Journal of Science and Technology

ISSN: 2456-5660 Volume 8, Issue 07 (July -2023)

www.jst.org.in DOI:https://doi.org/10.46243/jst.2023.v8.i07.pp17 - 24
Some Morphometric Aspects of Drainage Pattern of Newaj
Watershed, Rajgarh District, M.P.: Hydrological Implications.
Syed Akram Ali and H. U. Usmani
Dept. of Geology, Govt. M.V.M. Bhopal, M.P.
email: [email protected]

To Cite this Article

Syed Akram Ali and H. U. Usmani, “Some Morphometric Aspects of Drainage Pattern of Newaj
Watershed, Rajgarh District, M.P.: Hydrological Implications” Journal of Science and Technology,
Vol. 08, Issue 07,-July 2023, pp17-24
Article Info
Received: 26-06-2023 Revised: 28-06-2023 Accepted: 08-07-2023 Published: 12-07-2023

Abstract

Morphometric analysis of drainage network in the Newaj Watershed, in the Rajgarh district of M.P.
has been carried out using Spatial Technology with a view to understand the hydrological condition
of the basin. Stream ordering carried out for the analysis of bifurcation ratio, drainage texture,
drainage density, relief ratio and circulatory ratio. The inferences drawn from this analysis indicate
that the area has not suffered any major deformation. As the value of bifurcation ratio is low the
result of analysis of these parameters also indicate that the drainage texture is fine to medium and
drainage density 2.55 km / sq. km which is low indication moderate run off. The runoff and
infiltration which signify that the area needs some measures to be taken to maintain and to improve
groundwater conditions of area for sustainable development.

Introduction

Groundwater is a valuable natural resource, which has a direct influence on the health of people,
ecology and economics of a region. It’s a precious resource, a haphazard and over use of it threatening
the available resources. With the latest powerful technology of Remote Sensing and computer based
GIS technique it has become reather easier to analyse and manage natural resources, particularly
water resources. Drainage pattern of an area provides important information on the groundwater
potential of the area. drainage pattern of the area indirectly infers the topography which helps in
understanding of surface water conditions, its runoff and infiltration under ground, it reflects present
lithology and structure on the rocks. It also helps in evaluation of groundwater condition, to some
extent. Drainage network present over a landmass is classified on the basis of their form and texture,
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Journal of Science and Technology
ISSN: 2456-5660 Volume 8, Issue 07 (July -2023)
www.jst.org.in DOI:https://doi.org/10.46243/jst.2023.v8.i07.pp17 - 24
form and shape pattern of drainage is the reflection of surface topography and its also influenced by
the subsurface geological conditions. Development of drainage is the result of least resistance offered
by the rocks in erosion. Drainage texture is governed the available volume of water and also by the
infiltration capacity of soil. In the present study the stream ordering is done using strahler method of
stream ordering and other parameters calculated using the standard formulas proposed by Horton and
Strahler and interpreted.

Study Area
Present study carried out over the Newaj watershed, which is a part of Rajgarh district, M.P. The
study area lies within the latitudes 23o50’00” to 24o16’52” N and longitudes 76o36’45” to 76o53’00”
E, and falls in the survey of india Toposheet no. 54 D/11, 54 D/12, 54D/15, 54 D/16, 54 A/9 and 55
A/13, the study area is part of Newaj River (Fig.1) and geological composed of Deccan Basalt of
basic volcanic nature. The area represent an undulating topography. The basalt is covered by B.C. Soil
where ever more weather.

Processing and Digitization

The georefrencing of satellite data was performed with refrence to toposheets covering the watershed
and area is demarcated on the image (Fig.2). the image processing carried out adopting different band
combination using Erdas Imagine for fine detailing of Ist order streams. Field check also were carried
out to avoid and diserepecy and to avoid the main made structures. The drainages of all order
digitized followed by transfer of image to ARcGIS software for complete processing of image. The
drainage pattern of study area is shown in the drainage map (Fig.3)

Morphometric Analysis

In the present drainage morphometric analysis the bifurcation ration, drainage dencity, drainage
texture, relief ration and circulatory ration has been calculate and interpreted accordingly.

First step of this analysis is stream ordering, ordering started from the lowest first order to the highest
available order, i.e. sixth order following Hortons (1962) method.

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Journal of Science and Technology
ISSN: 2456-5660 Volume 8, Issue 07 (July -2023)
www.jst.org.in DOI:https://doi.org/10.46243/jst.2023.v8.i07.pp17 - 24

Stream ordering

After Ordering of streams in the present watershed, all the numbers of each order has been counted
and tabulated below:

Order of Stream Total number of stream in each order

First order 1589
Second order 800
Third order 451
Fourth order 153
Fifth order 116
Sixth order 1
Total Stream 3110

Bifurcation Ration (Rb)

Bifurcation ratio is calculated by using formula proposed by Strahler (1957):

Rb = Nu / Nu+1

Where, Rb = Bifurcation ratio

Nu = Total no. of streams segment of order ‘u’

Nu+1 = Number of streams of the next higher order

In the present watershed the value of Bifurcation ration are as:

