West Bengal and the district of Purnia in Bihar, on the east it is partly bounded by the district of West Dinajpur and the district of Rajshahi in Bangladesh, for administrative purpose this district is divided into fifteen blocks. Present work is concerned with the study of problems of Hazards and their impact on socio-economic condition of some selected parts of Malda district. This area is very flood prone and periodically flooded by the Ganges and its tributaries. Floods of destructive character are frequent occurrence in Malda. After 1870 the years of high flood were 1875, 1885, 1906. Floods were also affected the district in the year 1918,1922, 1935 and 1948. In the recent past severe inundation was experienced in the years 1987, 1988, 1991, 1995 and 1996, 1998 and 1999. River shifting is another big problem of Malda district. Toposheet study, satellite imagery and field survey proved that the course of the Ganges has experienced an appreciable change between Rajmahal hills and Farraka.

1 table, 10 ref

018886   Nandagiri L;Nayali S (Applied Mechanics and Hydraulics Dep, NIT, Surathkal, Karnatakam-515 025) : Climate analysis for regional irrigation planning. ISH J Hydraul Engng 2010, 16(1), 57-68.

Rainfall characteristics and potential evapotranspiration together determine the agro meteorological regime of a region and influence decisions concerning the magnitudes and timing of irrigation applications. In addition to rainfall input, an important aspect of the water balance model is the crop evapotranspiration (ETcrop), which is a main factor in determining irrigation schedule. The procedure for estimation of ET rates from agricultural crops is well established and involves as a first step, computation of reference crop evapotranspiration (ETcrop) using regular climatologically recorded data. ETcrop could be estimated by reference evapotranspiration (ET₀) and crop coefficient. 'Moisture Availability Index' (MAI), which is computed as the ratio of 75% dependable rainfall and potential evapotranspiration is used as an index to indicate dry and wet periods. An MAI value of 1.00 indicates that dependable precipitation equals potential evapotranspiration. A value of MAI of 0.33 or less for one month during the crop-growing season is considered to be a signal of water deficit, causing crop production to fall below an economic level. Obtained information on MAI is used to decide the selection of sowing period of crops so as to avoid water stress during crucial harvesting period.

5 illus, 3 tables, 8 ref

018885   Mukhopadhyay S C (Geography Dep, Calcutta Univ, Kolkata-700 019) : Lotice ecosystem of the Mahananda-Sankosh interfluve and adjacent (the lower Brahmaputra basin). Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 801-34.

Lotic Ecosystem concerns the ecosystem of a river, stream or spring, and included in the environment-the biotic as well as the abiotic interactions. The river valleys in the Northern and the Southern West Bengal plains as well as adjacent areas covering the lower Ganga-Brahamaputra basin - are marked by the occurrence of fluvial hazards like the river bank erosion, bank failure, bank caving especially duirng the South West Monsoon season with higher amount of dicharge and swift flows of the rivers"- The Mahananda-Sankosh, Bhagirathi etc.

3 illus, 7 tables, 25 ref

018884   Mukherjee S;Mukherjee S (Geography Dep, Ladu Brabourne College, Kolkata) : Forest crop of Purbi Singhbhum district - Jharkhand. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 183-90.

Purbi Singhbhum district lies in the south-eastern corner of the Jharkhand state, the youngest state in the Indian union. Nearly 28% of the area of the district is under forest cover. According to the forest classification of Champion and Seth the Dhalbhum Forest Division (which covers the whole district of Purbi Singhbhum) lies mainly under Dry Peninsular Sal type, SB/C/C. Composition of the forest crop indicates the diversity of flora thriving in the region.

3 ref

018883   Mukherjee M K (Civil Engineering Dep, Jalpaiguri Govt. Engineering College, Jalpaiguri) : Application of plotting position formulae for the development of hydrological model between peak discharge (QP) and return period (T) of major Himalayan rivers in North Bengal, India. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 285-92.

