Impact of Sedimentation on Environmental Flow and Compounding Natural Hazard in the Lower Catchment Area (Deltaic Environment) of Baitarani River Basin, Orissa
The catchment geomorphology, anthropogenic and land use modifications along a river basin influences sedimentation processes and leads to changes in the deltaic environments having differential implications to livelihood and ecosystem sustainability. Baitarani is a medium size river in the Eastern Coast of India having a drainage area of 14, 218km2 with a length of 360km. There have been 86 floods over last 100 years in this river causing much damage to lives and livelihood base in the basin. While, changes in land uses in its upper catchment are contributing higher pollutant load, reduced flow in the river is exacerbating the condition with little dilution. Increasing rate of sedimentation in the channel bed due to natural and anthropogenic changes is compounding these hazards. The drainage pattern of the basin is dendritic type and the catchment to delta ratio is 7:1 Its upper catchment is highly undulating terrain comprising of active and abandoned mine areas, wasteland, degraded forest and shifting cultivation patches. Dams constructed in the transition zone abstract the flow from upper forested basin for consumptive use and thus reduce the spill to the lower basin. The shallow aquifer condition, spread of water logging areas, and estuaries also reduce the flow in the lower catchment where it is almost flat. This paper highlights the associated factors that govern the sedimentation process in the basin and its impact on environmental flow at the confluence point of river mouth & frequency of flood at the lower deltaic plain and has delineated suggestive preventive and remedial measures.
sedimentation environmental flow flood geohydrology water-quality
N. Rout P. R Choudhury P. K. Sahoo
Baitarani River Basin Initiative, Orissa, India
国际会议
山东东营
英文
401-409
2007-10-16（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）