Both Ends India 05-0794.qxp
31-08-2005
15:55
Pagina 87
1 Basis Statistics India (not to scale) State of Maharashtra Pakistan
Nepal
Upper Bhima Mumbai
Seena Bori Benetura
Pune Lower Bhima Bhima River Basin
Maharashtra
Source map: Gomukh and Maharashtra Water and Irrigation Commission Report, Government of Maharashtra, Volume II, 1999 Main river basin: Altitude: Total river basin area:
Irrigated area:
Area under forest cover:
Average annual rainfall:
Description of the area:
2
Density 1= 280 trees/hectare
Bhima River, tributary of Krishna River, length 325 km Highest 1005 m.a.s.l. (Bhimashanker), lowest 457 m.a.s.l. (Solapur) Bhima Basin: 4.8 million hectares; Krishna Basin: 30 million ha, Kolwan Valley: 8.000 ha. 636.000 ha, which is 14% of the cultivable area in the Bhima basin, of which 4.7% is irrigated by dams and 10% through private sources by way of dug wells, bore wells and minor lifts (pumpsets) on rivers, streams etc. Forest area: 7.7%, Forest Cover (density 2 >0.5 ): 4.0%, Degraded forest (density <0.5): 3.7% 2500 mm in the upper reaches, 500 mm in the lower reaches of the basin, most rain falls in the four months of the monsoon season. Kolwan Valley:1200 mm. The Bhima originates in a mountainous, high rainfall area with cliffs and steep slopes, the lower reaches are composed of moderate slopes and flat lands with maxi mum temperatures up to 45ยบC. The upper basin still has prime multi-tiered evergreen forest, whereas the middle and lower reaches suffer from deforestation and heavy soil erosion as a result. The remaining areas Case-study 5
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