Developing protocols for river rejuvenation using drone technology: a
case study from Central India
Abstract
Protocols for rejuvenation of large to moderately-sized rivers using
remote sensing data is well established in different parts of the world.
With the advent of commercially viable drones, highresolution imageries
in sub-centimetre level can be generated, and this has made the
assessment of degradation of small rivers a reality. The Sakri is a
small river in the state of Chhattisgarh, central India with a basin
area of 410 km , channel width < 30m. Even with an average
rainfall of 1232 mm, and a perennial source feeding the river, the river
remains dry in most stretches. People from 23 villages and the town of
Kawardha are mostly dependent on this river, and therefore, an attempt
to rejuvenate this river was taken up using an innovative technology of
drone surveys coupled with