Channel Shifting Pattern & Soil Analysis of Hanumante River, Bhaktapur: a Study of Bramayeni to Lokhunthali Section of Hanumante River, Bhaktapur, Nepal

Rivers, water flowing in natural streams, are the wealth of a nation. This wealth can be utilized only if rivers are properly trained and controlled. The most interesting feature of a river is that it expresses a movement of water, solutes and sediment from the land to the oceans, as a direct consequence of which the structures and land forms and their margins are altered through erosion and deposition as the river itself changes its character. The study area Hanumante River flows from the central part of Bhaktapur district and passes through Patan district. Hanumante River originates from Mahadev pokhari at Nagarkot and flow west joining the Manahara River at Lokuntali. Its catchment area is 143 sq. km and in the total stretch of 23.5 km. Sinuosit2y index of the river was found 1.12. in 1995 & 1.16 in 2010. Increased in sinuosity shows increment in meanderness of the channel pattern shifting evidence. Vertical Soil sequence of bank of the river was found dominated by Sand and Clay Mixed layer. Sieve analysis soil shows dominance grain sized less than 0.2 mm. In almost all sample sites there was found high percentage of Clay soil i.e. greater than 70%.