SPATIO - TEMPORAL MORPHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS USING SATELLITE DATA FOR A REACH OF RIVER BRAHMAPUTRA

Abstract

The Brahmaputra river during the days of peak flow is a terror in Assam. '1'lhhe flood discharge upto the magnitude of 72000 cumec and even more has been measured in the past. Discharge of this magnitude submerges a number of villages in the plain of Assam valley. Every year so many lives and properties are being engulfed into this. In order to get respite from this a number of measures, such as strengthening of embankments, construction of spurs, ringbunds have been taking place involving cores of rupees. But these majors have not proved fool proof as these steps are taken studing the local behaviour of the river only. in order to achieve more reliable, safe and permanent measures, detailed study of river morphology should be carried out. The present work is an attempt in this direction. With the help of satellite imageries of years 1997 and 2000 and the hydrographic survey map prepared by Brahmaputra Board based on data prior to year 1986, the chants in river morphology has been studied for the entire reach of Brahmaputra in Assam.