Vol. 3, Issue 8, Part E (2017)
Hypsometry and erosion in a sub-watershed of lower Alaknanda basin: A case study of lesser Garhwal Himalaya
Hypsometry and erosion in a sub-watershed of lower Alaknanda basin: A case study of lesser Garhwal Himalaya
Author(s)
Mohd. Akram, Surajit Dutta and DD Chauniyal
AbstractTo identify befitting measures for soil and water conservation, appraisal of erosion rates on watersheds is a pre-requisite as far as integrated watershed management in mountainous terrain is concerned. The hydrological study in the Himalayan terrain is a risky and time consuming task, and requires sufficient time, planning, man power and funds. Hypsometric analysis, one of the essential morphometric tools, quantifies the geologic stages of development and erosion-proneness of watersheds.
The present paper incorporates the operational phase and the preliminary results of the hydrological response in study basin. In the present study, a sub-watershed named Chandrabhaga in the Lower Alaknanda basin was considered for hypsometric analysis. Results of hypsometric analysis executed on this watershed shows that the study area is in mature stage geomorphologically. Furthermore, the estimated sediment yield over the year 2015 was 2.17 Tons added to the total sediment yield of Alaknanda River.
The landscape of the watershed is favourable for high run-off and erosion due to geological configuration, paucity of natural vegetation and land use. The surface gradient is very steep at the source (North) which generally decreases downstream (south). The mean slope of the whole watershed is 23.5, along with the mean elevation of 1218.06 m.
How to cite this article:
Mohd. Akram, Surajit Dutta, DD Chauniyal. Hypsometry and erosion in a sub-watershed of lower Alaknanda basin: A case study of lesser Garhwal Himalaya. Int J Appl Res 2017;3(8):317-323.