A geographical analysis of the first wave of Covid-19 with reference to highland and lowland regions of India

The issue of health has become a major concern in recent years as a result of extensive coverage of media reporting outbreaks of diseases and the spread of deadly infectious diseases around the world. There has been a growing concern over the accessibility and affordability of healthcare facilities. The spread of the ongoing pandemic COVID-19 has been felt all over the world. However, the rate of infection varies across certain regions of the world. There exists intra-regional disparity as well. Recent research shows that there are latitudinal and altitudinal variations in the spread of the COVID-19. This paper studies variation of infection COVID-19 across the highlands of the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) and the lowland areas in India. The paper also examines the role of geographical spaces in the spread of coronavirus in these regions. The study indicates that place-based effects (altitude, temperature, pollution levels, etc.) on health can be seen in a variety of ways; therefore, locational issues are very important for addressing health questions. The paper also analyses the Spatio-temporal pattern of the COVID-19 pandemic in the study area to understand the nature of the disease in different locations.

The occupational structure of rural workers in Mathura district, Uttar Pradesh

Occupational structure refers to the division of workers into different types of economic activities. It is the activities by which people secure their livelihood and it also provides background knowledge for formulating development plans for any region. The paper presents the occupational structure of rural workers in the Mathura district. Mathura district is situated in the western part of Uttar Pradesh and has a high religious and economic importance. The whole study is mainly based on primary data collected through a structured interview schedule designed for the purpose. Field surveys were conducted during 2015-16 and 5270 respondents (2929 males and 2341 females) of 755 households were questioned to generate primary data. In the surveyed villages, the share of cultivation and agricultural labourers was 44.41 % and 16.32 % respectively. A large share of workers was engaged in primacy activities (66.73%). The analysis shows that there is a negative relationship between workers and literacy rate. It happens because as people get employment in cities they leave the village and only unemployed literates stay there. The results were derived with the help of statistical techniques and SPSS software whereas maps were prepared with the help of GIS Arc View software.

Evaluation of morphometric characteristics of Betwa drainage basin

The morphometric analysis of any drainage basin is considered useful for water resource studies such as flood assessment, water quality sampling, water use reporting, watershed management etc. Drainage basin is generally defined as the areal extent of land from which the surface runoff flows to a defined drain, channel, stream or river. It is mainly governed by the topography of the terrain. Geographical Information System and Image Processing Techniques can be used for the identification of morphological features and analyzing properties of the basin. The morphometric parameters include linear, areal and relief aspects. ‘Watershed Atlas of India’ (2014) on 1:50,000 scale is an important digital database for planning and monitoring of development programs on a watershed basis. It serves as a uniform baseline for developing a hydrological unit-based data bank to be used for the management of water resources in the country. Run-off, sedimentation, water balance, evapotranspiration and several other catchment characterization related studies may be taken up on a watershed basis. The present study deals with morphometric parameters such as stream order (Nu), stream length (Lu), bifurcation ratio (Rb), drainage density (D) and stream frequency (Fs) of the Betwa drainage basin. Geographically the basin (77° 30′ to 80° 12′ east longitudes and 23°30′ to 25°55′ north latitudes) is located in two states i.e. Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh occupying an area of 43780 km2. The length of the stream segment is maximum for the first-order stream and decreases as the stream order increases. This study would help in understanding the hydrological behaviour of the basin. This, in turn, may enable the local people to utilize the resources of the basin for the sustainable development of the area.

A geographical analysis of thunderstorms in southern Bangladesh

Thunderstorm is one of the extreme devastating natural disasters, which causes death, injuries and adverse loss in agriculture, housing structure and domestic animals during the period of pre-monsoon and monsoon. Bangladesh is vulnerable to thunderstorm disasters due to its location and weather conditions. Rural people are severely affected by a thunderstorm. For this research, necessary data were collected from secondary as well as primary sources. Thunderstorm related information was randomly gathered from the 150 affected family members and close relatives. The study demonstrated that the working people especially farmers and school going students were severely affected. The research also identified impacts of thunderstorms on humans, types of damage and monetary loss. In terms of thunderstorm induced casualty, the number of death was higher than other casualties in the study area. This research also revealed that above 67 % of people succumbed to death by the thunderstorms which damaged crops, households, animals and trees. People in the study area also suffered from physical damage, for example, injuries to ears, eyes, and body. More than 37% of people faced hearing problems due to strikes of thunderstorms. The study also identified the risk factors responsible for the thunderstorms, such as lack of knowledge about a thunderstorm, outdoor activities, diurnal, and locational variation. Policymakers and planners will find insights from this research to mitigate the impact of thunderstorm disasters in rural Bangladesh.

