Hydrological Impact of Land Use and Land Cover Change in the Upper Godavari Basin, Maharashtra, India

This study examines how changes in land use in the Upper Godavari River Basin of India affect hydrology. The ArcView Interface of Soil and Water Assessment Tool (AVSWAT2000) was utilized to figure out the alteration in land use. With the LANDSAT data that was accessible in ArcMap, landcover maps for the years 2003, 2013, and 2023 were created. The WRIS portal, sourcing ground water level data for 2003, 2013, and 2023 as well as the river point data for 2003 to 2013 by CADA, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar formed the linking components. According to the study, there was a discernible growth in the areas of other basin components during these three decades, whereas there was a notable decline in the scrubland area (89.59%). In addition, a decrease in ground water levels was observed along with an increase in river discharge. Increased urbanization in the river basin was the main factor causing discharge to rise and ground water levels to fall at the sub-basinal scale. According to these findings, the SWAT model seemed to be a helpful tool for identifying LULC changes so that the relationship between LULC, river discharge, and ground water levels may be better understood.