Morphometric Analysis to Deduce Hydrological Insight Using Geospatial Techniques: A Study on Thutapuzha Sub-Basin, Western Ghats, India

The current research emphasizes the advantages of employing geospatial techniques to deduce hydrological insights for the management of the water resource in the Thutapuzha sub-basin (TSB), a major tributary of the Bharathapuzha, the major river in Kerala, India. For this study, ASTER DEM is utilized within the ArcGIS software to extract essential morphometric parameters specific to the Thutapuzha sub-basin (TSB). Morphometric parameters serve as crucial and systematic tools for evaluating water resources within a river basin. Morphometric parameters coming under linear aspects, areal aspects, and relief aspects are computed for the TSB, and their hydrological implications are thoroughly examined. The dataset generated from morphometric parameters suggests that the basin exhibits promising potential for water resource management and offers scientific insights for flood management initiatives within the basin. The TSB, as a sixth-order basin with dendritic and sub-dendritic patterns, features a significant number of high-order streams, indicative of significant discharge of water, and a low flow rate, highlighting that the basin is susceptible to flood hazards. Furthermore, the areal morphometric characteristics of TSB also point to substantial water discharge and peak flow occurring within a relatively short time frame. This study demonstrates that SRTM-DEM-based hydrological assessments at the sub-basin level prove to be more practical and accurate when compared to alternative techniques. The resulting database provides valuable scientific information for the management of water resources.