Channel dynamics associated with land use/cover change in Ganges river, India, 1989-2010

Shifting river courses and braiding in large rivers are part and parcel in fluvial morphology. The study aims at probing the changes of the Ganges river courses with accompanying land use/land cover characteristics. Here the changes that took place over a period ranging a couple of decades were recorded using multi-temporal Landsat 4-5 Thematic Mapper data. Meander geometry was precisely estimated. River course change pattern along with the changes in land use/land cover were studied over the period of 21 years (1989-2010). Results showed 0.14 km bank erosion and 0.85 km valley area was prone to erosion during the entire study period. The study exhibited the active channel area decreased by 22.88 km(2) (0.33 % of the original river course) from 1989 to 2010. Land use characteristics showed settlement and plantation with settlement and crop lands were increased, whereas agricultural land was decreased in the study area. The overall kappa statistics were recorded as more than 0.84 during the study period. Rivers tend to maintain its high volume flow by eschewing additional silt load through bank overflow, called flash flooding; which is a natural process for any river to maintain the health of its thalweg.