Landslide susceptibility zonation study using remote sensing and GIS technology in the Ken-Betwa River Link area, India.

The 231 km long Ken-Betwa River Linking canal will transfer 1,020 hm of surplus water from the Ken River to the deficit Betwa River basin. The landslide susceptibility zonation map of the river link has been assessed using remote sensing data in GIS. Various thematic maps such as geology, land use/land cover, lineament, drainage, slope, aspect, normalized difference vegetation index and soil type were generated from the Landsat Thematic Mapper 5 satellite data of 2005, the Survey of India topographic sheets, Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission Digital Elevation (SRTM-DEM) data and other existing maps. Numerical rating schemes were used for ranking the thematic layers. The results were supported with the rainfall data, groundwater level data and a petrological study of rock thin sections. In addition to providing valuable information for project decision-makers, the results will assist in slope management and land use planning in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]