Rivers of Mainland Gujarat: Physical Environment and Socio-economic Perspectives

The socio-economic development in Mainland Gujarat has been river centric. The physical environment of these rivers relates to the landscape response to climate change and tectonic forcing. There is a great diversity in the land and water resources of the region; on the one hand, where there is excess run-off in the rivers such as Narmada and Tapi, the population in the Sabarmati basin faces water scarcity. The agricultural growth in these basins has been exceptionally high; however, unplanned irrigation activities have put the surface as well as the groundwater resources under severe stress. The industrial effluents discharged into the main rivers or the tributaries further aggravate these problems. Soil and bank erosion though common are still up to a level where conservation methods can be applied. Thus, the socio-economic relevance of these river basins is very high and a large potential exists to further improve the conditions of water supply, agriculture, soil erosion and pollution. Each geomorphic unit has a unique resource potential, and a scientific evaluation of the potential is necessary for the socio-economic development of the region.