Browsing by Author "Sathian, K K"

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Assessment of baseflow for micro watersheds in the midland of Kerala
(Department of Soil and Water Conservation Engineering, Kelappagi College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology , Tavanur, 2024-03-11) Diya, N Sabu.; Sathian, K K
A study was conducted to quantify baseflow deriving from the micro watersheds of river Bharathapuzha lying near Valanchery town in the Malappuram district of Kerala, named as Perassannur watershed (W1) and Painkannur watershed (W2 Various baseflow separation methods such as graphical methods including straight line, fixed base and constant base methods; UKIH and digital filter methods including Lyne and Hollick (LH) and Chapman and Maxwell (CM) methods were used for the quantification of baseflow. Their performance evaluations were done to find the best suitable method for the selected study area. Micro watersheds were delineated from SRTM DEM using GIS software and their geographical areas were found for both the watersheds. Daily rainfall and stream flow were measured for both the micro watersheds by digital rainfall event recorder and area velocity method respectively. Morphometry of the study watersheds in terms of areal, linear and relief aspects; and land use and soil analysis were made in the GIS platform to gain insights into the parameters influencing the baseflow generation process. Graphical and statistical comparisons were performed among the methods to identify the best filter parameters for different filtering methods to make the baseflow separation process more accurate and acceptable. Morphometric analysis showed that the maximum stream order of Perassannur is 5 and Painkannur 4, and both of them have dendritic drainage pattern. Most of the area of the watersheds was covered by cropland and paddy fields, which facilitated the baseflow production. The value of N in the UKIH method was found as 4 in Perassannur and 3 in the Painkannur watersheds. Filter parameters of the digital filter method were determined using the procedure given by Cheng 2016 and estimated as 0.70 for Perassannur and 0.79 for Painkannur, and compared their performance with the often used filter parameters with the values of 0.850 and 0.925 in which 0.925 gave better results than the computed values for both watersheds. Estimated baseflow values for each method were statistically compared with the observed base flow values to find the best suitable method. Among the different filter methods, the LH method showed better accuracy than other methods while the variable slope method has come out as the most inaccurate procedure to estimate baseflow in the study region.
Assessment of lateral flow and base flow for effective interventions in water conservation
(Department of Soil and Water Conservation Engineering, KCAET, Tavanur, 2021) Jyothy, Narayanan; Sathian, K K
Subsurface movement of water has a vital role in the availability of water of an area, such that vertical downward movement of water from root zone region will recharge the groundwater and the lateral movement from the soil moisture or groundwater reservoir will tend to diminish it. The vertical downward movement of infiltrated water gets partially blocked and the accumulated water will induces interflow/lateral flow from a point of higher hydraulic gradient towards the lower hydraulic gradient. The midlands in the State of Kerala are predominantly covered with laterite soil underlain with hard laterite and crystalline rocks. Even though the state of Kerala receives an average annual rainfall of 3000 mm, it experiences severe dry spell during post-monsoon season as groundwater storage is not adequate to meet various demands. With growing variations in the characteristics of precipitation, increasing population and urbanization the infiltration opportunity time for rainwater has decreased resulting in further worsening of the situation. The pertaining issue requires a comprehensive investigation, learning and adoption of effective interventions for water conservation. The most hidden knowledge in this regard is the lack of quantitative information available on the movement of subsurface water. Hence, the present study was carried out to understand two major hydrological processes viz., lateral flow / interflow and groundwater flow in lateritic soils. The research was conducted at KCAET Tavanur campus, Kerala Agricultural University, India. The interflow determination was done in three sites through five experimental set ups. The selected experimental