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    Item type:Item, Thesis Access status: Open Access ,
    Environmental Sustainability and Livelihood Pattern of the Major Tribal People in Jhargram District, West Bengal: A Geographical Study
    (University of North Bengal, 2024) Bera, Ananda Nanda; Roy, Ranjan
    One of West Bengal's largest districts with a high concentration of tribal people is Jhargram District, India. Measuring the perceived level of the tribal people regarding the natural environment is essential because only this helps us achieve sustainability. Their lives, livelihoods, and living standards solely depend on the environment and natural resources. The perception of tribal people regarding the natural environment and environmental sustainability is one of the key factors in protecting against environmental degradation and maintaining the sustainable livelihood and living standards of tribal people of Jhargram district in particular. This research work is an in-depth study of the environmental sustainability of the Jhargram district and the major tribal communities' patterns of subsistence across the district of Jhargram. In this investigation, the researcher attempted to examine the environmental sustainability and livelihood pattern of the tribal people in Jhargram district with special references to 1) show the spatio-temporal distribution of the major tribes in Jhargram district 2) study the livelihood patterns of the major tribal people in Jhargram district 3) highlight the indigenous knowledge of major tribes for maintaining environmental sustainability in Jhargram district 4) explore the role of environmental sustainability on the livelihood patterns of the major tribal people in Jhargram district and 5) find out the challenges and opportunities of environmental sustainability and livelihood patterns major tribal people in Jhargram district. Jhargram district was created by bifurcating West Medinipur district, and it came into existence on 4th April 2017. The Jhargram district's major tribal communities are the Munda, Santhal, Bhumij, Lodha, Kora, and Mahali tribes. The majority of the tribal people in this area primarily depend on rain-fed agriculture, which is marked by low productivity, erratic weather patterns, low fertility soil, ineffective irrigation, depleted resources, and antiquated methods. The natural environment of the Jhargram district is deeply affected by modern intervention, which is consequently affecting tribal livelihood. With an ex-post-facto research design, the current study used a descriptive crosssectional survey approach. Topographical Maps, Satellite Images, District Planning Series Maps, and so on have been used to describe the physical features of the study area. Programmes like ArcGIS (Version: 10.3.1) and QGIS have been utilised to create the necessary maps. The temporal change in land cover and usage has been assessed using data from remote sensing. Several indices, including the NDVI, NDBI, and multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques, have been used in this study. To describe the socioeconomic characteristics of the people living in the study area, secondary data has been collected from a variety of sources, including the District Agricultural Annual Plan, District Industrial Profile, District Census Handbook, District Gazetteer, District Statistical Handbook, and data from B.L. & L. R.O. and D.L. & L. R.O. offices. The environmental status of the research region has been described through the collection and analysis of environmental data from the relevant department. Stratified random and purposive sampling techniques have been adopted to collect primary data. Primary data was collected using two types of tools: 1) an interview schedule for important respondents and 2) a semi-structured interview schedule for conducting focus groups with important respondents and in-depth interviews with important respondents such as community leaders and officials at the district and block levels. There are eight chapters throughout the entire work. The problem statement, review of the literature, the gap in the literature, study scope, goal, research questions, database and technique, sample size and design selection, and more are all covered in Chapter I and Chapter II provides an overview of the study area; Chapter III discusses the major tribal population's spatial and temporal distribution; Chapter IV discusses their patterns of livelihood; and Chapter V discusses their use of indigenous knowledge and environmental sustainability; Chapter VI: The Impact of Environmental Sustainability on the Primary Tribal People's Livelihood Patterns; Chapter VII presents the challenges and opportunities of environmental sustainability and livelihood patterns of the major tribal people, and Chapter VIII presents findings, suggestions and conclusions. Different tribal communities are not equally distributed in different blocks in the Jhagram district. The study reveals that most Jhargram district blocks have a healthy sex ratio. The standard of living and quality of life are slightly better than the previous condition. Effect of Modernization and Climatic condition tribal occupation patterns changed. Food habits and religious and cultural practices also changed due to modernization. The percentage of natural and regrowth vegetation cover remaining at 37.44 % (Forest Survey of India, 2022) in Jhargram district is a negative indicator of the health of an ecosystem. This means that the ecosystem cannot provide the many benefits natural vegetation provides, such as clean air and water, fertile soil, and habitat for wildlife. Gain of vegetation Cover -NET % Change in natural vegetation cover over the last five years in Jhargram district is 8.5198 %.
