[01] Kuldeep Pareta, Water Resource Department, DHI (India) Water & Environment Pvt Ltd., New Delhi, India.

This study has made use of remote sensing data to provide a general overview of the course of the Brahmaputra river in Assam over the past two-and-half decades and to uncover many specific features. The study has demonstrated the potential of applying remote sensing data for the rapid interpretation of the features of the braided river covering a large area. The study has revealed the benefits of effective use of geospatial data and riverbank mapping specially for preparation of soil texture map, geological map, geomorphological map, lineament map, and analysing braiding indicators, mean river width, erosion / deposition trends, and bankline migration trends. The methodology, analyses and results from this study can guide similar studies on tributaries of the Brahmaputra river and/or other riverbank management systems in Assam. The erosional area from 1996 to 2020 along Brahmaputra river in the Assam state is 1,624.62 Km², while the depositional area is 917.22 Km². The Brahmaputra river has lost approximately 67.69 Km² of land per year and gained only 38.22 Km² per year. The erosional areas from 1996 to 2020 is continuously decreasing, and it has decreased approx. 47%, which corresponds to the good flood management in Brahmaputra river over the last few years, but the study area needs corrective measure, appropriate planning, and governmental support to stabilize the bank lines and protect them from riverbank erosion. The results of this study can be a base for further analysis in future considerations of long-term erosion protection measures along the Brahmaputra river in Assam. The results can be made more precise by considering char lands and with high-resolution satellite imagery e.g. QuickBird, GeoEye, WorldView.

River Morphology, Erosion/Deposition, River Migration, Brahmaputra River, and RS/GIS

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