Morphometric analysis of Nandakini River Basin, Garhwal Himalaya, Uttarakhand using geospatial technology

Basin morphometry is a crucial method of analysis to understand the geology, lithological structure, infiltration rate of rainwater, runoff, eroded load carrying capacity and flooding potential of a drainage basin. The quantitative techniques applied for linear, aerial and relief aspects of the drainage basin elucidate the rate of erosion, the intensity of denudation and subsequently the potential of the Nandakini river basin to flooding. The morphometric analysis of the Nandakini river basin in the Garwhal Himalayan region of Uttarakhand reveals that the Rf value of the Nandakini river basin is 0.28, indicating an elongated basin shape leading to quick flooding and poor draining out of floodwaters. Similarly, an elevation difference between the highest and lowest elevation is 5380 metres aids quick runoff and deposition of eroded debris in the drainage channels, another cause of channel overflow. The Rh value is high (0.12), indicating a high channel gradient with intense erosional processes operating due to steep gradient and this has a considerable impact on the rate of erosive geomorphic processes operating. The higher elevation on the Eastern part of the basin due to the Vaikrita Thrust, the Munsiyari Thrust (ie. the southern tilting Main Central Thrust) and the Baijnath Klippe has resulted in metamorphism in Miocene and Pliocene explaining the low rate of infiltration and rapid runoff.

Covid-19 and the restructuring of economic space: Emerging research frontiers in Economic Geography (with special reference to India)

The first case of COVID-19 was reported in December 2019. However, in no time this local outbreak of the corona virus became a pandemic. Not only it has slowed down the intensity of economic activities across the globe, but it has also resulted in the restructuring of the economic space. Besides, it has also brought in the long term debate on the benefits of economic globalization. The article sketches the outlines for the re-examination of the economic space as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Five research themes are proposed for revisiting economic globalization, workers, inequality, neoliberal economic policies, and development. Studies on these themes will unfold our understanding of the ongoing economic changes from local to global level and we would be in a better position to explain the nature of emerging economic space.

Changes and continuities in traditional matrimonial alliances in Mithila: The case of Saurath Sabha

Saurath village located in Madhubani district, Bihar hosts an annual matrimonial gathering every year and is known for being the centre for the solemnization of marriage. This paper is an attempt to understand the origin of this practice, the temporal change in choices of the stakeholders, the spatial and temporal change in participation in the gathering, and the scope to improve and upgrade the present condition. This paper describes the change in the role of genealogists (Panjikar) in Maithil matrimony, the change in methods of marriage and mate selection. Additionally, the opinion on the revival of Saurath Sabha has been presented. The present study is based on focus group analysis, field observation and interviews. The road map has been prepared based on SWOT analysis for presenting suggestions and prospects.

Spatial distribution of land use concentration and land-use efficiency of the Kakodonga river basin, Assam

The Kakodonga river basin covers an area of about 1,113 km2. The average maximum temperature is 28.50C and the minimum temperature is 18.40C. The average rainfall of the basin is 1766 mm. The present paper is an attempt to analyze spatially land-use concentration and land-use efficiency of the Kakodonga river basin. For the preparation of thematic maps, Survey of India topographic sheets and IRS P6 LISS-III imagery (2011) data are used. The land-use categories data has been collected for three years (2012-2014) at the revenue circle level from the Economic and Statistical Department of Assam. To work out land-use concentration Bhatia’s (1965) method was adopted. The major land-use categories are forest cover, area put under non-agricultural use, barren lands, permanent pastures, and other grazing lands, miscellaneous trees and groves, culturable wasteland, current fallow land, other fallow lands, and the net area sown. The land-use efficiency has been worked out taking five positive variables are net sown area, total irrigated area, area irrigated more than once, the intensity of irrigation, and intensity of crops.

Flash flood impacts on the life and livelihood of women at haor areas in Bangladesh

Flash flood is a common disaster in northeastern haor areas of Bangladesh. It frequently affects the life and livelihood of haor people every year. Women are the most vulnerable in this catastrophic situation compared to men. The present study attempted to explore the effects of flash floods on women at Tahirpur Upazila in the Sunamganj district. A semi-structured questionnaire survey on 172 married women chosen from four villages, seven focus group interviews, and ten key informant interviews was conducted for primary data collection. A Flash Flood Impact Ranking (FFIR) was also prepared to grade the impacts on women based on a 3-points weighted severity scale. The study findings revealed that women suffered from different diseases with physical injuries and faced many difficulties managing the shelter, food, safe water, sanitation, and fuel for cooking during the flood. The FFIR displayed that crops damage, lack of funds, job opportunities, sanitation problems, and food insecurities were the top five disaster impacts on women. It is suggested that Government and other agencies should increase women's coping strategies by ensuring health services and employment opportunities to mitigate damage and flash flood-related problems.

Spatial pattern of literacy in Baitarani basin, Odisha

Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read and write a simple message with understanding in any language. Literacy in any area was determined largely by a variety of historical, social and economic factors. Literacy brings about fundamental changes in socio-economic development. The disparity in literacy generates several social, economic and political problems, which may threaten the foundation of development. Literacy and education are necessary for human development. It contributes to better income and health of the population. The national adult Education Programme launched countrywide in 1978 has viewed literacy as a means to bring about a fundamental change in socio-economic development. Literacy and education attainment is the key variables influencing fertility, mortality and migration. Therefore, literacy is the decisive factor for the development and population control as well as inequality in literacy tends to lead to several socio-economic problems, which in turn gives rise to regional imbalance. The disparity in literacy generates several social, economic and political problems, which may threaten the foundation of development. The main objective of the present study is to analyze the pattern of literacy and changes in the Baitarani basin, Odisha.