Volume I: Part I: Section 3: Chapter: 1
3.1.1
Section 3 Collection of Other Secondary data Chapter 1: Physical Factors (Land Forms) 1.1 Introduction
major landslides
This chapter deals with types and sources of secondary data collected. Physical features affect the catchment positively as well as negatively. Inventorying these features has provided the base to arrive at the treatment measures for improvement of catchment in terms of soil and water conservation. While an overview of Satluj basin is provided in this chapter, the full details for each MWS in each Sub-catchment is provided in Volumes IV to XV Sr. No.
Data
Sources
1.
Rivers, Rivulets, and Tributaries; Boundaries of Watershed, SubWatershed and MicroWatershed;
Survey of India; All India Landuse and Soil Survey
2.
Village, Taluka and District boundaries; urban and village settlement areas; roads and highways
Survey of India, Directorate of Economics and Statistics (HP Govt.), Revenue Dept (HP), HPPWD,
Soil type data
National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land use Planning
3.
4.
All geological features (faults, fissures, etc.) and location of
Geological Survey of India
5.
Forest areas including forest divisions and forest beats
Forest Survey of India, Forest Department
6.
Grazing areas; cultivated areas and orchards or areas under plantation
State Agricultural Universities, Solan And Palampur, Horticulture, Agricultural And Forest Department, State Revenue Dept.
7.
Siltation data
Bhakra Beas Management Board, Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam, Jaypee Hydroelectric, CWC, other Hydroelectric projects like NJPC, Sorang, Ganvi etc
Areas under erosion were taken as per the identification available from the National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning and a delineation of the areas was done with respect to the erosion intensity. Following thematic maps were used for delineating areas prone to soil erosion. •
Land use/ Land cover map (Data generated from Indian Remote Sensing (IRS), LISS III sensor
Comprehensive CAT Plan of Satluj River Basin
Volume I: Part I: Section 3: Chapter: 1 •
Slope map (generated through standard triangulation techniques using digitized counters at 40 m interval derived from Survey of India 1:50,000 scale topographic sheets.)
•
Soil map ( digitized and produced using soil maps available from National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land use Planning)
•
Prioritization of each sub-watershed was done which would make the basis for selection of area for treatment of the catchment.
The information concerning FCA cases for diversion of forest lands for non forest use in the Satluj basin since 1991 was also studied. This included following: 1. Area of forest diverted, 2. All amounts levied on the different project implementing agencies on account of
•
•
i.
Compensatory Afforestation,
ii.
Lease Value of Forest Land,
iii.
Net present value of forests, and
iv.
Any other amount levied in connection with diversion of forest land was gathered from the Forest Department.
Statistics of biodiversity, plantation and forest conservation program was gathered from previous ecological assessment reports. All this data was collected separately for each forest division. NERIL also collected data on how much of the amounts levied on the project implementing agencies has been recovered by the forest department, and thereafter how these amounts were allocated to each DFOs within the forest department.
3.1.2
•
Progress reports for CAT Plan implementation were collected. The expenditure of the amounts collected from the project implementing agencies was assessed. The expenditure data were collected at the level of individual micro-watershed and then incorporated in the GIS portal.
•
The requirement of ToR is that the data in respect of all other plantation, afforestation and forest conservation programs, including state and national government funded forestry projects or schemes, all externally financed projects, all watershed projects etc. be gathered. However, it is stated that, this was not available at village, block and tehsil level. NERIL attempted to obtain this data from all these levels plus from the planning commission at Shimla. It is stated that in the absence of such secondary data NERIL has relied upon the primary data obtained during its 100% site survey.
1.2 Landforms Earth is a collaboration of the various physical features found on its surface. Landforms are the geographical features of earth that manipulate and control the ecosystem, climate, weather and above all they affect the life on the earth. Forces of nature like wind, water, ice and the movement of the tectonic plates of the earth, have all contributed in the formation of these landforms. Some of these landforms are created within few hours while others take years to form and appear. It is essential for these landforms to move and grow in a systematic order under full control and supervision of the natural forces. Any deviation in the normal movement or existence of these landforms can cause immense destruction to life and property.