sites were having varied vegetal cover, slope and soil texture. Different techniques were used for the inducement of lateral flow such as rainfall simulation using micro-sprinklers, application of water in trenches and the natural rainfall. Interflow was monitored at three different soil depth zones of 0-40 cm, 40-80 cm and 80-120 cm on the vertical face of the trench made at the downslope side of the water application site. Further, salt (NaCl) tracer was used to determine lateral flow by analyzing salt breakthrough which was recorded through electrical conductivity variations at the monitoring trench face. Tracer analysis for interflow estimation was done through 2 experimental set ups in site 2 and site 3. Base flow monitoring was done through salt (KCl) tracer through five observation wells constructed for this purpose. Instantaneous injection of KCl tracer was done in the injection well and salt breakthrough analysis was carried out in nearby monitoring wells. The study also included simulation of lateral flow and groundwater flow using HYDRUS-2D software. The study revealed that among various soil physical properties, the lateral flow discharge greatly depends on bulk density of soil and soil texture. Further, it was found that an instantaneous application of water on the soil surface and in trench results in more lateral flow than gentle application rates. It was proved from the experiments that NaCl can be treated as an effective tracer to monitor the subsurface flow though molecular diffusion of the salt due to antecedent moisture content remains as a hindrance to its use during rainy season. The study has established that though the infiltration capacity of the lateritic soil is very high, major portion of the infiltrated water moves laterally without reaching the water table. Thus, to increase the groundwater recharge, it is essential to enhance vertical preferential flow through deep rooted vegetation or by deep trenches and pits. Adopting subsurface mechanical barriers which can intercept and divert the interflow to downward direction is also appears to be effective. Further, simulation of lateral flow and base flow using HYDRUS-2D software predicted the lateral flow discharge with a correlation coefficient of 96.4 %. The prediction accuracy of the model for base flow was 73%.
Determination of subsurface stormflow using tracer method
(Department of soil and water conservation engineering, Kelappaji college of Agricultural engineering and technology, 2020) Adarsh, S S; Sathian, K K
Determination of water balance components of a micro watershed for improved water management practices
(Department of soil and water conservation engineering, Kelappaji college of agricultural engineering and technology, Tavanur, 2023-11-23) Bowlekar Adwait Prakash; Sathian, K K
The incidents of water shortage are prevalent even in areas with high annual rainfall and are a serious issue requiring immediate attention. The uneven temporal distribution of rainfall, poor water conservation, and management are the primary reasons for this scarcity. A water balance study on a watershed basis can provide objective solutions to water scarcity and other water management issues. Hence, such a study on a sub-watershed of river Bharathapuzha, having a catchment area in and around Valanchery municipal town in Malappuram district, has been carried out in this research work. Major objectives of the study included the determination of monthly water balances of the watershed, developing relationships between them, and suggesting scientific water management practices for the watershed. Four automatic tipping bucket rain gauges were installed in the study area to record the rainfall. The stream runoff was determined by the area-velocity method, using automatic water level sensors, data loggers, and cup-type current meters. The soil moisture was measured using both capacitance and resistance-based soil moisture sensors, and a water level sensor recorded the groundwater level. The evapotranspiration (ET) was estimated using the FAO Penman-Monteith (PM) method and the water balance method. The sub-components of water balance were also assessed using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The SWAT-CUP (Calibration and Uncertainty Programme) was used for sensitivity analysis and calibration of the model. The monthly and weekly relationships were found between the rainfall and other water balance components using R software. The soil and water conservation measures were suggested for the study based on the morphometric and water balance information.
