Geoenvironmental degradation in the peninsular river basin in Jharkhand, India

Abstract

Geoenvironmental characteristics of the Peninsular drainage basins in Jharkhand State of India is the result of endogenetic, exogenetic and anthropogenetic mechanisms. As the Peninsular landmass is the oldest land mass in its geomorphic history. Since pre-cambrian times the landmass is experiencing phases of aggradation and degradation. Recently, the man-induces mechanisms have also been dominating mechanisms in changing the surface morphology of the drainage basins. The role of weathering, mass movement and erosion is significant in reducing the strength of the landmass of such basins resulting environmental degradation in the basin landscape. Geoenvironmental factors are responsible in degrading the landmass ultimately affects the sustainability of the region. Among the geoenvironmental factors the engineering properties of the landscape like topography, drainage network, soil erosion, rockmass strength are more significant in identifying the terrain stability of the basin which causes the degradation. In this paper, an attempt has been made to analyse the engineering properties of the basin along with the other geoenvironmental factors to find out the status of degradation in the basin with a view to suggest a sound environmental management for the future development of region.