It is a common knowledge that the hydrological regime of an area is mostly defined by its topography and drainage, climate, soil characteristics, aquifer characteristics, water recharge potential, etc. Assessing the water resources around the open pit mining areas and managing it constitute an integral part of any mine planning process for ensuring water availability for the present and future use around the mining area. Against this backdrop, S K Chaulya, the author of the article, "Water Resource Development Study for a Limestone Mining Area", carried out a water resource development study in a limestone mining area of Madukkarai block of Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu, India. The study includes assessment of water resources, water balance status and the influence of limestone mining over an area of 1.68 km² on water availability in the whole of Madukkarai block. The study reveals that the annual utilizable groundwater resources of the area stood at 41.50Mm³, as against the present annual requirement of 38.44Mm³. However, looking at the requirements by year 2010 and 2020, which stands at 41.62 and 45.07Mm³ respectively, and based on the study of the hydrological factors as prevailing in the mining area, the author suggests that to mitigate the water scarcity problem of the region, recharge techniques must be implemented. It is also recommended that water retaining structures should also be constructed.

With increased urbanization, the impact of municipal sewage on the quality of water in the natural streams and rivers has gone up, warranting a detailed scientific analysis of water for its quality. The authors, A Yudhistra Kumar and M Vikram Reddy of the article, "Seasonal Effects of Temperature, Rainfall, pH, Conductivity, TDS and TSS of Municipal Sewage (Untreated and Treated) on the Water Quality of the Buckingham Canal at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu", have studied the quality of water of the Buckingham canal by monitoring the effects of untreated and treated sewage on the Temperature, pH, Conductivity, Total Dissolved Solids and Total Suspended Solids in its water during pre-monsoon 2005 to post-monsoon 2006 at Kalpakkam, a small town in coastal Tamil Nadu. The study reveals that the water quality in the Buckingham canal has been severely impacted by the inflow of untreated and treated sewage as well. The pH, conductivity, TDS and TSS showed seasonal and spatial variationsthey were higher in the raw sewage input zone than in the treated sewage input zone. Similarly, these parameters were higher in the summer season than in the monsoon season. Based on their findings, the authors recommend that raw sewage must be treated before it is let off into the stream.

The next article, "Assessment of Groundwater Quantity and Quality in Coimbatore District", presents the findings of a study carried out by the authors, J Brema and G Prince Arulraj, on the quality and quantity of water in the district of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. The authors have used the data of six years from 1999 to 2004, collected from sample locations covering all the 19 blocks of the district. The study reveals that the total dissolved salts and total hardness content are more than the permissible limits across the district. The authors have also drawn maps showing the spatial distribution of water quality parameters and quantity by correlating the database of groundwater quality and quantity using GISArcGis 9.1. Based on their study, the authors have recommend active implementation of groundwater recharge techniques.

The physical and chemical properties of soil and its productivity are known to be impacted by natural and anthropogenic factors. It is to assess the soil productivity in relation to its physical and chemical parameters, the authors, M S Hadda, K B Thapa, M Vashistha and Sanjay Arora of the next article, "Productivity and Soil Quality as Affected by Anthropogenic Activities in Mixed Sub-Catchment in N-E Tract of Punjab, India" conducted a study in Nawanshahar District of Punjab. The main treatments under the study are fencingprotecting the soil by barked wire fence from human as well as livestock interventionsand without fencing, replicating thrice. The soil samples were collected from the surface layers of both fenced and non-fenced areas. Pearson's correlations were computed to infer the relationship between productivity index and various physical and chemical parameters of the soil samples from fenced and non-fenced areas. The productivity index was found to be significantly related to resistance to penetration offered by soils, followed by available K under fenced situations. The study further demonstrated that under fenced situation, the resilience offered by soils had substantially increased, which resulted in improved organic carbon, CEC, available potassium and penetration resistance.

The last article, "Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium Status of Trees and Soils in an Agroforestry System in Leye, Philippines" by the authors, Chime G Mora and Victor B Asio deals with the nutrient requirements of native tree species, exotic tree species and fruit trees growing in acidic and calcareous agroforestry sites in Leyte area of Philippines. The study reveals no significant differences in the effects of the tree species on soil nutrient status. However, exotic species tended to show slightly lower soil OM content than the other species. No consistent differences were noticed in the leaf NPK concentrations among the exotic, native, and fruit trees, when the nutrients were considered individually. But when the ratios were calculated, there appeared to be some difference: exotic species tended to have lower NP ratios, while the native species and fruit trees tended to have higher NK and KP ratios.

-- GRK Murty
Consulting Editor