Comprehensive CAT Plan of Satluj River Basin
Volume I: Part I: Section 3: Chapter: 1
3.1.3
In other words, according to earth sciences and geology sub-fields, a landform or a physical feature comprises of a geomorphological unit, and is largely defined by its surface form and location in the landscape, as part of the terrain, and as such, is typically an element of topography. Landforms are categorized by characteristic physical attributes such as elevation, slope, orientation, stratification, rock exposure, and soil type.1 The entire catchment area of Satluj River has 5 different types of landforms.2 They are listed in this table.
Glaciers are large persistent bodies of ice that originate on land and slowly flow due to the stresses induced by their weight. Glaciers form where the accumulation of snow and ice exceeds The Lesser (Lower) ablation (removal of Himalayan Range lies to Unit Description material from the the north of the Sub- 1 surface of an object by Glaciers Himalayan or Sivalik vaporization, chipping, Steep to very steep high Range and south of the 2 or other erosive hills of Greater Himalayas Greater Himalayas. The processes). There is a height of these debate on whether Steep to very steep high 3 mountains varies from glaciers are more hills of Lesser Himalayas 1800 to 4600 meters. erosive than streams, Millions of years of 6 where some workers like Glacio-fluvial valley folding, faulting and over Clague, 1986; Braun, 7 Fluvial valley (River) thrusting have resulted 1989; claim that glaciers into the formation of are more erosive than 3 these mountains. streams while some workers like Sugden, 1976, 1978; Lindstro¨m, The Greater Himalayas are the only 1988; have found evidences that there areas in the world other than the Polar is no or little difference in their erosive Regions to be covered with glaciers and powers.4 permafrost. The Satluj basin comprises A valley is a landform, which can range from a few square kilometres to hundreds of square kilometres in area. It is typically a low-lying area of land, surrounded by higher areas such as mountains or hills. Glacial valleys tend to have a peculiar U-shape that contrasts sharply with the V-shape created by stream erosion.5 The glacial valleys were formed several thousand years ago (mostly during the last Ice of the high hills of the Greater Age) because of the erosive power of Himalayas as well as the Lesser Himalayas that have intense slope. 4
1
List of landforms-Wikipedia 2 State Land Use Board, Himachal Pradesh Govt. 3 type of landformshttp://lifestyle.iloveindia.com/lounge/types-oflandforms-11269.html
David R Montgomery ,Valley formation by Fluvial and glacial erosion ,Department of Earth and Space sciences, University of Washington,Seattle,Washington-98195,USA 5 Fundamental e-book-Landforms of glaciationsPhysicalgeography.net
Comprehensive CAT Plan of Satluj River Basin
Volume I: Part I: Section 3: Chapter: 1 glaciers. Glacio-fluvial valleys are formed when the material moved by glaciers is later sorted and redeposited by flowing streams and rivers formed as a result of the melting ice. Fluvial processes comprise the motion of sediment and erosion or deposition (geology) on the river bed.6 Fluvial valleys are V shaped valleys and are created as a result of stream erosion. Physically based models have proposed that the development of U-shaped glacial valleys takes place from initially V-shaped fluvial valleys (Harbor et al., 1988; Hirano and Aniya, 1988; Harbor, 1992).7 The distribution of these landforms in our project area can be seen in the map given here after:
6
Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia David R Montgomery, Valley formation by Fluvial and glacial erosion, Department of Earth and Space sciences, University of Washington,Seattle,Washington-98195,USA 7
Comprehensive CAT Plan of Satluj River Basin
3.1.4
Volume I: Part I: Section 3: Chapter: 1
7
3.1.5
Unit
Description
1
Glaciers
2
Steep to very steep high hills of Greater Himalayas
3
Steep to very steep high hills of Lesser Himalayas
6
Glacio-fluvial valley
7
Fluvial valley (River)
Note: Units are assigned to facilitate short and simple representation of the landform titles which are descriptive in nature. These units will be used as names of the landforms.
It can be seen from the map above that Glacio-fluvial type is seen in very small region in pink colour with unit no. 6. The major area is covered by type Steep to very steep high hills of Greater Himalayas followed by Steep to very steep high hills of Lesser Himalayas.
Glaciers are also seen in some region. Thus our study area has a variety of landforms that range from glaciers to steep hills of the Himalayas.
Comprehensive CAT Plan of Satluj River Basin