No abstract

Water is one of the most valuable resource available to man for his domestic and agricultural uses, out of which agriculture claims lion's share accounting for about two-third of water demand. Among others, one of the important irrigation source is municipal sewage water. The use of sewage and other industrial effluents for irrigating agricultural lands is on the rise particularly in peri-urban areas of developing countries. Amounts of wastewater are sharply increasing and the kinds of pollutants are also varied as the world wide industry is being developed incessantly. Hence, a research study was undertaken to assess the content of micro nutrients and heavy metals in sewage water alongside Mumbai local railway track of Maharashtra state (India). The sewage samples were collected in two seasons first in late kharif in year 2016 and second in rabi 2017 season. The laboratory work was undertaken in Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Dr. PDKV, Akola, during the course of investigation revealed that, sewage water used for irrigation to vegetable crops alongside Mumbai local railway track had Cu (0.04 mgL -1 ), Zn (0.22 mgL -1 ), Pb (0.09 mgL -1 ), Ni (0.11 mgL -1 ), Cd (0.008 mgL -1 ) and Co (0.08 mgL -1 ) were within safer limits, whereas Fe (11.85 mgL -1 ), Mn (0.39 mgL -1 ), Cr (0.16 mgL -1 ) and As (0.46 mgL -1 ) were beyond the permissible limits. Hence in general sewage water is not suitable for irrigation purpose.

The Present study was undertaken in Dharni tahsil of Maharashtra State during the year 2017-19. This area is also popularly known as Melgha t region, which is located in the physiographic unit i.e. eroded valley with the elevation of 316 -642 meters above mean sea level. Korku is the dominant tribes inhabited in this region and have small land holding adjoining to forest. The data on natural resources such as climate, soil-site characteristics and land use system aspect were collected. Twenty four spot were selected on different land use system based on single crop, double crop, scrub land and forestland fallow land. Dharni Tahasil received an annual rainfall ranges from 1350-1450 mm. Temperature varies from 34°C in summer to 21°C in winter. The soils were developed on weathered basalt. The soils were very gently to steep sloping with moderately to very severe erosion. The soils are dark reddish brown to dark brown with shallow to medium deep in depth and structure was angular blocky to sub angular blocky.