Morphometric Analysis for Prioritization using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques in a Hilly Catchment in the State of Uttarakhand, India

Abstract

Drainage pattern study utilizing Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographical Information System (GIS) has proved to be an efficient and quick tool, nowadays, for water resources planning, conservation and management. In the present study morphological features of 'Bhilanganga' drainage basin are being extracted utilizing satellite imagery and analyzed for assessing the drainage pattern and identifying priority sub-basins for conservation measures as well. The basin morphometric parameters such as linear and aerial aspects were determined and computed using ArcInfo software. The region is a part of Uttarakhand state of India, a hilly catchment in the lower Himalayan range covering an area of 1465.38 km2. The area extends from 30o19'41N to 30o52'42N latitude and from 78o29'13E to 79o2'9E longitude. The entire area is sub-divided into eight sub-basins ranging in area from 91.91 km2 to 465.29 km2. The pattern of drainage in the area is dendritic to sub-dendritic and the stream ordering ranges from order I to VII. The drainage density indicates a coarser drainage ranging from 1.68 to 2.34 km/km2. The entire area is the normal basin category as observed from the bifurcation ratio. The RS and GIS techniques have proven to be very useful in this case of morphometric analysis, as the study area is a hilly catchment located in a difficult terrain.