Assistant Professor
Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences
📍 1F4 AB1
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Research Area
Fate and Transport of Contaminants in Aquifers, Groundwater-Surface Water Interactions, Isotope Geochemistry in Tracing Contamination Sources
Research Interests
The research group led by Dr. Kumar focuses on hydrogeochemistry and environmental geosciences, with an emphasis on understanding groundwater quality, water–rock interactions, and contaminant transport in diverse geological settings. The group integrates field investigations, laboratory analyses, and geochemical modeling to assess the impact of natural processes and anthropogenic activities on water resources. Ongoing projects explore issues such as groundwater contamination, trace element mobility, and sustainable water management in vulnerable regions.
Since Apr 2025 : Assistant Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Mohali.
2024 - 2025 : Assistant Professor (Grade-I), School of Earth, Environmental and Sustainability Sciences, IISER Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India
2023 Jun-Sep : Lecturer, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, IISER Mohali, Punjab, India
2016 - 2023 : Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental studies, Central University of Haryana, Mahendergarh, Haryana, India
2012 - 2017 : Ph.D. Environmental Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
2008 – 2010 : M.Sc. Environmental Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University.
2005 – 2008 : B. Sc. (Chemistry, Zoology and Botany), Ch. Charan Singh, University Meerut, Meerut, India.
Recipient Crawford Fund (A prestigious award, Australian Government) 2013.
Recipient Senior Research Fellowship (SRF) (July 2012 to July 2015) a National level Research fellowship from CSIR-UGC.
Honored by India International Friendship Society with their most coveted institutional and globally reputed presentation of “Rashtriya Gaurav Award” along with Certificate of Excellence at a benefitting function taking place on 26th March 2018 in New Delhi.
Manoj Kumar, Sunil Kumar and others. Statistical and geospatial assessment of trace and toxic elements distribution in ground and surface water of northern parts of the Indo-Gangetic plains: Source identification and health risk assessment. Chemosphere 364:142990, 2024.
Manoj Kumar and others. GIS based surface elevation assessment of spring water quality of Shivalik Range of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Groundwater for sustainable development 19:100851, 2022.
Manoj Kumar, AL Ramanathan, Abhijit Mukherjee, Ravi Sawlani and Shyam Ranjan. Delineating sources of groundwater recharge and carbon in Holocene aquifers of the central Gangetic basin using stable isotopic signatures. Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies 55(3):254–271, 2019.
Manoj Kumar, Ritu Nagdev, Ritu Tripathi, Virendra Bahadur Singh, Prabhat Ranjan, Mohd Soheb and AL Ramanathan. Geospatial and multivariate analysis of trace metals in tubewell water using for drinking purpose in the upper Gangetic basin, India: heavy metal pollution index. Groundwater for Sustainable Development 8:122–133, 2019.
Manoj Kumar and AL Ramanathan. Vertical geochemical variations and speciation studies of As, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu in the sediments of the central gangetic basin: Sequential extraction and statistical approach. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 15(2):183, 2018.
Manoj Kumar, AL Ramanathan, Abhijit Mukherjee, Swati Verma, Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman and Ravi Naidu. Hydrogeo-morphological influences for arsenic release and fate in the central Gangetic Basin, India. Environmental Technology & Innovation 12:243–260, 2018.
Manoj Kumar, AL Ramanathan, Shyam Ranjan, Virendra Bahadur Singh, Naveen Kumar, Shailesh Kumar Yadav, Someshwar M Rao, Susie Ritch and Prosun Bhattacharya. Groundwater evolution and its utility in upper Ganges-Yamuna Alluvial plain of Northern India, India: evidence from solute chemistry and stable isotopes. Groundwater for Sustainable Development 7:400–409, 2018.
Manoj Kumar, AL Ramanathan, Ritu Tripathi, Sandhya Farswan, Devendra Kumar and Prosun Bhattacharya. A study of trace element contamination using multivariate statistical techniques and health risk assessment in groundwater of Chhaprola Industrial Area, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India. Chemosphere 166:135–145, 2017.
Manoj Kumar, AL Ramanathan, Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman and Ravi Naidu. Concentrations of inorganic arsenic in groundwater, agricultural soils and subsurface sediments from the middle Gangetic plain of Bihar, India. Science of the Total Environment 573:1103–1114, 2016.
Manoj Kumar, Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman, AL Ramanathan and Ravi Naidu. Arsenic and other elements in drinking water and dietary components from the middle Gangetic plain of Bihar, India: health risk index. Science of the Total Environment 539:125–134, 2016.