Establishing a relationship between Discharge and Return period for a river is extremely helpful in forecasting floods and design of important hydraulic structures. The present study aims to develop an empirical model of Annual Peak Discharge (Qp) (Mukherjee, M.K, Sarkar, S, 2007; Deterministic Modeling of Stage-Discharge Relationship of the River Sankosh, North Bengal) and corresponding Return Period or Recurrence Interval (T) computed from empirical formulae. The investigator has used Plotting Position Formulae for the development of models. The resulting model correlating Annual Peak Discharge (Qp) and Return Period (T) for the river Jaldhaka and Sankosh of Brahmputra Basin, are found to be satisfactory in terms of small percentage deviation and small standard deviation of percentage deviation of the values of Return Period (T) as obtained from mathematical models and those values obtained from the Plotting Position formulae. Moreover, values of Correlation Coefficient (r) are found to be very satisfactory as the values of correlation coefficient in all cases under the present study are greater than 0.80; it indicates that good correlation exists between the two parameters involved in the modeling.

6 illus, 2 tables, 16 ref

018882   Mondal T K (Geography Dep, Kalyani Univ, Kalyani-741 235) : Study of a unique primitive adivasi: toto. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 259-64.

The paper deals with the analysis of the uniqueness of the characteristics of Toto Adivasi in Madarihat Block of Jalpaiguri District in West Bengal. The paper also endeavors to find out the major impediments of the sustenance of their livelihood and distinct cultural identity. The success of any development plans for the Toto community depends on the extent of admiration of Toto culture in the mainstream society.

1 table, 12 ref

018881   Mondal M (Geography Dep, Calcutta Univ, Kolkata-700 019) : Bank erosion of the Ichamati river in Swarupnagar and Baduria blocks, N 24 PGS, West Bengal: its geomorphic significance. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 793-800.

River bank erosion of the Ichamati particular in Swaripnagar and Baduaria Blocks of N 24 Pgs. District, has become and important environmental hazards thus effecting the local people along with their sttlements, agricultural fields and others resources. Due weightage has been given on the analysis of primary and also secondary data incluidng the necessary task of ground truth verification especialy in terms of a detailed investigation on the asepects of- Channel shifting and meander-loop reform including the expantion, Complex Expansion, Increase of S.I. and meander amplitude, Rotational complex expansion, Increase of S.I. and meander amplitude and Meander scroll etc.

5 illus, 25 ref

018880   Mondal A (Geography Dep, Kalyani Univ, Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal) : Spatio-temporal variations of agricultural productivity regions in Murshidabad district, West Bengal. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 357-64.

In this paper, an attempt has been rtlade to analyse the spatio-temporal variations of agricultural productivity in the Murshidabad District during the study period froml996-97 to 2005-06 i,e for ten years. Shafi's( 1972),technique has been adopted to delineate the agricultural productivity regions. According to the calculation the highest growth is found at Burwan Block (O.Y.I-115.86%) and having lowest productivity block is Farraka (O.Y.I-71.47%) in the base year. On the other hand, the highest productivity is recorded at Kandi block (O.Y.I-109.39%)and lowest at the Raghunathganj Block II (O.Y.I-76.61%) in the year of 2005-06.

9 ref

018879   Mishra K (Geography Dep, Banaras Hindu Univ, Banaras, Uttar Pradesh) : Remote sensing and GIS in mapping and analysis of spatial variations in hydrogeomorphic features: a case study. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 781-91.

Present research paper attempts to analyze spatial variations in hydrogeomorphic features with the help of remote sensing and GIS techniques selecting a case study of Chandraprabha basin from Eastern Uttar Pradesh. Remote sensing has provided a very powerful data base for hydrogeomorphological investigations on account of its ability to observe reflectance and emittance over a range of wavelengths. GIS techniques have supported to prepare the data base for mapping and analysis of hydrogeomorphic features. These features provide significant information about three interrelated themes, i.e., hydrological, geological and morphological features occurring in a region or basin. Hydrogeomorphologically the basin is divided in two major units, i.e., Gangetic Flood Plain and Vindhyan Upland. The main features of Gangetic flood plain as observed by detailed image analysis are new flood plain, old flood plain, natural levee, back swamp, palaeochannel, local depression. On the other hand, pediment, buried pediment, dissected plateau, hills, valleys, lineament, escarpment are prominent hydrogeomorphic features of Vindhyan Upland. Result of the investigation shows that the IRS - P6, LISS - III geocoded (FCC) data provides good depth of information for identifying and delineating various hydrogeomorphic features of the area under study.

