Bhagu R. Chahar

A Support Vector Machine-Firefly Algorithm based forecasting model to determine malaria transmission

Accurate and reliable forecasts of malarial incidences are necessary for the health authorities to ensure the appropriate action for the control of the outbreak. In this study, a novel method based on coupling the Firefly Algorithm (FFA) and Support Vector Machines (SVM) has been proposed to forecast the malaria incidences. The performance of SVM models depends upon the appropriate choice of SVM parameters. In this study FFA has been employed for determining the parameters of SVM. The proposed SVM-FFA model has been adopted in predicting the malarial incidences in Jodhpur and Bikaner area where the malaria transmission is unstable. Monthly averages of rainfall, temperature, relative humidity and malarial incidences have been considered as input variables. Time series of monthly notifications of malaria cases has been obtained from primary health centers and from other local health facilities for a period of January 1998 to December 2002 in the region of Bikaner and from January 1998 to December 2000 in Jodhpur region. Further, the rainfall, relative humidity and temperature data have been obtained from meteorological records. The performance of the proposed SVM-FFA model has been compared with Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), Auto-Regressive Moving Average method and also with Support Vector Machine. The results indicate that the proposed SVM-FFA model provides more accurate forecasts compared to the other traditional techniques. Further, it has been recommended to carry out additional strides to explore the utility and efficacy of SVM-FFA model. Thus SVM-FFA can be an alternate tool to facilitate the control of vector borne diseases like malaria.

Minimum cost design of lined canal sections.

Though the minimum area section isgenerally adopted for lined canals, it is not the bestsection as it does not involve lining cost, and thecost of earthwork which varies with the excavationdepth. On account of complexities of analysis, theminimum cost design of lined canal sections has notbeen attempted as yet. In this investigation, explicitequations and section shape coefficients for thedesign variables of minimum cost lined canal sectionsfor triangular, rectangular, trapezoidal, and circularshapes have been obtained by applying the nonlinearoptimization technique. Application of the proposeddesign equations along with the tabulated sectionshape coefficients results directly in the optimaldimensions of a lined canal without going through theconventional trial and error method of canal design.The optimal cost equation along with the correspondingsection shape coefficients is useful during theplanning of a canal project.

Application of Artificial Neural Networks and Particle Swarm Optimization for the Management of Groundwater Resources

Ground management problems are typically solved by the simulation-optimization approach where complex numerical models are used to simulate the groundwater flow and/or contamination transport. These numerical models take a lot of time to solve the management problems and hence become computationally expensive. In this study, Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) models were developed and coupled for the management of groundwater of Dore river basin in France. The Analytic Element Method (AEM) based flow model was developed and used to generate the dataset for the training and testing of the ANN model. This developed ANN-PSO model was applied to minimize the pumping cost of the wells, including cost of the pipe line. The discharge and location of the pumping wells were taken as the decision variable and the ANN-PSO model was applied to find out the optimal location of the wells. The results of the ANN-PSO model are found similar to the results obtained by AEM-PSO model. The results show that the ANN model can reduce the computational burden significantly as it is able to analyze different scenarios, and the ANN-PSO model is capable of identifying the optimal location of wells efficiently.

Combined use of groundwater modeling and potential zone analysis for management of groundwater

A methodology for groundwater evaluation has been developed by the combined use of numerical model and spatial modeling using GIS. The developed methodology has been applied on the sub-basin of the Banganga River, India. Initially, the groundwater potential zones have been delineated by spatial modeling. Different thematic maps of the basin like geology, geomorphology, soil, drainage, slope factor and landuse/landcover have been used to identify the groundwater potential zones. Further, the groundwater flow model for the study area has been developed in the MODFLOW. The groundwater flow vector map has been developed and superimposed on the potential zone map to validate the results of spatial modeling. Finally, the different scenarios have been conceptualized by varying the discharge of the wells and purposing the location for new rainwater harvesting structures. Results reveal that increasing the discharge of the wells in the potential zones put less stress on the aquifer. The suggested locations of rainwater harvesting structures also help to reduce the overall decline of groundwater in the area. The hydrological and spatial modeling presented in this study is highly useful for the evaluation of groundwater resources and for deciding the location of rainwater harvesting structures in semi-arid regions.

Design of minimum water-loss canal sections

The canal water losses constitute of seepage and evaporation losses. Whereas seepage loss depends on the channel geometry, evaporation loss is proportional to the area of free surface. On account of complexities of analysis, the design of minimum water loss section has not been attempted as yet. In this investigation explicit equations for the design variables of minimum water loss sections for triangular, rectangular, and trapezoidal canals have been obtained using non-linear optimization technique. The proposed equations along with tabulated section shape parameters facilitate easy design of the minimum water loss section and computation of water loss from the section without going through the conventional and cumbersome trial and error method. A design example has been included to demonstrate the simplicity of the method.

Design of Minimum Earthwork Cost Canal Sections

Though the minimum area section is generally adopted for canals,it is not the least earthwork cost section as it does not involve the cost of earthwork which varies with the excavationdepth. On account of complexities of analysis, explicit designequations for minimum earthwork cost canal sections has not available yet. In this investigation explicit equations and section shape coefficients for the design variables of minimumearthwork cost canal sections for triangular, rectangular, trapezoidal, and circular shapes have been obtained by applyingnon-linear optimization technique. Application of the proposeddesign equations along with the tabulated section shape coefficients results directly into the optimal dimensions andcorresponding cost of a least earthwork cost canal sectionwithout going through the conventional trial and error method of canal design.

Storm-water management through Infiltration trenches

With urbanization, the permeable soil surface area through which recharge by infiltration can occur is reducing. This is resulting in much less ground-water recharge and greatly increased surface run-off. Infiltration devices, which redirect run-off waters from the surface to the sub-surface environments, are commonly adopted to mitigate the negative hydrologic effects associated with urbanization. An infiltration trench alone or in combination with other storm water management practice is a key element in present day sustainable urban drainage systems. A solution for the infiltration rate from an infiltration trench and, consequently, the time required to empty the trench is presented. The solution is in the form of integrals of complicated functions and requires numerical computation. The solution is useful in quantifying infiltration rate and/or artificial recharge of ground-water through infiltration trenches and the drain time of the trench, which is a key parameter in operation of storm water manage...

Optimal Design of Transmission Canal

This paper presents design equations for the least-cost canal sections considering earthwork cost which may vary with depth of excavation, cost of lining, and cost of water lost as seepage and evaporation from irrigation canals of triangular, rectangular, and trapezoidal shapes passing through a stratum underlain by a drainage layer at shallow depth. The optimal design equations are in explicit form and result into optimal dimensions of a canal in single-step computations. Using these least-cost section equations and applying the Fibonacci search method, equations for computation of the optimal subsection length and corresponding cost of a transmission canal have been presented. The optimal design equations along with the tabulated section shape coefficients provide a convenient method for the optimal design of a transmission canal. A step-by-step design procedure for rectangular and trapezoidal canal sections has been presented to demonstrate the simplicity of the method.

Steady Subsurface Drainage of Ponded Surface by an Array of Parallel Ditches

AbstractAn array of ditches method of subsurface drainage is advantageous for various playgrounds, golf courses, parks, and also for orchard plantation where there is little farming operations. A comprehensive analytical solution for the problem of subsurface drainage of a ponded surface by an array of parallel ditches has been obtained by conformal mapping. The symmetry about the vertical axis has been considered in obtaining the solution for half of the drainage domain. The presented solution is applicable for the two dimensional steady drainage from a horizontal ponded surface of finite depth to an array of parallel ditches in homogeneous and isotropic porous medium having an impervious layer lying at finite depth or at infinite depth. The solution includes equations for the quantity of drainage from the seepage face part as well as the water depth part of the ditch. The solution also comprises expressions for the variation in seepage velocity at various locations along the porous medium. Further, part...

Snowmelt Runoff Simulation Using HEC-HMS in a Himalayan Watershed

The snowmelt induced runoff makes the streamflow perennial that regulates streamflow during spring and summer. The Hydrologic Modeling System (HMS) of the Hydrologic Engineering Centre (HEC) has been adopted for simulating the snowmelt and rainfall runoff. This modeling system, abbreviated as HEC-HMS, uses snow band methodology of US Corps of Engineers as used in Streamflow Synthesis and Reservoir Regulation (SSARR) model. In this paper reliability of HEC-HMS snowmelt model is tested using a temperature index, spatiotemporal analysis of process parameters and variables that characterize Beas sub-basin in the Pirpanjal range of the lower Himalayas above the Manali (1900 m of altitude). The daily and weekly simulations from simple temperature index method have been found satisfactory with R 2 above 0.7 and the results are presented through this paper. The model simulation reveals that ATI Cold/Melt rate functions are important to run and the meteorological model Index (mm) is important for model simulations.