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    Item type:Item, Thesis Access status: Open Access ,
    নাট্যকার বুদ্ধদেব বসু Natyakar Buddhadeb Basu
    (University of North Bengal, 2024) রায় Roy, গোপা Gopa; রায় Roy, নিখিল চন্দ্র Nikhil Chandra
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    Item type:Item, Thesis Access status: Open Access ,
    Urban Transport and Associated Vehicular Emissions in Siliguri City
    (University of North Bengal, 2024) Bose, Arghadeep; Roy Chowdhury, Indrajit
    The phenomenon of rapid urbanization in contemporary developing nations brings with it a spectrum of challenges and opportunities. Siliguri, a burgeoning metropolitan hub nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas in West Bengal, India, exemplifies this dynamic. Siliguri has risen from a mere village to a significant commercial city. It is a nexus of trade and transportation, holding a strategic geographical and economic position in the region. Its strategic location as a gateway to the northeastern states and neighbouring countries has fuelled its growth, attracted a diverse population, and fostered a bustling economy. However, this rapid growth has not been without its challenges. The city's infrastructure, particularly its road network, has struggled to keep pace with its expanding population, which has grown from 4.72 lakhs in 2001 to 5.13 lakhs in 2011. The roads, characterized by a tangled web of interlinking nodes, serve both the city's internal traffic and intercity movements. Notable roads such as Hill Cart Road, Sevoke Road, and Burdwan Road, while vital, have become synonymous with congestion and environmental stress. The motivation behind this study stems from the pressing need to address the environmental repercussions of urban expansion. The relevance of this research lies in its potential to influence urban planning and policy, ensuring that cities like Siliguri can grow sustainably without compromising environmental integrity or public health. By focusing on the interplay between urban transport systems and associated vehicular emissions, this thesis seeks to unravel the complexities of urbanization and its implications for air quality and urban liveability. The primary objectives of this research encompass a comprehensive analysis of automobile pollution in Siliguri, focusing on quantifying pollutant variations and examining the spatial dynamics of traffic volumes at major intersections. The study aims to explore seasonal fluctuations in pollutant concentrations and investigate the relationship between these pollutants and climatic variables such as temperature and relative humidity. It also seeks to identify the principal causes of traffic congestion in Siliguri and assess the impact of vehicular emissions on human health within the city. Ultimately, the research intends to recommend transport action strategies and legislative measures to effectively reduce the pollution burden in Siliguri, thereby contributing to the development of sustainable urban mobility solutions. To achieve these objectives, a comprehensive database was constructed, encompassing both primary as well as secondary data. A range of methodological approaches was employed across different chapters of the thesis. Spatial analysis techniques, such as Univariate Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA) maps and Moran's I statistics, were used to decipher the distribution of pollutants. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) provided a framework for understanding the health impacts of pollution. Time series models, including ARIMA and TBATS, were applied to forecast the Air Quality Index (AQI) and to predict future trends. The findings of the research are revealing. An in-depth analysis of air pollutants over two years highlighted that the levels of PM2.5 and PM10 were alarmingly high, surpassing national standards and pinpointing traffic volume at key intersections as a significant source. Seasonal variations in pollution were found to be intricately linked with climatic variables, and traffic congestion emerged as a pressing problem, with spatial and temporal disparities across the city. Logistic regression analyses from perception surveys underscored vehicle growth and road space encroachment as primary factors behind peak-hour congestion. The health impact assessments indicated a stark connection between vehicular pollution exposure and adverse health outcomes among residents. This thesis concludes with a clarion call for the implementation of sustainable urban transport and environmental strategies. It underscores the urgency of transitioning research into actionable policies, with a focus on achieving Sustainable Development Goal 11. The study contributes a substantial framework for urban stakeholders, guiding interventions that can reduce pollution levels and enhance quality of life. Through its detailed exploration of Siliguri's urban challenges, the thesis offers an extensive blueprint for other cities grappling with similar issues of urbanization and environmental impact.
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    Item type:Item, Article Access status: Open Access ,
    Protein glycosylation as a long-distance signaling cue in sunflower seedlings under NaCl stress
    (University of North Bengal, 2024) Mukherjeea, Soumya; Bhatla, Satish Chander; Basak, Ganapati; Barman, Chandan
    Sunflower is an important oil seed crop cultivated world-wide. The early phase of seed germination and seedling growth is important to establish the mechanisms of physiological and molecular pathways associated with salinity tolerance in the crop. The cotyledons in sunflower are important lipid reserve and, therefore, represent unique system to study the intersection of protein and lipid metabolism under NaCl stress. The present work provides information on the role of NaCl stress (120 mM) in differential regulation of protein glycosylation at the early stage of seedling development in sunflower. We analyzed cytosolic proteins for the detection of protein glycosylation from roots and cotyledons of two-day old (dark grown) seedlings. Furthermore, cotyledons were used for the extraction of oil-body membrane proteins which were also analzyed as potential markers of protein glycosylation. Thus, the present work provides preliminary information on the role of NaCl stress and subsequent protein glycosylation as a long distance signaling in sunflower.
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    Item type:Item, Article Access status: Open Access ,
    Evaluation of anti-bacterial potential and characterization of phytoconstituents of leaf extracts of Anisomeles indica (L.) Kuntze, a pharmacologically important herb from Terai-Duars region of West Bengal
    (University of North Bengal, 2024) Thapa, Upashna; Subba, Rewaj; Toppo, Prabha; Singla , Priyanka; Mathur, Piyush
    Medicinal plants have been a great source of herbal drugs, and with the advent of biotechnology, enormous novel herbal compounds have now been identified that may have a vast application in the pharmaceutical industry. Anisomeles indica (L.) Kuntze is an important medicinal plant found growing in the wild in the Terai Duars region of North Bengal, belonging to the family Lamiaceae. Although some of the studies have suggested the potential application of this plant extract for the treatment of bacterial diseases, none of the studies have studied the chemical composition of leaf extracts in great detail. In lieu of this, the present work has been framed to evaluate the phytochemical composition of leaf extracts of A. indica in two different solvents, i.e. ethyl acetate and ethanol, and the qualitative screening for the presence of various phytochemicals namely terpenoids, carbohydrates, steroids, flavonoids, alkaloids, phenols, tannins, cardiac glycosides, saponins, and lignins. Additionally, the antioxidant potential of ethanolic leaf extract was studied by analyzing DPPH activity and ABTS assay. The freehand sections of fresh A. indica leaves were carried out, and localization of the bioactive phytoconstituents inside the leaf was highlighted. One of the major approaches followed in this work was the evaluation of the antibacterial activity of leaf extracts, and it was found that ethanolic leaf extracts were highly effective against all tested bacterial strains (Bacillus subtilis ATCC 11774, Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 25241, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and Escherichia coli ATCC 11229). Further, GC-MS profiling of the ethanolic extract confirmed the presence of a total of 15 compounds, of which 13 were found to be biologically active.