3 illus, 1 table, 26 ref

018878   Mazumder P (Geography Dep, Calcutta Univ, West Bengal) : Eastern metropolitan bypass and the increasing accessibility and connectivity. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 264-70.

Kolkata is a metropolitan city. Growing population is a common feature of the city like other metropolis. For the accommodation of the increasing population the cities expand their spatial and administrative purview, rising to the development of urban sprawls. This connects the city as a part of infrastructural and transport utilities of the residents of urban sprawls, linking the city with other parts to make the mode of communication convenient. Considering this fact the construction of Eastern Metropolitan Bypass was conceived in the year 1979 along the fringes of Kolkata. The unrestricted growth of population in Kolkata for once could be accommodated by developing settlements along Eastern Metropolitan Bypass as it progressed. Due to the growth of urbanization, the local surrounding ecosystem has seriously affected the development programmes of the area to the modification and change in environment. But it cannot be denied that the construction of Eastern Metropolitan Bypass has drastically influenced the inhabitants of Kolkata by enhancing the degree of connectivity and accessibility of the eastern and southeastern part of the metropolis with the northern periphery. The paper tries to highlight the condition of transport communication system before and after the construction of Eastern Metropolitan Bypass and to reveal the transformation of demographic and urban scenario has modified after its development along the eastern and south eastern fringe of Kolkata.

13 ref

018877   Matilal A (NO, Lady Brabourne College, Kolkata) : Spatio-temporal trends of rural indebtedness in India. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 633-42.

The burden of indebtedness in India is great and falls mainly upon the poor rural households. The exploitation of this group in the credit market is one of the most pervasive and persistent problem of India. This paper deals with the problems of rural indebtedness in contemporary India. It examines the spatio-temporal trends of indebtedness according to agency and attempts to delineate the relation between indebtedness and household economic status.

5 tables, 6 ref

018876   Manna D (Debashish Manna, Research Scholar, Ranchi Univ, Ranchi) : Geomorphic regions of the Purulia district in West Bengal. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 573-8.

This is a geomorphological analysis of the Purulia district, West Bengal. Present has tried to study the physical geographical factors to identifydistient geomorphic regions of the Purulia district on the basis of analysis of structure, relief, drainage system and terrain characteristics. The geomorphic history, lithological variations, climatic differences, location and altitude of the area have also been taken basis for dividing the District into geomorphic regions.

1 table, 5 ref

018875   Mandal K P (Geography Dep, Calcutta Univ, Kolkata-700 019) : Tourist destination of Ravangla, South Sikkim. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 467-76.

Ravangla is the Sub-divisional headquarter of the South district of Sikkim. It is situated on the state high way between Gangtok and Felling. At the base of Meanam hill is Ravangla, a small tourist spot and transit point of various tourist destination in South Sikkim. It is one of the most important tourist spot in Sikkim. Ravangla is a preferred and desired destination of the mountain tourist where various infrastructures should be developed, so that the area becomes more and more attractive. But at present the tourist infrastructure development of Ravangla is not satisfactory.

6 ref

018874   Mandal B U (Geography Dep, Calcutta Univ, Kolkata) : Fluvial dynamics and land use patterns of Dentam Khola basin, West Sikkim. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 613-18.

Deals with the comprehensive study on the impact of fluvial dynamics and changing land use patterns of the Dentam Khola basin, West Sikkim (India). It is a micro river basin consisting of approximately 60 sq km area under the Rangit river basin and embodies some fluvial activities under an unstable zone of this basin which influence the development and changes of land use patterns over the fluvial landforms being processed by both endogenetic and exogenetic forces with distinct expansion of time and space.

11 ref

018873   Majumder S (Geography Dep, Kalyani Mahavidyalaya & Research Scholar, N.S.O.U., Kolkata, West Bengal) : Sustainable rural development in western part of Purulia district. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 537-44.

Among complex problems of our country rural development of back ward area emerge as a fundamental problems. Western portion of West Bengal is still backward and the people of this area is deprived from their basic needs. Present study is concerned with the identification of rural resource base of the study area and will also provide guidelines for sustainable development through micro level planning.

4 tables, 10 ref

018872   Maity G C (Geography Dep, Katwa College, Burdwan, West Bengal) : Water management developmental programme- an attempt to design water planning in part of the middle Mahanadi basin, Orissa. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 749-54.

India has only 4% of the total available fresh water. It indicates the need for water resource development, conservation and optimum use. The author has made an attempt to design water developmental programme in different aspect of terrains in part of the middle Mahanadi basin. In this study area, the crop generally suffers from insufficient water during sowing and transplantation period due to irregular monsoonal rainfall. Moreover, due to rugged terrain, most the rainwater is lost by run-off in upland areas and areas of underslope which suffer from severe water scarcity during post monsoonal period. However, ajudicious management of water is required throughout the year by using surface and subsurface water of the area concerned. The author feels that water harvesting, water re-use and water conservation satisfy the objectives and scope of water management relating to water developmental programme.

4 ref

018871   Let S (Geography Dep, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan, West Bengal) : Flood probability analysis of Dwarka and Brahmani river : a comparative study. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 735-44.

With course of time the physical landscape of the river is getting changed and at the same time human interference also has massively topsy-turvied the normalcy of the river. As a result the pattern of flood has undergone into huge unpredictability. The magnitude of flood and frequency of flood prediction is very essential to give opportunity of the catchment dwellers to live well adjustment with flood. Though Dwarka and its major tributary Brahmani have the same geophysical base but there is a distinct difference of flood character between these two rivers. Degree of human interference is seemed to be considered as the major factor for such difference which is responsible for the frequent occurrence of large scale unpredictable flood.

11 illus, 4 tables, 3 ref

018870   Lahiri B (Geography Dep, Calcutta Univ, West Bengal) : Dependency ratio and the burden on economy situation in India. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 271-6.

Dependency ratio is one of the most eminent indicators of economic development as it well reflects the burden on economy. India with such a huge population and accelerated economic growth, it is topical to asses the status of dependency ratio in the country; to indicate its spatial variation and to asses the causes and related economic burdens. It is further interesting to deal with the issue of dependency ratio along with its sub-parts, which have been addressed in this article.

7 ref

018869   Kundu C (Geography Dep, Digsui Sadhana Banga Vidyalaya, Hooghly, West Bengal) : Rice mill and regional development a case study of Khandoghosh block in Burdwan district. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 719-26.

Rice is the staple food for 65% of the population in India. India is the second largest producer of rice in the world next to China. West Bengal is the leading producer of paddy in the country. It accounts for 16.39% of the total production 1. Following liberalization of international trade after World Trade Agreement, Indian rice will become highly competitive and has been identified as one of the major commodities for export. This provides us with ample opportunity for development of rice based value-added products for earning more foreign exchange. Therefore, rice milling, processing of rice bran for oil extraction are an important agro processing activity for value addition, income and employment generation. Thus rice mill industry plays vital role in regional development of rural Bengal. The khandoghosh block of Burdwan district in West Bengal has been taken as study area. Growth and development of rice mill in this block is quite higher than the other surrounding blocks. This paper represents the impact of rice mill in local as well as regional economy and society.

8 illus, 10 ref

018868   Kulhare A;Rama Rao V S;Bhajantri M R;Pethe P C (NO, College of Engineering, Pune, Research Assustant (Engg.), Central Water & Power Research Station, Pune-411 024) : Hydraulic model studies for muntdu (Leshka) dam spillway, Meghalaya. ISH J Hydraul Engng 2010, 16(1), 93-108.

Rivers of steep slope with fragile geology have experience problem of heavy sediment load coming from the catchment to the reservoir. Due to continuous deposition of sediment, the live storage capacity of the reservoir reduces, which requires cleaning regularly. To reduce the sediment deposited in the reservoir, spillway is designed in the form of orifice within the dam body or spillway with breastwall. An orifice spillway has advantage of high head for power intake, provides more efficient way for flushing out the sediments and also ease in regulating flood discharge and storage. The present paper describes the hydraulic model studies conducted at CW&PRS for Myntdu (Leshka) Dam Spillway, Meghalaya, to optimize various components of sluice spillway, performance of ski-jump bucket, scour pattern, piezometric pressures on the sluice roof profile and spillway profile.

8 illus, 1 table, 13 ref

018867   Kasemi N (Geography Dep, Birpara College, Birpara, Dist. Jalpaiguri, West Bengal) : Causes and consequences of squaitter settlements in English Bazar City, West Bengal. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 277-84.

