Morphometric and Morphotectonic Studies of Sindh Basin, Central India, Using Advance Techniques of Remote Sensing and GIS

In the present paper, morphometric and morphotectonic attributes of Sindh basin of Central India were attempted. The remotely sensed Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data were used to extract drainage, density and contour maps. The drainage of Sindh and its subwatersheds exhibiting dendritic pattern show mean bifurcation ratio ranging from 3.85 to 5.66. It reveals that the drainage flowing in hilly and dissected area is geologically and structurally controlled. The low density (0.82) and frequency (0.4) implies that the basin is consisting of coarse permeable soil with dense vegetation. The values of elongation and form factor ratio infer that the basin is elongated and less prone to erosion. The ruggedness values infer that the Sindh basin is slightly rugged and less prone to erosion and sediment transport. The drainage orientations of Sindh River and its subwatersheds showing polymodal distribution are represented by highly conspicuous NNE-SSW and NNW-SSE trends. The four sets of major lineaments trending NE-SW, NW-SE, WNW-ESE and NNW-SSE are observed in the Sindh basin. The high density of lineaments represented by fractures, faults, foliations and bed rock structures are controlling the drainage of low order streams. The high order NE-SW trending streams show major tectonic control.