Courses taught:

Hydrogeology, Disaster Risk Resilience, Paleobotany, Earth System Science.

Overview:

Prerona’s interests span hydrogeology and hydrogechemistry. On a broader scale the research areas emphasize on surface water-groundwater interaction, urban aquifer dynamics, contaminant exchange and PFAS migration in vadose zones under landfills. The detailed research investigations involve water and sediment sampling, stable isotopic signatures, piezometry, well drilling and monitoring, river bathymetry, pump tests, tracer tests, statistical analysis, aquifer reconstruction, reaction path modelling and handling high end instruments for hydrogeochemical analysis. The aim of research is to establish water security for any growing settlement on a global scale.

Research area:

• Understanding PFAS migration in vadose zone from landfill sources and firefighting foams through environmental samples and laboratory column study.
• Understanding groundwater behavior in a highly urbanized perennial fluvial aquifer system and its complex hydrodynamics with specific focus on Surface water-groundwater interaction, Groundwater and river water chemistry, Hydro-stratigraphic modeling, contaminant exchange dynamics and prediction.

Post-Doctoral Research experience:

2022 -2023 – Researcher in Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Israel

Achievements:

• Awarded DUO-India fellowship 2020 to visit Linkoping University, Sweden.
• Awarded Research Fellowship from Ministry of Human Resource and Development as junior and senior research fellow (2014-2020)
• Awarded full funding scholarship for attending European Geosciences Union Conference 2018 held at Vienna, Austria.
• Awarded full funding scholarship for attending American Geophysical Union 2018 held at Washington, USA.

Publications

Journal publication

1. Lapworth DJ., Das P., Shaw A., Mukherjee A., Civil W., Petersen J., Gooddy DC.(2018). Deep urban groundwater vulnerability in India revealed through the use of emerging organic contaminants and residence time tracers. Environmental pollution, 240(938).
2. Das, P., Mukherjee, A., Hussain A., Jamal S., Das, K., Shaw, A., Layek, M.K., Sengupta, P. (2021). Stable isotope dynamics of groundwater interactions with Ganges river. HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, 35(1)
3. Das, P., Mukherjee, A., Lapworth, D.J., Das, K., Bhaumik, S., Layek, M.K., Shaw, A., Smith, M., Sengupta, P., MacDonald, A.M. and Sen, J. (2021). Quantifying the dynamics of sub-daily to seasonal hydrological interactions of Ganges river with groundwater in a densely populated city: Implications to vulnerability of drinking water sources. Journal of Environmental Management, 288, 112384.
4. Das, K., Mukherjee, A., Malakar, P., Das, P., & Dey, U. (2021). Impact of global-scale hydroclimatic patterns on surface water-groundwater interactions in the climatically vulnerable Ganges river delta of the Sundarbans. Science of The Total Environment, 798, 149198.
5. Das, K., Sarkar, S., Mukherjee, A., Das, P., & Pathak, A. (2021). Observing tidal and storm generated wave height impact on groundwater levels in a tropical delta. Journal of Hydrology, 603, 126813.
6. Coomar, P., Das, K., Debnath, P., Verma, S., Das, P., Biswas, A., & Mukherjee, A. (2023). Arsenic enriched groundwater discharge to a tropical ocean: Understanding controls and processes. Environmental Pollution, 318, 120838.

Book Chapter

1. Shaw, A., Das, P., Layek, M.K., Chakraborty, M., Jamal, M.S., Sengupta, P., Basu, A., Sen, J. and Mukherjee, A., 2018. Exploration of Groundwater-Enriched Aquifers of Central Gangetic Basin, India Using Geomorphic Signatures. In Mukherjee, A. (ed): Groundwater of South Asia. Springer Nature, 119-129p.
2. Das, P., Mukherjee, A., Haldar, A., Shaw, A. and Layek, M.K. Ganges Groundwater Interaction at Varanasi. In Mukherjee, A. (ed): Riverine Systems: Understanding the Hydrological, Hydrosocial and Hydro-heritage Dynamics. Springer International Publishing, Capital Publishing Company, 59p.

