Department of Environmental Science Nauni, Solan (HP)

Dr SK Bhardwaj
Professor & Head

Mother earth is facing challenges in the form of pollution, climate change and natural resource depletion, biotic and abiotic stresses. These pressures are altering the natural ecoscapes, vegetation and food production systems. Globally Climate variability/change has been acknowledged to affect all walks of life. Industrialization and urbanization are other challenges which alter the quality and quantity of natural resources. Keeping in view the adverse consequence of environmental concerns in Himalayan region, Department of Environmental science was established in 2008. Since its establishment, the Department has been catering the need of solving various environmental issues through conducting research and disseminating it to the ultimate users and also through generating quality human resource to cater to the needs of various sectors.

The research on significant environmental issues is being conducted by generating funds from prestigious agencies like: ICAR, DST, IMD, RKVY, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmer Welfare, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Ministry of New and renewable energy, HIMCOSTE, State Department of Horticulture and Agriculture, private agencies and NGO’s etc.. The Department is conducting regular trainings, workshops and farmer awareness programmes to have discussions with farmers related to climate variability/change and its impacts on horticultural crops and providing weather forecast based agro-advisory services for conducting various farming operations.

The research findings have been published through more than 180 papers out of which 77 are above NAAS rating of six and rest of 103 are within NAAS rating of 4 to 6 in leading National and International journals. In addition to this department has published nine Books, five Practical Manuals, eight Pamphlets and number of conceptual articles in leading newspapers and magazines of National levels. Department in its journey of over 15 years has been able to generate useful human resource for the country in the form of 96 MSc and 36 PhD students. The Alma maters of this department are working in different organization at National and International levels.

Mandate

  • Impart formal and informal education in environmental science and to generate skilled human resource to develop eco-literate human society.
  • Conduct research to solve emerging environmental issues.
  • Disseminate the recommended solutions among stake holders.

Strengths

  • Well equipped laboratory facilities for monitoring of soil, water and air pollution through advanced instruments like Inductively Coupled Plasma emission spectroscope.
  • Weather Forecast centre including conventional and automatic agrometeorological observatory.
  • Weather forecast based agro-advisory services to farmers using ICT tools.
  • Experienced staff, motivated faculty, smart class room and well equipped research farm to conduct field research.
  • The Department strives to render community outreach through capacity building and environmental awareness programmes.

Academics

The department offers degree programmes for:

  • M.Sc. Environmental Science
  • Ph.D. Environmental Science
Click here for course details
Achievements
  • Almost all the PhD degree holders and those perusing their PhD degrees have qualified UGC and ICAR NET in the discipline of Environmental Science. Recently, ten students namely: Ms. Jyotsna Pandit, Ms. Divya Mehta, Ms. Apurva Sharma, Ms. RK Lalrinzvali, Ms. Nitika Rana, Ms. Anuradha, Mr. Shubham Sharma, Mr. O. Sadish and Ms. Priyanka Balan and Mr Kartikey Sahil qualified ICAR- NET examination and eight students (Ms. Jyotsana Pandit, Ms. Lekhika Parihar, Ms. Apurva Sharma, Ms. Diksha Rana and O. Sadish, Ms Priyanka Balan, Ms Puja, Mr. Subham) qualified UGC NET examination since 2019.
  • Four PhD students (Ms. Apurva Sharma, O. Sadish, Ms Priyanka B and Ms. Puja) received UGC-JRF fellowship for PhD since 2018.
  • Some student’s viz., Ms. Kirti Sharma and Ms. Nikita Rana, awarded with ICSSR Centrally-Administered Full-Term Doctoral Fellowship in the year 2019-20 by Indian Council of Social Science Research of Ministry of Human Resource Development, New Delhi.
  • Seven alma maters got appointment as Assistant Professor in Government Universities and Colleges and in reputed institutes like Forest Research Institute at Dehradun. Dr. Nancy Loria well decorated alma mater has joined the researcher position in the School of Environment and Natural Resources, Ohio State University. Three of our alma maters are working in UK, Kenia and Tanzania.
  • D. research scholar (Mr. Sadish Oumabady) of this Department got a Common-Wealth Split Site Scholarship at Queen’s University Belfast and recently completed his research work at UK.
  • Five of the international students also completed their PhD and MSc degrees from this Department.

