Research Papers
Development, design and performance analysis of a forced draft clean combustion cookstove powered by a thermo electric generator with multi-utility options
Raman P, Ram N K, Gupta R
| 2014
About 2679 million people across the world are using biomass fuels to meet their energy requirement for cooking. Due to incomplete and poor combustion, these cookstoves are causing indoor pollution and perform at a poor efficiency. There is a need to develop efficient and affordable clean combustion cookstoves. Improved cookstoves working on the natural draft mode perform at a lower efficiency. The forced draft cookstoves work at higher efficiency with clean combustion, but requires power to operate a small blower.
Determining the genetic origin of Nitrate contamination in aquifers of Northern Gujarat, India
Kumari Rina, Datta P S, Singh Chander Kumar, Mukherjee Saumitra
| 2014
Over the past decades, the Gujarat state of India experienced intensive agricultural and industrial activities, fertilizer consumption and abstraction of groundwater, which in turn has degraded the ground water quality. Protection of aquifers from nitrate pollution is a matter of prime concern for the planners and decision-makers. The present study assessed the spatial and temporal variation of groundwater nitrate levels in areas with different land use/land cover activities for both pre- and post-monsoon period.
Determinants of proactive environmental management practices in Indian firms: An empirical study
Singh Neelam, Jain Suresh, Sharma Prateek
| 2014
The present study aims to empirically determine the primary factors that have a major influence on adoption of environmental management practices in Indian firms. For this purpose, a theoretical framework has been proposed based on previous studies and a pilot survey that provides broad and specific variables that might have an impact of these practices. This impact has been investigated by conducting factor analysis and stepwise-regression analysis. In order to collect the primary data a questionnaire has been designed for which 104 valid responses (8.5% response rate) have been obtained.
Deforestation-induced costs on the drinking water supplies of the Mumbai metropolitan, India
Singh Sunita, Mishra Arabinda
| 2014
The success of incorporating natural capital into resource- and land-use decisions hinges on the ability to quantify the ecosystem services, forecast the returns to the investments, convert these values into effective policy and finance mechanisms, and the presence of well-functioning institutions and infrastructure.
Creating enabling environment for affordable delivery of sustainable electricity services: Case studies of Innovative techno-institutional models
Sharma K Rahul, Palit Debajit
| 2014
Achieving universal electricity access has become a key policy objective for India as well for all other developing countries, especially after the launch of Sustainable Energy for All initiative of the United Nations. While governments have designed macro-scale policies and schemes for energy access; in recent year’s entrepreneurs, NGOs, and usergroups have been introducing innovations in designing energy access projects at more localized levels with varying degrees of success.
Chemical Characterization of Meltwater from East Rathong Glacier Vis-à-Vis Western Himalayan Glaciers
Sharma Brij M, Tayal Shresth, Chakraborty Parthasarathi, Bharat Girija K
| 2014
Ice and meltwater samples from Rathong glacier and its pro-glacial stream Rathong chu, were collected during late winter season. Samples were analyzed to study the chemical composition , weathering, and geochemical processes in ice and meltwater at high altitudes.
Carbon Sequestration and Economic Potential of the Selected Medicinal Tree Species: Evidence From Sikkim, India
Aggarwal Ashish, Chauhan Suresh
| 2014
Medicinal plants are widely used in India for various livelihood and health benefits. However, there is a lack of awareness and research on their carbon sequestration and economical potential, which constrains their use in various ongoing carbon forestry schemes precluding farmers from potential carbon revenue opportunities.
Biological nitrate removal using waste-derived extracts as sole carbon source?
Basu Subhankar, Verma Sakshi,Singh Ravi Karan, Batra Vidya S, Balakrishnan Malini
| 2014
Waste-derived multicomponent extracts were investigated as carbon source for biological nitrate removal. Aerobic and anaerobic sludge from a municipal wastewater treatment plant and leachate from an anaerobic digester treating food waste were studied. Alkaline-heat treatment was used for sludge solubilisation. More than 90% carbon was recovered at pH 10–11. The extracts contain very high volatile fatty acids (VFAs), protein and carbohydrate. The protein/carbohydrate ratio was 2/1 for both aerobic and anaerobic sludge extracts and 9/1 for leachate.
Biohydrogen production by Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum TERI S7 from oil reservoir flow pipeline
Singh Sneha, Sarma Priyangshu M, Lal Banwari
| 2014
Thermophilic dark fermentative hydrogen producing bacterial strain, TERI S7, isolated from an oil reservoir flow pipeline located in Mumbai, India, showed 98% identity with Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum by 16S rRNA gene analysis. It produced 1450 e1900 ml/L hydrogen under both acidic and alkaline conditions; at a temperature range of 45e60 C. The maximum hydrogen yield was 2.5 L 0.2 mol H2/mol glucose, 2.2 L 0.2 mol H2/ mol xylose and 5.2 L 0.2 mol H2/mol sucrose, when the respective sugars were used as carbon source.
Biofuels in South Asia: Connecting the Dots
Bandyopadhyay Kaushik Ranjan, Das Kasturi
| 2014
Biofuels are being promoted in South Asian region primarily in blended form with petrol and diesel in order to reduce South Asia’s oil import dependence, make the region energy secure, and also as a socially and environmentally benign fuel. However, given the multipronged challenges confronting the conventional biofuels globally as well as in South Asia,the paper makes an attempt to realistically assess the prospects and problems of biofuels promotion in the region.?