Assistant Professor


Research Area \ Research Statement \ Research Group Info

My research centers on the critical intersections of hydrogeology, climate variability, and sustainable groundwater management. I investigate how climatic extremes—such as glacier melt, snow droughts, and heatwaves—affect groundwater recharge, storage, and flow regimes, particularly in vulnerable mountain catchments. My work employs a combination of field-based observations (soil moisture profiling, isotopic tracers, geophysical surveys), advanced data analysis (machine learning, changepoint detection, and meta-analysis), and numerical modeling to quantify water source dynamics and forecast hydrogeological tipping points.

My current research themes include:

1. Integrating Groundwater, Surface Water, and Microclimate for Enhanced Early Warning Systems for Floods: 
This research develops integrated monitoring networks combining groundwater, surface water, and microclimate data to improve flood prediction accuracy. By deploying real-time sensors and advanced models, it aims to capture critical interactions often overlooked in conventional systems. The focus is on mountainous and snow-dominated basins where subsurface–surface coupling influences flood risk. The outcomes will enhance disaster preparedness and inform adaptive water management.

2. Vadose Zone Processes and Climate Extremes:
This theme explores how the vadose (unsaturated) zone responds to heatwaves, droughts, and intense precipitation events. Multi-depth soil moisture profiling and isotopic analysis are used to quantify changes in infiltration, storage, and recharge dynamics. Special emphasis is placed on identifying thresholds and non-linear responses in soil moisture regimes.

3. Impacts of Melting Cryosphere in Water Resources (Center of Excellence for Glacial Studies in Western Himalayas):
As co principal investigator my research addresses the hydrological impacts of rapid glacier and snowpack melt in the Himalayas. Using field measurements, remote sensing, and isotope tracers, the work traces cryospheric contributions to both groundwater and streamflow. The findings inform water resource planning for downstream populations facing altered seasonal availability. The goal is to guide sustainable management amid accelerating climate-driven cryospheric loss.

4. Role and Importance of Baseflow Process in the Coupled Hydrodynamics of Surface and Groundwater:
This research quantifies how groundwater sustains streamflow (baseflow) across diverse geological  settings. Hydrochemical , hydrogeophysical and isotopic techniques, paired with modeling, reveal controls on baseflow timing and magnitude. Results are used to  improve understanding of groundwater–surface water connectivity.