Research

Thrust Areas

  • Study the status of soil, water and air pollution in Himalayan ecosystem and to work out management strategies.
  • Quantify, characterize wastes and to develop techniques for its bio recycling.
  • Study the climate change impact vis a vis to work out mitigation and adaptation strategies.
  • Assess the impact of environmental changes on ecosystem services.
  • Assess Renewable energy potential.
  • Explore techniques for ecosystem restoration.
  • Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa (GKMS) funded by India Meteorological Department, Ministry of Earth Science.
  • Forecasting Agricultural Output using Space Agro meteorology and Land based observations (FASAL) funded by India Meteorological Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
  • Assessment of Impacts of Climate Variability/Change on Apple Crop Productivity and Quality in Himachal Pradesh funded by Department of Horticulture Shimla HP.
  • Effect of climate change induced abiotic stresses on commercial vegetable crops in mid hills of Himachal Pradesh, funded under Research and development funds.
  • Water quality assessment of surface and groundwater sources in mid hills of Himachal Pradesh, funded under Research and development funds.
  • Handled 25 projects funded by ICAR, DST, MOEF&CC, Ministry of New & Renewable energy, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, State department of Environment, Agriculture and Horticulture and other public and private sector organizations.
  • Developed climate change scenarios for HP.
  • Issuing weather forecast based agro-advisory services twice a week to the 3.44 lakh registered farmers for six districts of HP with annual accuracy of 71 per cent.
  • Developed an indirect solar drier of 25 kg capacity with temperature controller and heat storage systems for the drying of fruits, vegetables, seeds and medicinal plants and demonstrated at farmer’s field and different agroecological regions of HP.
  • Developed crop weather calendar for important crops.
  • Conducted EIA of National Highways in HP.
  • Waste quantification, characterization and management in HP.
  • Five Novel strains isolated from industrial waste water through bio-remediation and registered in NCBI.
  • Air, soil and water pollution status of major towns of HP.
  • Impact of changing environment on ecosystem services in HP.
  • Studied relationship of water and air quality on human health.
  • Quantified carbon sequestration potential of different land uses.
  • Estimated forest fire risk using FRISK model of the state based on bio-physical and socio-economic index.
  • Conducted studies on effect of climate change on major fruit crops of the state.
  • Conducted studies on interactive effect of elevated CO2 and temperature on vegetable crops using open top chambers (OTC).
  • Solar power potential of the state was assessed.
  • Conducted impact assessment of Ecotourism activities in HP.
  • Impact of environmental changes on ecosystem services.

Extension

  • Organized a total of 27 trainings/workshops and every year international/world days on Environment, Earth, Water, Ozone, Wetlands and Meteorological in addition to Awareness Campaigns on Life style environmental, Cleanliness drive and Parthenium eradication campaigns during last five years.
  • Organized 7 farmer’s awareness programmes/field visits for farmers to aware them about weather based agro-advisory services and MEGHDOOT app.
  • The Faculty of the department participated in 65 workshops/seminars/ webinars, trainings and delivered 27 lectures in the training camps/ seminars organized by Nauni University and other agencies and delivered 3 radio/TV talks.
  • Prepared a total of 104 Weather based agro-advisory bulletins twice a week (Tuesday and Friday) bilingually each for Solan and Kullu districts and blocks and disseminated every week through SMS service, newspapers, Kisan Portal, AIR, TV and WhatsApp groups benefitting 3.44 lakh registered farmers.
  • Installed 25 solar driers at various locations in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Awards/Recognitions

  • Got Cleanliness and Beautification Award-2017 at university level.
  • Got International Green University Award-2022 by preparing the information at university level and presenting to Green School Conference, 2022 held on September 24, 2022 at SUNY Maritime College, New York.
  • Scientists of the department (Dr RK Aggarwal) received 2nd prize at the National level for writing a book in Hindi entitled “Increasing farm income using solar drier” from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, GOI, New Delhi for the year 2016.
  • Dr Kartikey Sahil of this Department got Uma Dutt Mamgain Best Research Awards -2016 for Master’s Research by “Society for the Advancement of Human and Nature (SADHNA)” and Young Achiever Award-2021 for outstanding contribution in the field of Environmental Science by “Agricultural Technology Development  Society (ATDS)”.
  • Scientist of the department (Dr Hukum Chand Sharma) got Young Environmentalist Award-2019 for the best services in the field of Environmental Science by Registered Agro Environmental and Developmental Society, UP, India.

Facilities

  • Labs with state of art facilities on Soil-water pollution monitoring, GIS, environment biology and energy.
  • Energy Park & Solar Radiation Resource Assessment Station.
  • Automatic Weather Station and Conventional Agro-meteorology observatory.
  • Open Top Chamber for climate change studies.
  • Weather Forecasting Centre.
  • SPACE CLUB: To develop life style for environment among students, employees of the University and mountain people.

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