Development of a filter system for roof water harvesting
(Department of Land and Water Resources and Conservation Engineering, Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Tavanur, 2014) Shijila Erikottil; Sathian, K K
Development of an automatic cleaning mechanism for roof water harvesting
(Department of Land and Water Resources and Conservation Engineering, Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Tavanur, 2016) Lakshminarayana, S V; Sathian, K K
Hydraulics and field performance of a novel micro sprinkler
(Department of Land and Water Resources and Conservation Engineering, Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and technology, Tavanur, 2012) Soumya Rani, T; Sathian, K K
Impact of climate change on water resources of Kurumali river basin
(Academy of Climate Change Education and Research, Vellanikkara, 2016) Arya, A R; Sathian, K K
Soil, water and air are the primary requirements for the existence of life on earth. Efficient distribution and sustainable use of water resources has to be managed on watershed basis. A watershed is a geographical area which receives water through precipitation and drains out to a common outlet. Watershed scale hydrological studies consider the weather conditions and physiographic features of the watershed as input factors. Changes in any of these parameter definitely willinfluence the watershed hydrology
Impact of climatic parameters on watershed management practices using gis techniques
(Academy of Climate Change Education and Research, Vellanikkara, 2015) Sandra George; Sathian, K K
Water is one of the most important natural resources supporting all forms of life on earth and the sustainable use and conservation of this resource has to be planned on watershed basis. Watershed is a land area which drains water received through precipitation to a common outlet, usually a small drainage channel to a river. Changes in weather parameters will lead to cascading effects on watershed hydrology, biomass production and many other natural processes. The changes in precipitation pattern with changes in intensity and frequency will give rise to corresponding changes in the surface runoff, lateral flow, base flow, evapotranspiration and soil erosion. Quantifying these hydrological processes are very important from the point of view of sustainable use of land and water and their conservation planning and implementation. Since the various watershed processes are interdependent, highly variable with respect to time and space, measurement of these natural processes at different spatial location is not an easy task. Watershed models are a solution to meet the challenge of estimating watershed processes to reasonable level of accuracy. Among the watershed models, physically based watershed models will be yielding better results as they are designed to simulate the physical processes more close to reality by considering maximum number of parameters governing those processes. In the present study, Kurumali sub basin of Karuvannur river in Thrissur district, Kerala was selected for the estimation of surface runoff using the widely used SWAT model. The study envisaged to determine the impact of climate changes on various watershed processes using SWAT model. Secondary data on climate, river flow, DEM, soil map have been used and landuse map has been prepared from satellite imagery procured from NRSA. The river flow prediction efficiency of the calibrated watershed model has been tested by Nash Sutcliff efficiency (NSE) and Coefficient of Determination (COD). A very high Nash Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) of 0.88 and Coefficient of Determination (COD) 0.96 have been obtained for the calibration period. Corresponding NSE and COD of 138 the model simulation for the validation period were 0.90 and 0.99. The very high NSE and COD for both calibration and validations periods are the clear indication of the good model prediction of the river flow. The study revealed that average annual rainfall of the area was 2829 mm with a standard deviation of 748. For the existing climatic scenario (year 1993 to 2012), water balance components including the surface runoff, lateral flow, base flow and evapotranspiration of the basin were 306 mm, 339 mm, 1649 mm and 337 mm respectively. The predicted mean annual rainfall for the basin for the years 2021 to 2030 was 3655 mm and the water balance components including the surface runoff, lateral flow, base flow and evapotranspiration of the basin were 756.92 mm, 407.56 mm, 1802.78 mm and 456.02 mm respectively. Future rainfall was 29 percent greater than the existing rainfall and the river flow predicted for the basin for the changed climate was 46 per cent higher than the existing one. Similarly, surface runoff, lateral flow and base flow also showed considerable increase in the changed climatic scenario. Study highlights that soil and water conservation measures, presently being practiced in the area, will have to be modified and augmented as rainfall and surface runoff showed remarkable increase for the future time period.
Improvement of purification system for roof water harvesting
(Department of Land and Water Resources and Conservation Engineering, Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Tavanur, 2015) Swatha, V S; Sathian, K K
The severity of water scarcity and the need of water conservation, appropriate to the situation, are well understood facts and do not require any further elaboration. Knowing the potential of rooftop rainwater harvesting in Kerala state, the government has introduced legistation making rooftop rainwater harvesting mandatory for all newly constructed residential and commercial buildings. However, the roof water harvesting techniques is crippled with the inefficiency of the commonly employed sand and gravel purification system. The major deficiency of the system lies in the difficulty in cleaning of the filter media. Though studies have been initiated with alternative purification methods, it warrants further modification and improvisation. Keeping this in mind, this M.Tech research work has been taken up to find solutions to the purification issues of rooftop rainwater. The major focus of the work was to develop more efficient micro mesh filter in combination with a first flush system. To evaluate the performance of the filter and first flush, inflow and outflow of the roof water samples were analysed for pH, electrical conductivity, TDS, TSS, metal concentration and microbial parameters. In general, the pH, electrical conductivity and TDS of the roof water samples were within the drinking water standards for the different types of roofs tested. Micromesh purification reduced these quality parameters to further lower levels (10 to 20 percentage). Major TSS load was organic and its concentration was far beyond the permissible limit. Filtration with first flush system could reduce 88 percentage of the organic impurities. Metal and microbial concentrations of the roof water were within the permissible limits, the micromesh filtration could reduce their presence further by about 10 to15 percentage. There is further scope for improving the efficiency of mesh filters by adopting mesh sizes lower than 25 micron for which the discharge of the filter would not be a constraint, as has been revealed by the study.