Rb1 1.99
Rb2 1.77
Rb3 2.95
Rb4 1.32
Rb5 116.00

Drainage Texture (T)

It is a very useful in delineating the texture of drainage over a topography fine, medium and course
(Smith, 1950). Drainage texture of the present watershed is 13.48. This parameter also indirectly
infers the calculated value of infiltration capacity, their permeability or lack of fault and fracture.
According to this value the drainage texture is medium

Stream Frequency (Fs)

It is calculated using the formula (Horton, 1945):

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Journal of Science and Technology
ISSN: 2456-5660 Volume 8, Issue 07 (July -2023)
www.jst.org.in DOI:https://doi.org/10.46243/jst.2023.v8.i07.pp17 - 24
Fs = Nu / A

Where, Fs = Stream frequency

Nu = Total number of stream present in the drainage basin.

A = Area of drainage basin

Fs = 3110 / 588.35 = 5.29 per sq km

Drainage density (Dd)

Drainage density of the present area is calculated using Horton (1945) formula:

Dd = Lu / A

Whaer, Dd = Drainage density

Lu = Total stream length of all orders

A = Total area of basin

Dd = 1503.21 / 588.35 = 2.55 km / sq km

Relief ratio (Rh)

This ratio calculated by the relation Rh = H / Lb (Horton, 1945)

Where, Rh = Relief ratio

H = Total relief of the basin

Lb = Basin length

Rh = 193 / 50.50 = 3.82

Discussion and Conclusion

The drainage map reveals the dominance of lower order streams. The number of order streams
reducing from lower to higher order. The main trunk is sixth order stream i.e. Newaj River. The
general pattern of drainage is mainly dendritic. The drainage texture is fine to medium texture, the
shape of basin is elongated extending roughly N-S. in some part drainage becoming sub-dendritic.
The lithology in the present area that is basalt. The lack of major structural disturbance as the present
area is free from major folding and faulting (Deccan Trap) Similarly second and third order drainage
do no show large variation.
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Journal of Science and Technology
ISSN: 2456-5660 Volume 8, Issue 07 (July -2023)
www.jst.org.in DOI:https://doi.org/10.46243/jst.2023.v8.i07.pp17 - 24
Bifurcation ratio as calculated between different order also more or less steady except the last pair
i.e.5th / 6th order. Lower value of bifurcation ratio indicating less deformation and this increase in
value of Rb5 may be due to some local variations.

The high value of drainage density 2.55 km / sq km. indicate moderate infiltration. Value of stream
frequency is 5.92 which is moderate to high and relief ratio 3.82 is also a low relief suggesting more
residence time of rain to stand for longer duration at surface which helps in more percolation of water
down wards (Todd, 1980).

Hence, on the basis above discussion it may be concluded that the area is broad, flat with meandering
nature of main channel, low gradient and low stream velocity. Though, the drainage density 2.55 km /
sq km is a relatively higher value indicating a high runoff and low infiltration. But it is observed
during field visits that the post monsoon groundwater levels are quite high which reveals that the
presence of gently slopingcondition provides sufficien time to the rain water to stay longer on the
surface which lead more infiltration and highly jointed basaltic rocks provide the channel way to
trickle rain water under ground. Being an agriculture prone area it seems reasonable to suggest certain
measures to improve the groundwater to sustainable development. As most of the agriculture activity
practice is groundwater dependent and almost all the agriculture lands using groundwater for
irrigation thus some measures to improve groundwater resources must be given priority.

Refrence

Choudhury, P. R. (1999), Integrated remote sensing and GIS techniques for groundwater studies in
part of Betwa basin. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Roorkee, India.

Dunn, J. A. and Dey, A. K. 1942. Mem. Geological Survey of India, 69(2): 401,

Gupta, R. P. (2003). Remote Sensing Geology, 2nd edn. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg,
Germany.

Horton, H. E. (1945). Erosional development of streams and their drainage basins. Bulletin GSA, 56:
275-370.

Lillesand, T. M. and Kiefer, R. W. (2003). Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation, 4th edn. John
Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Smith, K. G. (1950). Standards for grading texture of erosional topography. American Journal of
Science, 248: 655-668.

Strahler, A. N. (1952). Dynamic basis of geo-morphology. Bulletin GSA, 63(9).

Todd, D. K. (1980). Groundwater Hydrology. John Wiley & Sons.

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Journal of Science and Technology
ISSN: 2456-5660 Volume 8, Issue 07 (July -2023)
www.jst.org.in DOI:https://doi.org/10.46243/jst.2023.v8.i07.pp17 - 24

Fig. 1 Location map of study area

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Journal of Science and Technology
ISSN: 2456-5660 Volume 8, Issue 07 (July -2023)
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Fig. 2 Satellite image of study area

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Journal of Science and Technology
ISSN: 2456-5660 Volume 8, Issue 07 (July -2023)
www.jst.org.in DOI:https://doi.org/10.46243/jst.2023.v8.i07.pp17 - 24

Fig. 3 Drainage map of study area

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