Conference abstract publication

International

1. Das, P., Mukherjee, A., Sultan, G., Shaw, A., Layek, M.K. Delineation of Groundwater Recharge in Central Gangetic Aquifer System: Varanasi, India. International Geological Congress abstracts 2020.
2. Das, P., Mukherjee, A., Halder, A., Sultan, G., Shaw, A., Layek, M.K. River-Groundwater Interactions and Recharge Delineation in Middle Reaches of the River Ganges. American Geophysical Union annual fall meeting abstracts 2019.
3. Das, P., Hussain A., Mukherjee A., Jamal S., Shaw A., Layek M. K., Sengupta P., Basu A., Sen J. Groundwater evolution in Central Gangetic aquifer system and interaction with river Ganges in Varanasi, India. European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2018, 20, 2228. (ATTENDED)
4. Das, P., Mukherjee, A., Das, K., Hussain A., Jamal S., Shaw, A., Layek, M.K., Sengupta, P., Basu A. Temporally And Spatially Varying River Ganges Water-groundwater Interaction Through Hydrograph Separation And Stable Isotope Fingerprints. American Geophysical Union annual fall meeting abstracts 2018.
5. Bose, O., Shaw, A., Smith, M., Das, P. Understanding sedimentary provenance and sub-surface lithostratigraphy of Central Gangetic Basin. International Geological Congress abstracts 2020.
6. Lapworth D., Das P., Mukherjee A., Petersen J., Gooddy D., Krishan G., Application of groundwater residence time tracers and broad screening for micro-organic contaminants in the Indo-Gangetic aquifer system. European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2017, 19, 19422.
7. Shaw A., Wakefield O., Newell A.,  Layek M. K., Das P.,  Mukherjee A.,  Sengupta, P., Finlayson A., Smith M., Sen J. Three-Dimensional Architecture of Modern Large-Scale Fluvial Systems Incorporating Geological, Geophysical, and Geotechnical Investigations: An Example From Varanasi City, Central Gangetic Basin, India. ACE 2018 Annual Convention & Exhibition. 2018.
8. Shaw, A., Wakefield, O. J.W., Layek, M.K., Das, P., Mukherjee, A., Sengupta, P., Finlayson, A., Kumar, M., Kumar, A., Sen, J., Smith, M., (2017). Subsurface fluvial Depositional environment characterization using sedimentological and geophysical logs: A study from ancient city of Varanasi, Central Gangetic Basin, India. The Geological Society of America annual meeting 2017,183-9.
9. Das, P., Mukherjee, A., Shaw, A., Layek, M.K., Sengupta, P. Delineating river water-groundwater interaction in a populated South Asian urban aquifer system of a transboundary river. ISARM 2021.
10. Das, P., Kolade, S., Dahan, O., Sela-Adler, M., Huang, X., Knud, E. PFAS migration in unsaturated zone at a landfill and a firefighting facility. GSA Connects 2023 Meeting.

National

1. Das, P., Mukherjee, A., Jamal, M.S., Verma, P. Study of river and groundwater contamination for availability of potable water in a proposed smart city of Varanasi. Role of groundwater in smart cities and villages. IAH-AIH 2016.
2. Das, P., Mukherjee, A., Jamal, S., Gond, S., Shaw, A., Layek, M.K., Sengupta, P., Basu, A., Sen, J. Groundwater evolution and its impact on potability of water in a central Gangetic aquifer system: Varanasi, India. Development in Geosciences of past decade- Emerging Trends for the future & Impact on society & Annual General Meeting of the Geological Society of India 2016. p 147.
3. Das, P., Mukherjee, A., Jamal, S., Verma, P. Ganges water and groundwater interaction in Varanasi leading to groundwater pollution. Emerging scenarios of Ganga, River development and water resource management. Emerging Scenarios of Ganga, River Development & Water Resource Management. BHU 2017.
4. Chattopadhyay, S., Senapati S., Dutta Gupta, S., Verma, S., Das, P., Chakraborty, S., Mukherjee, A. Arsenic Sorption in aquifers of Brahmaputra River Basin, India. Groundwater Management in Mining and Social Sectors 2019
5. Shaw, A., Layek, M.K., Das, P., Mukherjee, A., Sengupta, P., Sen, J., Basu, A. Geological evolution of the River Ganges and its impact on the development of the city of Varanasi, India. Development in Geosciences of past decade- Emerging Trends for the future & Impact on society & Annual General Meeting of the Geological Society of India 2016.