SEDIMENT TRANSFER IN THE GLACIOFLUVIAL ENVIRONMENT - A HIMALAYAN PERSPECTIVE

The Alaknanda river, a major Himalayan proglacial stream, and its trib utaries have been studied to evaluate sediment sources, production mec hanisms, and transport pathways in the Alaknanda river basin. The stud y is based on a single-time sampling of the river and its tributaries and gives an insight into the suspended load pattern of the river from its source to its confluence with the other major Himalayan proglacia l stream, the Bhagirathi. It is tentatively concluded that the suspend ed load of the Alaknanda is primarily due to natural processes and eve nts and does not reflect the effects of human intervention.