🠕

Sahebrao Sonkamble

Principal Scientist , Electrical and Heliborne Geophysics

Sahebrao Sonkamble

Sahebrao Sonkamble

sahebrao@ngri.res.in

Academic Identity
              

Specialization

Groundwater, Geo-environment and Wetlands

Research Area

Dr. Sahebrao Sonkamble has obtained Master of Science degree in Environmental Technology from SRTM University Nanded, Maharashtra, India in 2004. His M.Sc dissertation work on “Comparative studies of Groundwater Quality of Basaltic and Granitic Aquifers at the southern margin of DVP in India” has been published in Journal of Hydrology which has prompted him to opt Aqueous Geochemistry as a challenging career. Applying hydro-chemical evolution and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) he estimated Basaltic Trap thickness at lateral margins of Basalt-Granite (at DVP) for the implications of groundwater resource mapping. Dr. Sonkamble joined CSIR-NGRI as Research Scholar in 2007 and further enhanced his qualifications by obtaining Ph.D in Hydrogeology of coastal aquifers from Department of Geology, University College of Science, Osmania University, Hyderabad, India in 2012. His Ph.D research work has 1) resolved hydrochemical complexity of coastal aquifers using source speciation, 2) identified dispositions of freshwater lens in coastal area, 3) demarcated seawater intrusion and industrial pollution zones, 4) vulnerability assessment of coastal aquifer system for irrigation suitability, and 5) establishing well design to avoid short circuiting of fresh and saline water at coastal belt which are published in peer reviewed SCI journals such as Marine Pollution Bulletin, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, Environmental Earth Sciences, etc.

Dr. Sonkamble has been serving CSIR-NGRI for the past sixteen years in Groundwater Division and associated in executing sixteen R&D and applied science projects successfully, involving Geophysical, Hydrogeological, Topographical investigations and Environmental Impact Assessment studies for groundwater resources management in various geological terrains in India and sub-Saharan Africa. He gained extensive field experience and operation of latest tools like Multi-Electrode Resistivity Imaging System, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Insitu chemical parameter meters, Double Ring Infiltrometer, and Differential GPS. He took charge of Additional Area Party Chief for AQMAH Nagpur pilot area under AQUIM project (2012-2015) (World Bank funded) where he could demarcate individual basaltic flow and basalt-gondwana contact integrating ground and airborne geophysics such as electrical resistivity surveys (1D & 2D) and airborne electromagnetic (AEM).

He has published research articles in peer reviewed eminent journals (SCI) such as Water Research,  Journal of Hydrology,   Marine Pollution Bulletin,   Science of the Total Environment,   Chemosphere,   Geophysics,   etc.

His current research fields are,

  • Wetland hydrology for wastewater treatment using Natural Treatment System (NTS)
  • Soil aquifer treatment (SAT) and Managed aquifer recharge (MAR) studies
  • Aqueous geochemistry and evolution of hydrochemical processes
  • Groundwater studies [exploration, assessment, management, decision support tool (DST), pollution & seawater intrusion]
  • Hydrogeology and Tracer studies [Tritium as tracer for recharge studies, Neutron probe moisture measurement, soil grain, porosity and permeability]  
  • Geo-technical studies for EIA of Sanitary and Secure landfill sites and other pollution sites
  • Hydrogeological transformation of geophysical data

Ongoing Research Projects

1) High Resolution Aquifer Mapping & Management in Arid Region of North Western India

2) Data Generation for Aquifer Mapping with focus on Palaeo-Channels in parts of Ganga-Yamuna Doab, Allahabad & Kaushambi district, Uttar Pradesh

3) High resolution heliborne geophysical mapping for the proposed railway line between Thalaserry and Mysuru

4) Hydro-geophysical experiments in experimental hydrogeological park (EHP), Choutuppal, Hyderabad (In House R & D experiments)

Honors & Awards

1) UGC-NET: Qualified UGC-NET in Environmental Sciences (June 2005)

2) Associate Fellow of TAS: Honoured with ‘Associate Fellow’ by Telangana Academy of Science for the year 2015 on June 23rd, 2016 at CSIR-NGRI, Hyderabad

3) AHI-Young Scientist Award: Awarded “AHI-Young Scientist Award” by Association of Hydrologist of India at ISM Dhanbad on Nov 10th, 2016.

