A synergistic approach to morphotectonic evolution for watershed management in the Bearma River Basin, Central India

Abstract

Environmental catastrophes on a global scale have prompted a thorough evaluation of river morphology for sustainable basin development methods. Geomorphological investigations of river basins can provide significant information regarding quaternary tectonic deformations. The present investigation intends to reveal tectonic imprints in the Bearma River Basin (BRB). Bearma is a significant river in central India which flows through Vindhyan Supergroup, Lameta and Deccan Trap and contributes to developing the marginal Gangetic plain's architecture. The digital elevation data have been utilized to obtain the morphotectonic indices, tectonic activity classes and topographic characteristics. Bearma is an elongated basin with uplifted topography, continuously migrating channels, high hypsometric integral, and several stream length-gradient anomalies, indicating tectonic control over the basin. According to the tectonic activity index, 15.33, 38.99, and 46.55% areas of the BRB have high, moderate, or low tectonic activity, respectively. Topographical, lineament studies and field investigation show significant relief variation and prominence of tectonic activity over erosional and depositional processes in shaping the landscape towards the southern and south-eastern region of the BRB. Reactivation of basement faults and subsurface lineaments due to Himalayan tectonic and activity of the Son-Narmada North Fault are responsible for the recent deformation and development of the current hydrographic network.