An assessment of factors influencing morphometry of the Himalayan rivers Chenab and Teesta

Abstract

Water resource is rapidly falling short to meet the needs of the population worldwide. The unjust anthropogenic activities have led countries to water stressed/scarce conditions, higher number of hydrological disasters such as floods, droughts and descending levels of groundwater. Being an alpine region, the trans Himalayan region is among the most susceptible regions of the world to the climate change. In this study, the comparative morphometric assessment was made of the eastern and western regions of the alpine zones of the Himalayas. Morphometry of the river basin is a step towards water resource management which provides baseline statistical data about river water. Both river basins were compared using morphometric parameters and further on the basis of 4th order watersheds. The study revealed significant differences in both the basins where the upper Chenab basin has a comparatively higher water discharge, more powerful geological control and lesser basin lag time. The upper Teesta basin demands more management strategies to cope up with higher soil erosion and floods.