WBCHSE HS Environmental Science case studies
WBCHSE HS Environmental Science · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The WBCHSE Higher Secondary Environmental Science course is the West Bengal Council of Higher Secondary Education's Class XII elective in environmental science, typically taken alongside other HS subjects by students who want a science-flavoured subject with strong real-world relevance. It suits candidates interested in ecology, pollution control, resource management, energy and environmental law, and it is often a stepping stone towards degrees in environmental science, geography, botany, zoology, engineering or civil services. The WBCHSE HS Environmental Science case studies are 5 cases and about 3,647 words.
1The falling water table: canal or recharge package?
A semi-arid block of about 62,000 people receives roughly 240 mm of rain a year, and 78% of its net sown area is under paddy. In twelve years the number of registered irrigation tubewells has risen from 640 to 1,850, while the pre-monsoon water table in the block's 14 monitoring wells has fallen from about 8 m to 27 m; three of those wells are dry by May.
741 words, about 4 min2Widening a highway through an elephant corridor
A 22 km four-lane stretch of existing highway is to be widened inside a 340 sq km elephant reserve. The forest narrows to a 0.8 km pinch point where the road passes between a hill and a village.
740 words, about 4 min3Summer oxygen sag in a slow river
A town of 1.2 lakh people discharges into a slow-flowing river. The sewage treatment plant is rated 8 MLD but receives about 11.5 MLD; the treated effluent carries BOD 42 mg/L against a consent limit of 20 mg/L, and excess flow bypasses the plant in the monsoon.
688 words, about 3 min4A 'safe' vegetables report near an electroplating drain
A student project tests vegetables grown on 4 ha irrigated by a drain receiving effluent from about 30 electroplating and tannery units. The team takes three spinach samples from one field, bundles them into a single composite, and reports lead 0.9 mg/kg and cadmium 1.8 mg/kg fresh weight.
728 words, about 4 min5Solar pump versus diesel: reading the payback correctly
A cooperative runs a 5 hp diesel pump set for about 1,200 hours a year. The engine consumes 0.9 litres of diesel per hour, diesel costs Rs 92 per litre, and combustion releases about 2.68 kg of carbon dioxide per litre.
750 words, about 4 min