Morphometric Characterization of the Chhapara Pandiwara Watershed in Seoni district using Geospatial Techniques

Abstract

The growing demand and competition for water from agricultural, industrial, and domestic sectors has reached critical levels. Morphometric analysis using Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques offers an accurate and efficient approach for evaluating watershed characteristics and drainage basins, catchments, and sub-catchments serve as ideal hydrological units for planning the conservation of land and supporting sustainable water resources management. Integration of GIS provides a powerful tool for analyzing their morphometric properties effectively. This study adopts an integrated GIS-based approach to quantify the morphometric characteristics of the Chhapara Pandiwara watershed. The Chhapara Pandiwara watershed, a fifth-order basin, was analyzed using spatial tools and Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) in ArcGIS 10.3 to assess its linear, areal, and relief characteristics. The watershed exhibits a well-developed drainage network with a bifurcation ratio of 1.49–2.25, indicating a moderate degree of branching and minimal structural disturbance. Low drainage density (0.78 km/km²) and moderate stream frequency (1.36 streams/km²) suggest a coarse drainage network, gentle to moderate slopes, permeable soils, and substantial vegetation, contributing to reduced runoff concentration and lower peak discharge. Relief analysis reveals a high relief ratio (4.67) and a ruggedness number of 3.64, indicating steep and highly dissected terrain with susceptibility to soil erosion. These findings underscore the utility of GIS-based morphometric analysis for informed watershed planning and sustainable resource management. Overall, the watershed demonstrates efficient drainage and moderate runoff potential, highlighting the importance of water storage enhancement and channel rehabilitation to improve retention and support agricultural and domestic water needs.