A study of bank erosion and bankline migration of the baralia river, assam, using remote sensing and gis

Rivers are one of the most dynamic entities over the earth’s surface. River channels are confined to symmetrical and definite track. They persistently shift their courses over the space through time. A river has its tendency to attain an equilibrium condition so as to adjust itself with the varying fluvial-geomorphic as well as climatic conditions. Changes in river channel and its immediate surroundings over space and time require historical analysis and careful observation of the river system. For the implementation of any watershed management programme micro-level study of spatio-temporal channel changing pattern of a river basin is necessary. Based on such significances, the Baralia River of Assam has been selected here which flows from the Bhutan Himalayas. The present study is primarily aiming at the investigation of the subsequent changes in the channel and secondarily upon the dynamics of its banklines over space and time. A multi-temporal database has been developed based on Survey of India Topographical Maps and Satellite Imageries for a comprehensive and scientific analysis. The controlling factors and variables of these changes have also been examined. Field observations, various statistical techniques have been used for computation along with GIS software for mapping and final layout preparation. The results can thus be utilized as baseline information for the policy making to combat against the bank-erosion hazard.