ANNOUNCEMENTS
This preliminary study aims to investigate the amount of soil erosion that has taken over Alaknanda River Basin applying GIS technology and making use of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation. Alaknanda watershed Soil erosion values were obtained by employing RUSLE model for the years 1992 and 2022. Literature and existing researches done over the area, suggested that Alaknanda River Basin has been going through unpredictable conditions of hydrometeorology. This study is an attempt to observe the soil loss taking over the basin, quantify the soil loss and prioritise the soil erosion probability zones.
In the Alaknanda River basin, both natural and anthropogenic activities like deforestation, slope cutting, road construction, and excessive rainfall are the primary causes of several hazards, including soil erosion, landslides, and rock falls. The primary causes of rock falls were determined to be cutaway slopes from road construction, deforestation, and a lack of drainage techniques. Overgrazing, excessive precipitation, and tourism activity were also identified as contributing causes of rock fall hazards and soil erosion. Since the top soil degradation imposes loss in terms of essential nutrients there is a strong need felt worldwide for making attempts to save the soil from eroding. In order to adapt the best land conservation and land management practices there is an urgent need to identify the areas of soil erosion and quantification of these areas for better decision making as to the conservation plan adopted for saving the soil by taking suitable action for the soil erosion probability zones that are identified.
