HR: 1340h
AN: H13C-0448    [Abstracts]
TI: HYDROLOGICAL MODELLING OF CHERIAL WATERSHED INTEGRATING REMOTE SENSING AND GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS)
AU: * Siva Sankar, A
EM: asadienviron@yahoo.com
AF: S S Asadi, Centre for Environment, IST, Jawaharlal Nehru TEchnological University, Hyderabad, AP 5000028 India
AB: The increasing population growth is continuing to exert extra pressure on existing water resources all over the world. An imperative need for the development and judicious use of these resources is therefore essential. Rainfall in southern India is very erratic, unpredictable, uneven and distributed over a short period of 3-4 Months. Out of 4000 billion cubic meters of rainfall received annually, 41% is lost as evaporation and transpiration, 40% lost as runoff into seas and 10% seeps in for recharging groundwater. As a result Krishna and Godavari rivers of southern India are almost in dry conditions throughout the year with farmers suffering from droughts since past 20 years especially in the state of Andhra Pradesh. An imperative need for the development and judicious use of these resources is therefore essential for conservation of water resources and maintaining the hydrologic table when water is becoming a scarce material. Keeping this in view an integrated model is developed for the chronically drought prone area of Cherial watershed in Warangal district of Andhra Pradesh using Remote sensing and GIS techniques. This model explores and suggests cost-effective and sustainable methods of increasing the crop yield by increasing the ground water potential artificially. The main objective of the study is to evaluate both surface and groundwater resources in the region and develop methods for its efficient utilization and sustainable management. Remote sensing and GIS applications are adopted as an effective tool in meeting the objective of the study. The thematic layers v.i.z. drainage pattern, land use/ land cover, hydrogeomorphology, slope, soil, physiography and ground water prospects are all derived from IRS-ID PAN + LISS-III merged satellite imagery and Survey of India (SOI) topomaps using visual interpretation technique. These maps are then converted to digital format using AutoCAD software and further integrated using Arc/Info and ArcView GIS software for the generation of final action plan maps for water and land resources development which are optimally suitable to the terrain and to the development of water resources so that the level of production is sustained without decline over time. Effective soil and water conservation measures such as construction of recharge structures are recommended to increase the subsurface aquifer capacity. Suitable cropping patterns duly considering the climatic and soil moisture conditions are suggested which help in reduced soil erosion, increased moisture conservation and improved productivity of the soil. The hydrological model developed aims for optimum development of water resources required to meet basic minimum needs of farmers thereby improving their socio-economic conditions and helps in evolving a broad national policy which can be applied by decision makers for sustainable development of any given watershed area.
DE: 1200 GEODESY AND GRAVITY
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting