M. Sultan Bhat

Remote Sensing and GIS Based Groundwater Potential Mapping for Sustainable Water Resource Management of Lidder Catchment in Kashmir Valley, India

The valley of Kashmir is blessed with abundant water resources. However, high population growth and concentration of population at favorable locations have resulted in increased demand for water. The problem is further aggravated in Lidder catchment where unplanned tourism development has resulted in deterioration of water quality. Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE) approach is adopted using IRS P6 LISS III satellite data 2010, geological map published by Geological Survey of India, toposheets prepared by Survey of India, 1961 and field observation. Seven thematic layers (slope, lineament density, drainage density, soil, geology, geomorphology and land use land cover) are generated in GIS environment and weighted according to their relative relevance to groundwater occurrence. Knowledge-based weights and ranks are normalized, and a weighted linear combination technique is adopted to determine the groundwater potential (GWP). The catchment is divided into five zones of very high, high, medium, low and very low GWP. The results show that 50.22% of the total catchment area, which is uninhabited, has very low GWP. However, the densely populated southern part of the catchment has moderate to very high GWP. The study demonstrates that MCE using remote sensing and GIS technology could be efficiently employed as a very useful tool for the assessment and management of groundwater resources especially in regions where data is poor.

AUTOMATED DRAINAGE CHARACTERIZATION OF DUDGANGA WATERSHED IN WESTERN HIMALAYAS

In this article, the author analyses the democratization of executive power and management as the most important priority of further developing of democratic reforms in the country. It is known, that main support of democratic image of government, is provided by division of power. An article represents examples from history concerning division of power, principles of introduction of checks and balances system in public administration. Moreover, opinions of the articles author are proved by opinions on the matter of such great thinkers of history, as Platon, Aristotle, Polibiy, S.L. Montesquieu, D. Lilbern, J. Lock and others. Besides, the thoughts of President of the Republic of Uzbekistan I.A. Karimov, which are actual even nowadays, are brought in the article. The statements, which have been put forward in article, are actively realized in the country. Additionally, the Concept of further developing the democratic reforms and formation of civil society in the country, which is offered by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, forms the base of the actual state and public construction in the Republic of Uzbekistan. Offers in this Concept, for example, amendments and supplements in the Changes and additions are brought in the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan with a view at further deepening of democratic reforms and formation of civil society, democratization of governmental authorities and management, ensuring more balanced distribution of powers between three subjects of the government. In the majority of developed countries, the institute of a vote of no confidence in which the disapproval of governmental activities is expressed, acts as a key instrument of influence of parliament on the government. Same a way adheres also to the Republic of Uzbekistan. In addition, it is remarkable, that according to the offer of fractions, the reports from heads of the ministries and departments are included in the Program within parliamentary hearings on such questions.

Flood risk assessment of Srinagar city in Jammu and Kashmir, India

Purpose Risk assessment is imperative for disaster risk reduction (DRR). The risk is rooted to various physical, social, economic, demographic, and environmental factors that determine the probable magnitude of loss during an extreme event. By way of bringing a conceptual model into practice, this paper aims to examine the flood risk of the Srinagar city. Design/methodology/approach The ‘risk triangle’ model has been adopted in the present investigation evaluating parameters, reflective of hazard (intensity), exposure (spatial), and vulnerability (sensitivity) using Landsat-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) scene (2014/09/10), Global Positioning System (GPS), Cartosat-1 Digital Elevation Model (DEM), and socioeconomic and demographic data (Census of India, 2011). We characterize flood hazard intensity on the basis of variability in water depth during a recent event (September-2014 Kashmir Flood); spatial exposure as a function of terrain elevation, and socioeconomic structure and demographic composition of ...

Assessment of the impact of land use change on natural resource land of Srinagar Metropolitan Region of Kashmir Valley

Land is the basic natural resource that provides habitat and sustenance for living organisms, as well as being a major focus of economic activities. It is a finite resource and put to many competing uses. In India land is a source of livelihood for 60 % of the population through agriculture and related activities. Urbanization and resultant population growth has led to the consequent demand for land, water and biological resources and has put tremendous pressure on land. The objective of this paper is to document how this urbanization process has expanded throughout the study area and to explore how lands comprising the natural resource base, particularly agriculture and wetlands were lost and replaced by a matrix of the built and other uses of urban demand. The present study was carried out by making use of two time land use/ land cover maps of 1971 and 2010 and associated change due to urbanization was calculated. An extensive accuracy assessments of the satellite-derived maps was conducted, most of which were produced by using widely available multi-temporal Landsat imagery. The change in urbanization was derived from built-up expansion maps (the built environment) for 1971 and 2010, from which the loss in agricultural and wetland resource lands that occurred during the last forty years were calculated. The analysis revealed that there is a fast intrusion of urban activities in the agricultural landscape of the peri-urban areas. Further, wetlands are at the verge of extinction owing to their high susceptibility to encroachment which has not only resulted in threat to their ecology but also reduced their capacity as flood absorption basin.

FLOOD HAZARD ZONATION AND VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT OF GREATER SRINAGAR, J&K INDIA.

Hakim Farooq Ahmad, M.Sultan Bhat, Akhtar Alam and Shabir Ahmad. Department of Geography and Regional Development University of Kashmir-190006. ...................................................................................................................... Manuscript Info Abstract ......................... ........................................................................ Manuscript History