Modelling groundwater pollution using visual modflow in Eloor industrial belt
(Department of Soil and Water Conservation Engineering, Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology ,Thavanur, 2023) Anjaly C Sunny.; Sathian, K K
Groundwater of shallow aquifer is a good source of fresh water for drinking and irrigation for the state of Kerala. However, in some cases it is polluted by salt water intrusion and industrial pollution; Eloor municipality in the central part of Kerala is a typical example for the latter situation due to the presence of several hazardous industries. The place has been considered as one of the hot spots of the world, however, not much studies have been reported on the quantitative analysis of the area extent of the pollution and plausible remedial measures. Hence, this study has been conducted at Eloor to assess the aquifer characteristics, water quality, develop groundwater and contaminant transport models and thereby to suggest remedial measures to mitigate pollution issues of an industrial area. Resistivity survey has been conducted at five different locations and the water quality parameters of ten observation wells were tested in the laboratory. Irrigation water quality parameters viz. EC, SAR (Sodium Adsorption Ratio), RSC (Residual Sodium Carbonate, KI (Kelly Ratio) and Na% (Sodium Percentage) were computed. In addition, Irrigation Water Quality Index (IWQI) and Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index (CCME WQI) were used to assess irrigation water and drinking water quality respectively. The study also utilized Visual MODFLOW and it’s MT3DMS add on module to simulate the groundwater movement and contaminant transport. The models were calibrated for the period 2008 to 2013 and validated for 2014 to 2015. Simulation studies were made with different scenarios to get insight into the arresting of groundwater contamination. Geophysical survey showed that, the site which was at close proximity to the contaminant disposal site gave a very low resistivity value for all depth ranges, indicating highe moisture content and concentration of ions in the subsoil possibly due to the leaching of the effluents. IWQI and CCME values indicated that the water of the wells viz. W1, W2, W3, W4, W5, W6 in the neighbourhood of the contaminant disposal sites have poor standards both from the perspectives of irrigation and drinking water qualities, plausibly due to the influence of leachates from the effluent’s disposal site. At the same time, water qualities of the other wells were within the acceptable limits. It was found that IWQI index was more reliable to classify the irrigation water quality as it includes multiple parameters in its computation. Calibration and validation of Visual MODFLOW Flex 8.0 resulted in a correlation coefficient of 0.89 and 0.87 for the calibration and validation periods respectively. The corresponding values for the MT3DMS model were respectively 0.86 and 0.85. Prediction of contaminant transport for the year 2025 by MT3DMS model showed that the presence of contaminants may spread to an area extent of 4.46 km2 lying in the wards of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 29, 30 and 31 of Eloor municipality. Simulation of the effect of a C- shaped impermeable barrier to control this contaminant transport showed that radial movement of pollutants can be reduced to 1.46 km from the 2.43 km corresponding to no control measures. Though barrier appeared effective to check the spread of pollution to the habituation, it would turn out to be a costly measure and in addition, it might enhance the movement of pollutants into the river Periyar. Hence, as an alternative to physical barriers, the study recommends bio remedial measures in two different radial zones; one in the immediate neighbourhood of the point source with a radial distance of 0.4 km and other at 4 km as an economic and sustainable measure.
Optimal water use and cropping pattern for Thrithala regulator-cum-bridge project
(Department of Land and Water Resources and Conservation Engineering, Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Tavanur, 2001) Saritha, E K; Sathian, K K