Geo-informatics of Sedimentation in Indravati Reservoir, Odisha, India

The Indravati Basin, in S-W Odisha, with catchment of 38306 Sq. Km. houses the complex Upper Indravati Project (UIP) comprising of four dams, eight dykes, a power house (600MW) and caters irrigation to 227.62 Th. ha in severely drought prone Kalahandi district in Odisha has commenced operation from 1999. Two Link Channels is constructed to interlink the Godavari- the Mahanadi basin. The power House tailrace water is diverted for irrigation to 128,000 hectares via Hati barrage. To solve the necessity of electricity and water for irrigation it is necessary to evaluate sediment entry to the reservoir and lifespan of the project in remote inaccessible forests of Dandakaranya Hills.

Present work uses the remote sensing technology to estimate the sediment fill of the Indravati Reservoir. The base map was set taking help of Survey of India Toposheet 65/M/2; 65 N/1, 65I/14, 15, &165; and 65J/9,13 of high precision, georeferenced. Supervised classification and thematic map and DEM (from vector data) has been prepared using Earth resource data analysis system (ERDAS) and other image processing software and analysed. The sediment difference maps of 1996-2001, 2013-2017 and 2017-2021 maps are analysed and compared.

The inference is that the sedimentation in the Indravati reservoir is highest than other sub basins of the Godavari basin. The action for the catchment treatment plan needs study of the anthropogenic strategies which need prioritisation. Upstream Check dams, catchment treatment plans, and vegetation screens along the upstream of the rivers/drains can check the inflow of larger particles from the catchment to the reservoirs.