English Bazar City has been experiencing the increasing problems with the squatter settlements. A vast majority of the city dwellers live in squatter settlements in extremely poor conditions. A rapid increase in the urban population and the limited capacity of the government to meet the high demand of land led to the mushrooming of the squatter settlements. Urbanisation is one of the root causes for the spread of such settlements in English Bazar City. The Government policies have often been seen as rigid and inadequate to meet the increasing demand for housing by poor majority, have also been associated with mushrooming of squatter settlements. The growth of squatter settlements has resulted in many, and complex socio-economic and environmental consequences. These include pollution, flooding, waste of agricultural lands etc.

11 ref

018866   Kar S (Geography Dep, Vidyasagar Evening College, Kolkata-700 006) : Don't let Sundarban to be the cry of Bengal, India. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 585-8.

Sundarban is the typical arcuade delta of north east India has also been declared as the heritage spot due to its typical ecological condition, mangrove environment and historical background. After the last cyclonic disaster the sea dyke has been destroyed by the tidal surges. So it is a plan of the government that they will build a complete dyke along the sea coast. In this paper it is indicated that the concrete dyke is not suitable for such newly originated delta. It will no only destroy the deltaic environment but also it will hamper the ecological process and as well as sustainability of the Sundarban

018865   Jyotsna Kumari;Sahu R (Botany Dep, Ranchi Univ, Ranchi, Jharkhand) : Bio diversity loss due to mining activities at Chiria mines, Dist. W. Singhbhum, Jharkhand. Asian J envir Sci 2010, 5(1), 1-4.

Chiria mines is situated at the top of Budhaburu hill in the heart of Saranda forest.lt is famous in the world for the largest iron ore depository in Asia continent. The study deals with the mining activities at Chiria mines and the effect during the excavation process.Here iron - ore is excavated by two methods Reaching through shaft and Open cast method. In the first method quiet a lot of vegetation is lost in prospecting and in the second method the entire vegetation and soil in which mining is done is destroyed and lost, making it difficult for trees and vegetation to grow. Solid dust particles released during mining activities, exploitation of mineral, crushing, sizing,grading and screening of iron - ore heavy metal containing heavy metals Cd, Fe, Zn, Ni etc. as pollutant. These dust particles deposited on the surface of leaves and environmental condition create alarming situation by interrupting the photosynthesis which results death of some plants. These air pollutants are directly added to near by running river or stream choking the natural drainage system, degrading air, water and changing the soil and water quality. Further the washing of iron ore produces high concentration of solid particle of Zn, Cu, Mn, Pb, Ni, Fe. These heavy metal has hazardous effect causing severe ecological problem like change in topoghaphy, deterioration of quality of top soil, soil erosion, air, water pollution etc. The phytosociological survey and documentation of various plant species in the existing vegetation reveals that the original vegetation has been replaced by new exotic species such as Lantana camera, Adhatoda sp. etc. The vegetation pattern shows that many plant species have lost their existence and some are on the verge of disappearance.

2 illus, 2 tables, 6 ref

018864   Jana N C (Geography Dep, The Univ of Burdwan, Burdwan-713 104) : Changing face of rural India: asynoptic view. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 165-74.

The entire face of rural India is gradually being changed/transformed due to globalization. The rural economy has begun to change due to the implementation of various development programmes since the last two decades of the 20th Century. The economy is not confined to agricultural sector only; it has gone beyond and witnessed a new direction in the multi-sectoral progress. It may be mentioned in this context that the Indian villages are gradually being transformed into urban. Globalization has exposed the rural environment to modern world. Undoubtedly the agricultural productivity has got momentum due to the adoption of modern technology, but has contributed a lot to emerging ecological problems in rural India. There has been a significant influence of the West on the regional cultures of India. The influence has now spread from higher civil servants to the lower middle class and even to the village to a certain extent. Popular culture, largely a product of mass media, has a greater impact in transforming images and attitudes of rural India. So far as social transformation of rural India is concerned, both positive and negative trends are observed. The present paper critically analyzes the transformation of rural India in the spheres of economy, ecology and society.

