Integrated Management of Upper Errakalava and Gunderu Watersheds, Upland Area of West Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh — RS and GIS Approach

Abstract

The upland of West Godavari district experiences a relatively high rainfall with increasing trends towards north. The northeastern part of the study area is hilly terrain that mostly covered by forest. This area acts as a good recharge and run-off zone for the low-lying upland area. The central and southern parts of the area occupied by highly porous and permeable sandstone and alluvium forms good repositories of groundwater. Groundwater remains the principal source of irrigation and drinking. Major portion of this area is a flat to gently undulating terrain with clayey and fine loamy soils, facilitating intensive agricultural activities. Thus, the area under study forms an excellent natural geo-environment for human habitat. The present integrated watershed analysis, remote sensing coupled with GIS, is aimed at generating sustainable developmental measures of land and water resources on watershed basis in the area. For that, various thematic layers viz. settlements and transportation, slope and digital elevation model, lithology and structure, drainage and surface water resources, land use land cover, geomorphology and ground water prospects etc. were generated. Overlay of these resource maps further helped in the development of mitigation / treatment strategies in suggesting water harvesting structures. This approach enables the watershed users to take necessary actions to implement such measures for the sustainability of both land and water resources in the entire district. The integrated watershed analysis is aimed at generating sustainable developmental measures of land and water resources on watershed basis in the area. However, the underlying concept of present study is the sustenance of geo-environment.