Title: Environmental sustainability (ES): a case study of Noamundi area in Jharkhand, India

Authors: Surajit Panda; Manish Kumar Jain; Krishnendu Banerjee; A.T. Jeyaseelan

Addresses: Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (ISM), Dhanbad, Dhanbad – 826004, Jharkhand, India ' Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (ISM), Dhanbad, Dhanbad – 826004, Jharkhand, India ' Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (ISM), Dhanbad, Dhanbad – 826004, Jharkhand, India ' Board of Studies for Water Resources, Institute of Science & Technology, JNTUH, Kukatpally, Hyderabad – 500085, India

Abstract: Environmental issues such as mine-water drainage, land resources and socio-environment are threats to whole biosphere. An overview of environmental sustainability (ES) processes was analysed using weight-overlay with sub-surface/ground water quality (SWQ and GWQ), slope, land use/land cover (LULC), land surface temperature (LST), human comfort index (HCI) and crowdedness data. SWQ was between 06.43 to 92.94, LST was 27.8-40°C, and HCI was (79-103: uncomfortable) in study area. Degraded GWQ was observed near Bahada, Kothghar while better GWQ was seen near Noamundi, Mahudi, Meralgara village. Mines and rocky surfaces displayed very low sustainability with high LST, steep-slope, low organic-carbon and moisture content. Agricultural and forest cover areas indicate high to very-high sustainability due to low LST, more organic-carbon and moisture. This study investigates human-survival efficiency in respect of ES which may be considered as measurement tool for representing, analysing, and managing bio-geophysical environment.

Keywords: WQI; water quality indexes; HCI; human comfort index; LST; land surface temperature; crowdedness; environmental sustainability; LULC; land use/land cover.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2021.125190

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2021 Vol.69 No.1/2, pp.35 - 62

Received: 16 Apr 2021
Accepted: 12 Jan 2022
Published online: 01 Sep 2022 *