Abstract
Godavari River representing the largest catchment in Peninsular India records a significant decline in streamflow and sediment discharge since 1965 with a sharp fall after ~1990. The present study documented changes in water and sediment discharge based on analysis of a large time-series database of daily streamflow from 57 gauging stations and sediment discharge from 25 stations during the period from 1965 to 2015 in the Godavari basin. Linear regression, Mann-Kendall non-parametric test, Sen’s slope, and Pettitt tests were conducted to examine the trends and abrupt changes in the time series. Many stations recorded a decline in sediment discharge (up to 90%) after 1990. At the terminal gauging station (Polavaram), the average annual sediment discharge for the period between 1970 and 1990 was 142 × 106 t, while it decreased to 59 × 106 t from 1991 to 2013. The outcomes of this study revealed a critical drop in sediment discharge after 1990 because of very high sediment entrapment by extensive dam constructions. This resulted in a substantial decrease in sediment supply contrasting to the increasing sea level, further implicating significant coastal erosion in the near future.
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