Hydrological Modelling and Development of Soil and Water Management Plan for Mand Catchment of Middle Mahanadi Basin

Abstract

The hydrological regimes of watersheds can be drastically altered by changes in soil and air temperature, and rainfall patterns brought on by climate change as well as the land use/cover (LULC) changes. These changes can have a domino effect on the capacity of surface water systems to retain water, as well as on the quantity and quality of agricultural output. Moreover, huge amounts of surface water flows are a major cause of concern for topsoil, leading to soil and nutrient movement from the upland to the low land regions and attribute deposition in the river and reservoir. The present study has been carried out in the Mand catchment of Mahanadi basin, Chhattisgarh, India. The geographical area comprises 4730 km2 with altitude ranges from 159 m to 1080 m above MSL. In the context of Mand catchment, a significant proportion of watersheds are currently experiencing challenges pertaining to water quantity, quality, and soil erosion. The issues can be identified as modifications in patterns of rainfall and fluctuations in soil and air temperature due to changes in LULC. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct a thorough assessment of these issues and subsequently apply best management practices (BMPs) in the identified critical areas. newlineThe present study was conducted with the primary aim toThe present study was conducted with the primary aim to calibrate and validate ArcSWAT model for simulating daily streamflow, sediment yield, and nutrient losses from Mand catchment. Also, the aim of the study was to evaluate the impacts of land use changes on the hydrological response of Mand catchment. Application of ArcSWAT to predict the long-term monthly runoff, sediment yield and nutrient losses on sub-watershed basis from the Mand catchment for identification and prioritization of critical sub-watershed was considered in this study. The conclusive goal of this study was to develop the best soil and water management plan for the identified most critical sub-watershed of Mand catchment. newlineThe setup of SWAT model (version 2012) was d