13 ref

018863   Halder S (Geography, Chinsurah Rabindra Sikshayatan High School, Chinsura, Hooghly, West Bengal) : Flood as avulnerable phenomenon in lower Damodar valley : a case study of Khanakul-II C.D. block, Hooghly, West Bengal. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 545-58.

More than sixty years have gone since the commissioning of the DVC, still flood haunts the Lower Damodar Valley region specially the Damodar-Darakeswar interfluve area which includes some C.D. Blocks viz., Pursura. Arambagh, Khanakul-I, Khanakul-II etc. Among these C.D. Blocks 'Khanakul-II' has been selected to show how the engineering measures of floods control, e.g. barrages, embankment etc. are still ineffective in controlling flood, causing considerable damage in different ways and relief is only a piecemeal approach, not a measure of permanent solution. The pattern of land use along the rivers is not conformable with the natural processes of rainfall, discharge and flow pattern of the river, breaching of banks and embankments etc. The relief materials like food, clothes and shelter provided by various Govt. and Non-Go vt. agencies are inadequate to cope with the recurring floods. On one hand many of the local people definitely suffer from the flood hazard, but some others take the opportunity to grab the relief materials. This C.D. Block is flooded by the joint attack of Mundeswari, Darakeswar and Rupnarayan river as this block is bounded by these three rivers. Since 1978 upto 2009 flood occurred significantly in Khanakul-II Block atleast in 16 different years. The relief operations made by various agencies are also inadequate to cope with the recurring floods. The DVC Project has automatically become a 'Crippled Child' in respect of efficiency of flood management.

13 ref

018862   Gupta A D (PG Dep of Geography, Krishnagar Govt. College, Krishnagar, Nadia, West Bengal) : A brief ethnographic profile of the Bhil tribe in India. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 771-80.

Bhils are considered to be a colarian tribe associated with the Munda Group of Tribals. It is the third largest tribal group of India. Their habitat is in the hilly track of Central India, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat. It spreads to the Khandesh area in Maharashtra and to the west from the Satpura ranges to the sea in Gujarat. Etymologically the word 'Bhil' has its origin in the word 'Billu' corroborating a 'bow', as; traditionally the Bhils used the bow and arrow and were warriors. They worship Hindu Deities and many other local Codlings. The Bhils are divided into two 'hagas' which include brothers, cousins, clansmen and the wider circle of the 'hagas' on the paternal side, and 'hagawadia' that is marriageable relatives. Marriage between two 'hagas' is not permissible that is there is endogamy in the 'haga' level. Polygyny is quite common. Widow-marriage is not permitted except with husband's younger brother. Bride-price prevails among the Bhils. Bhils are having totemic septs reported ranges from 27 to 36 and the examples are Jamun tree, Rohini tree, AmlaTree, Sun, Cat, peacock etc. The Bhils had their Bhil kings and some of them had been well-known. Some brave Bhils revolted against the foreign rule, for example, Tantiya Bhil in the year of 1878-89. The Bhils have a record of serving under the Maratha rulers and the kings of Gujaratha and Rajputana who appreciated their bravery. The Bhil villages are usually on mountain-slopes and are known as 'pal'. Each 'pal' has so many huts and the headman is called 'gometi' that is a distorted form of 'gramapati'. In some areas, he is also called 'vasavo'. Traditionally the Bhils are food-gatherers and practice shifting cultivation. Large grazing lands are owned by their village-community. They live a community-life and help each other. Cattle-farming and agriculture are the most common occupations. They also work on farms as farm-labourers. Bonded labour is also common. They are liquor-addicts and drink 'mahua'. Their dialect is 'bhilli'. The Bhils cremate their dead.

8 ref

018861   Ghosh S;Ghatak S (Mahata High School (H.S.), , Burdwan, West Bengal) : Migration and associated health tisk : a case study of H₁N₁ in India. Indian J Landsc Syst ecol Stud 2010, 33(2), 727-34.

Rapid strides made in transportation and communication technology and accelerated globalization in recent years have led to unprecedented intensification in the process of migration. While this has huge beneficial effect for mankind; but it is also accompanied with its own vices. Recent global outbreaks of swine influenza are one of them. In this present paper an attempt has been made to analyze the cause and effect relationship of recent outbreak of swine influenza in India. The study includes the swine influenza cases in India up to 25th August, 2009.

7 illus, 2 tables, 8 ref