IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF CHANNELIZATION ON RIVER CORRIDORS OF A MAJOR TRIBUTARY OF GANGES, INDIA USING GEO SPATIAL TECHNIQUESUrvashi Sharmaa, Ajey Kumar Pathakb and Venkatesh DuttaaAbstract This study presents spatial and temporal changes in the river corridors of the river Gomti, a major tributary of Ganges, before and after a major channelization project carried out in the urban stretch of Lucknow city in Uttar Pradesh, India. Lands at 8 satellite images of May 2014 and May 2017 were used to derive the information on changes of the different landscape features in the river corridors that got modified because of channelization after 2016. The results showed that the area of the active channel of river Gomti in the urban stretch got reduced by 6.54 Km2 which is 35.49% of the channel due to changes in the river structure and morphology. The area of dense vegetation increased by 3.88%, subsequently, the area of sparse vegetation reduced by 8.96%, growth in the built-up area was noticed by 6.32% and open land by 2.5%, whereas no significant change in the wasteland area was noticed. Further, vegetative health index was calculated using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). The results showed an increase in bare land with some sparse vegetation and a decrease in both moderate and dense vegetation as a result of channelization. The decrease in both moderate as well as dense vegetation shows an overall decrease in the forested area in the river corridors because of the construction of riverfront and increase in the urban sprawl on both banks of the river.
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