Development of an agroforestry carbon sequestration project in Khammam district,India

This paper addresses methodological issues in estimating carbon (C) sequestration potential, baseline determination, additionality and leakage in Khammam district, Andhra Pradesh, southern part of India. Technical potential for afforestation on cultivable wastelands, fallow, and marginal croplands was considered for Eucalyptus clonal plantations. Field studies for aboveground and belowground biomass, woody litter, and soil organic carbon for baseline and project scenarios were conducted to estimate the carbon sequestration potential. The baseline carbon stock was estimated to be 45.3 t C/ha, predominately in soils. The additional carbon sequestration potential under the project scenario for 30 years is estimated to be 12.8 t C/ha/year inclusive of harvest regimes and carbon emissions due to biomass burning and fertilizer application. Considering carbon storage in harvested wood, an additional 45% carbon benefit can be accounted. The project scenario has a higher benefit/cost ratio compared to the baseline scenario. The initial investment cost requirement, however, is high and lack of access to investment is a significant barrier for adoption of agroforestry in the district.

Groundwater quality assessment of Nawa Tehsil in Nagaur district (Rajasthan) with special reference to Fluoride

In recent years, the problem of fluoride in Nawa tehsil (Nagaur district) has reached at an alarming proportion. In the last decades, the water table of the Nawa tehsil has fallen. With the lowering of the water table, the amount of fluoride has increased in the subsoil water which is used by the villagers when drawn through hand pumps, tube wells etc. So the present study illustrates the groundwater quality of randomly selected villages of Nawa tehsil. The highest fluoride concentration was found in Rulaniyo ki Dhani i.e. 14.62 ppm. The excessive intake of fluoride resulted in dental and skeletal fluorosis.