Abstract :
Channel morphology of the Bhagirathi river in Murshidabad district has been analysed using multidated
Landsat satellite data for 41 years (1977-2017) in terms of sinuosity index, tortuosity index,
channel index, valley index, topographic Sinuosity Index, braided index. The “UNION” operation has
been performed to identify the erosion and accretion zone for the two different succeeding years. The
mean tortuosity index was calculated as 1.53, 1.44, 1.49, 1.43 and 1.44 for 1977, 1990, 2000, 2010 and
2017 respectively. The maximum percentage of channel width difference was recorded at CI (338.71%)
with an annual rate of 138.87%. The highest value of BI (0.446) was recorded in Section-G and it was
constantly changing year after year. The mean percentage of channel width was calculated as 12.28%
for the entire study period. The fortitude of the channel girth was analysed to find that the vulnerability
of the bank erosion is significant in the Sections- C,Gand H. It may be attributed to the almanac flood in
the lower course due to the avulsion of the Bhagirathi river channel in the non-cohesive sands. The
information derived in this research may be used for formulating strategies of future mitigation and
hazard awareness.
Keyword :
Extremes Water tress Vulnerability Hydrological alance