Geoinformatics for assessing the inferences of quantitative drainage morphometry of the Narmada Basin in India

Geoinformatics-based morphological studies play a significant role in planning, designing, and development of river engineering structures. Quantitative morphometric parameters affect catchment streamflow pattern through their influence on concentration time, and geomorphic characteristics of a drainage basins play a vital role in controlling the basin's hydrology. In the present paper, an effort has been made to assess the inferences of various linear, areal, drainage, and relief aspects of quantitative morphometric characteristics of the Narmada basin and its down (13) and upper watersheds (17) using ASTER DEM data in GIS platform. Total basin area of the Narmada is about 98,796 km(2), and it is identified that the study area is an eighth order drainage basin. A total 31,211 stream segments including the Narmada river are identified, and it is clear that the cumulative stream length is higher in first-order streams and decreases as the stream order increases. The bifurcation ratio (Rb) of the Narmada basin is varied from 2 to 9, and it designates that the drainage pattern of the basin has been affected by the structural disturbances. The lowest value of elongation ratio in the basin indicates high relief and steep slope, while highest value specifies relatively plain land with low relief and low slope than other down watersheds. Sinuosity index of Narmada basin is 1.58, which shows that the Narmada river is meandering in nature.