Hydrological modelling of Bhagirathi River basin using HEC-HMS

Abstract

River basins around the world are better understood through hydrological models. However, the development and application of hydrological models, particularly under the influence of climate change, is a daunting task. The present research describes the simulation of streamflows in the Bhagirathi River basin using HEC-HMS hydrological model. This subbasin is a part of the Ganga basin and is situated in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, India. The Tehri dam reservoir is a seasonally regulated reservoir, and changes in the hydrological regime of the river basin would necessitate changes in its operational strategies. The HEC-HMS model is simulated for single and three-year time windows from 2010 to 2015, including calibration and validation of the model. Results of the simulation indicated a close agreement between the observed and simulated data. The efficiency of the HEC-HMS model in simulating the streamflows at the outlet of Tehri has clearly been demonstrated in this research.