[01] Kuldeep Pareta, DHI (India) Water & Environment Pvt Ltd., New Delhi, India. [02] Upasana Pareta, Omaksh Consulting Pvt Ltd., Greater Noida, UP, India.

Space-borne and airborne technology has comprehensively used in geomorphology since longer than a century because these technologies are benefited with landform analysis, geomorphic feature extraction, and improvements in mapping techniques. It has been extensively used in geomorphology since 1972, when Landsat series data (from 1972 to present) are freely available, and it has also fulfilled the analytical requirements of geomorphologists. In this study L-band ALOS/PALSAR, Sentinel-1, C-band SRTM, Landsat-8 OLI have been used to assess the geological structures, and geomorphological investigation/mapping of the study area (within 25 Km buffer from the center of Taj Mahal), while Landsat series data from 1972 to 2021 at 5 years interval have been applied for river morphology and urban geomorphology analysis. Geomorphologically, the area has been classified as upland/older alluvial plain-Varanasi older alluvial plain (VOAP), and low land older flood plain including erosional terrace, depositional terrace active flood plain of present-day rivers. Geo-strata of the area around Taj Mahal were found as clay (RL 149-133 m), non-plastic to silty-sand (RL 133-123.8 m), thicker clay layer (RL 123.8-60.3 m), and fine-to-medium-grained quarzitic sandstone (below then 60.3 m). The mean river width (1972-2021) of Yamuna River right behind the Taj Mahal is 149.6 m, while average sinuosity index of the study reach is 2.31 which corresponding to the highly meandering form of the river, because tectonic control is less powerful than other variables, the meandering is more influenced by the gradient, lithology and river surrounding. meander bends migration rate has been observed at d/s of Taj Mahal, as two spurs, u/s of Taj Mahal have been installed to train the river and avoid any danger to the structure of Taj Mahal. Through the cross-sectional profile analysis, some human intervention has observed behind the Taj Mahal, and notices that a low-level weir up to a RL of 146 m has been constructed across the Yamuna River to create a permanent lake of water behind the Taj Mahal. Agra city has experienced a significant urban growth in the last 50 years (1972-2021), it has increased 1284% of urban area with an average growth rate of 2.88 Km² per year, while population has increased only 282%. Till 2001 urban area is limited to only one geomorphic unit of older alluvial plain, but onwards due to Immanent of population increment it has been extended to other geomorphic units which are not good for the residence purpose.

Geomorphology, Geo-strata, River Morphology, Urban Expansion, Taj Mahal, RS/GIS

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