Study of infiltration rate based on soil profiles in urban areas of South-West Delhi
Student name: Mr Qazi Syed Wamiq Ali
Guide: Ms Ranjana Ray Chaudhuri
Year of completion: 2016
Host Organisation: TERI University
Abstract: The Vasant Kunj and Vasant Vihar area of South West Delhi was taken up for studying infiltration rate based on urban soil profiles. The top soil was studied to understand the particle size distribution (PSD) using dry Sieve Analysis and Double Ring Infiltrometer to determine the rate of infiltration. On the basis of data analysis at 30 locations it was revealed that some locations have loamy sand soil and others have sandy loam soil. The rate of infiltration varied from 0.30 cm/hr. to 5.45 cm/hr. The variation in infiltration rate depends upon vegetative cover, level of compaction, soil porosity and presence of dust particles and availability of plastic material/debris in top soil. Vehicles movements and extensive recreational use would compact the soil surface and reduces infiltration. Standard empirical infiltration models such as Horton model, Green-Ampt model, Philip’s model and Kostiakov model for various soil types at different locations were used. It has been found that for urban compacted soil for most of the locations Horton’s model was best fitted model. As per USDA hydrological soil classification, soil appear to fall at some locations under Group A category having high infiltration rate and also under Group B category having moderate infiltration rates when thoroughly wetted and consists of loamy sand and sandy loam soil types. On the basis of given soil properties such as bulk density, soil moisture content based on various particle grain sizes (gravel, coarse sand, medium sand, fine sand, silt and silt/clay), an attempt has been made to develop a soil infiltration rate by using multivariate multiple linear regression model (MMLRM) through matrix method.
Keywords: Urban Soil, Particle Size Distribution, Infiltration rate, USDA classification, Infiltration models.
