Morphometric Characterisation of Tangri Watershed in Lower Siwalik and Piedmont Zone of Haryana and Punjab

The drainage basin analysis is important for many hydrological investigations like estimation of runoff, flood discharge, sediment yield, environment assessment, groundwater recharge, groundwater potential and management. Therefore, the present study has been undertaken to determine the drainage characteristics of the Tangri watershed in the Siwalik and Piedmont zone of Haryana and Punjab using the geographic information system technique. The Tangri watershed is a sixth-order stream with dendritic to sub-dendritic and parallel to sub-parallel drainage patterns. The analysis reveals that first-order streams constitute about 73% of the total streams, whereas second, third, fourth and fifth-order streams constituted about 20%, 5%, 1.5% and 0.5%, respectively. The drainage density and frequency analysis of the watershed demonstrated that it is underlained by highly permeable rocks and low relief. The bifurcation ratio shows that the drainage pattern of the watershed is not much influenced by the geological structure. It also indicated low water yield and extended peak flows. The analysis of hypsometric curve reveals that the watershed has attained the mature stage in the fluvial geomorphic cycle. Moreover, morphometric parameters coupled with land use, landform and topography will prove to be beneficial in the decision-making process for integrated water resource management of the region.