4) National Geoscience Award 2017: Recipient of National Geoscience Award 2017 (Team) a prestigious award for Earth Science professionals by Ministry of Mines, Govt. of India. The award is conferred by Hon’ble President of India Sri. Ram Nath Kovind on May 16th, 2018 at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. It is given under the category of Mineral Discovery & Exploration for Aquifer Mapping in different geological terrains in India using Ground and Airborne Geophysics.

Publications

  1. Sonkamble S*, Sahya A, Mahesh J, Ahmed S, Amerasinghe P (2019) Hydro-geophysical Characterization and Performance Evaluation of Natural Wetlands in a Semi-arid Wastewater Irrigated Landscape. Water Research 148, 176-187 org/10.1016/j.watres.2018.10.040  (IF 12.8)
  2. Sonkamble S*, Sahya A, Mondal NC, Harikumar P (2012). Appraisal and evolution of hydrochemical processes from proximity basalt and granite areas of Deccan Volcanic Province (DVP) in India. Journal of Hydrology, Elsevier B.V. Publisher, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Vol. 438-439, pp. 181-193, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2012.03.022  (IF 6.4)
  3. Sonkamble S*, Chandra S, Ahmed S, Rangarajan R (2014). Source speciation resolving hydrochemical complexity of coastal aquifers. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 78 (1-2), 118-129 org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.10.052, (IF 5.8)
  4. Sonkamble S*, Chandra S, Somvanshi VK, Ahmed S (2016) Hydro-geophysical techniques for safe exploitation of the freshwater resources in coastal area. Environmental Earth Sciences, 75 (4):279 http://doi: 10.1007/s12665-015-5210-0 (IF 2.8)
  5. Sonkamble S*, Wajihuddin Md, Jampani M, Sarah S, Somvanshi VK, et al. (2018) Natural treatment system (NTS) models for wastewater management: A study from Hyderabad, India. Water Science and Technology, 77(2) 479-492. http:// 10.2166/wst.2017.565 , (IF 2.7)
  6. Sonkamble S*, Chandra S (2021) GPR for earth and environmental applications: Case studies from India. Journal Applied Geophysics, 193, 104422 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jappgeo.2021.104422  (IF 2.0)
  7. Sonkamble S*, Chandra S, Pujari PR, (2022). Application of airborne and ground geophysics to unravel the hydrogeological complexity of the Deccan basalts in central India. Hydrogeology Journal, 30, 2096-2116 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10040-022-02503-7  (IF 2.8)
  8. Jampani M*, Huelsmann S, Liedl R, Amerasinghe P, Sonkamble S Ahmed S (2018) Spatio-temporal Distribution and Chemical Characterization of Groundwater Quality of a Wastewater Irrigated System. Science of the Total Environment, 636, pp. 1089-1098. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.04.347 . Online May 2018 (IF 9.8)
  9. Jampani M*, Liedl R, Hülsmann S, Sonkamble S, Amerasinghe P (2020) Hydrogeochemical and Mixing Processes Controlling Groundwater Chemistry in a Wastewater Irrigated Agriculture System of India. Chemosphere, Vol 749, 124749, https://org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.124741  (IF 8.8)
  10. Sahya A, Sonkamble* S, Jampani M, Rao AN, Amerasinghe (2023) Field site soil aquifer treatment shows enhanced wastewater quality: Evidence from vadose zone hydro-geophysical observations. Journal of Environmental Management, 345, 118749 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118749  (IF 8.7)

Books

Book Chapter: 02 (IWA Publ.)

 

Research Scholars

Ph.D Awareded : 01

Ph.D under progress: 02

Educational Qualification

M.Sc., Ph.D

Proffessional Experience

17 years

Proffessional Affiliations

International Association of Hydrological Sciences (IAHS)- Member