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High Level Gravel Occurrence near Atner on the Tapti River

Article  in  Indian Journal of Community Medicine · January 1993

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 Vice Chancellor, Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute (Deemed
University), Pune

HIGH LEVEL GRAVEL OCCURRENCE NEAR ATNER ON THE TAPTI RIVER

Author(s): Sheila Mishra, V.S. Kale and Anupama Kshirsagar
Source: Bulletin of the Deccan College Research Institute, Vol. 53 (1993), pp. 253-257
Published by: Vice Chancellor, Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute (Deemed
University), Pune
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 HIGH LEVEL GRAVEL OCCURRENCE
THE TAPTI RIVER
Sheila Mishra, V.S. Kale
The term"High Level gravel" (HGL) was
introduced by Foote (1876) in the last
century for spreads of gravel overlying
bedrock at elevations above that of the
activity of modern rivers. The HLGs
reportedby Foote are foundin the middle
reaches of the Krishnariver.Since Foote's
timethe HLGs of middleKrishnabasin have
been studied by Paddayya (1971) and
Korisettar(1979). Joshi (1952) reporteda
similargravelfromthe Mahi riverin Gujarat,
and Joshi et al. (1980) made detailed
observationsof a HLG on the Godavari at
Wagoli-Wadoli near Paithan. Corvinus
(1981) studieda HLG at theHathiWellWest
localitynear Nevasa. Pappu and Rao (1984)
studied a HLG occurence at Moravakonda
on the Tungabhadra river in Andhra
Pradesh. Most of the HLG occuranceshave
yielded Stone Age tools fromthe surface,
and they were used throughout the
Quaternary as raw material sources for
makingstone tools. Withthe exception of
the Moravakonda occurrence,artefactsare
absent fromthe gravel itself.Reworkingof
HLG could account forthe incorporation of
artefactsintothe Moravakondaoccurrence.
Previousworkershave commentedon the
originand age of these HLGs. All workers
have pointed out some anomalous
characters in relation to the present-day
drainage.Foote (1976) speculatedthatthese
gravels are related to the breaching of
bedrock barrierson the rivers.Paddayya
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NEAR ATNER ON
And Anupama Kshirsagar
(1971) emphasizedthe role of sheeťwashin
the formationof the gravels. Korisettar
(1979) reviewed the problem and
documented furtheroccurrences in the
Krishna basin. Joshi (1952) postulated
tectonicupliftforthe originof the HLG on
the Mahi riverand Joshi et al. (1980), and
Pappu and Rao (1984) made detailed
observationson the HLGs of the Krishna-
Tungabhadradoab.
Mishraet al. (1988) on thebasis of relative
dating of the gravels at Nevasa, based on
basalt weathering, fluorine/phosphate ratios
measuredon bone samples and characterof
the archaeological material,came to the
conclusionthatthe HLG at Nevasa reported
by Corvinus is pre-Acheulianin age. Kale
(1990) has dated the Acheulianat Nevasa to
more than400 kyr.The HLGs are probably
pre-Quatemary in age. The Quaternary
gravels at Nevasa are dominatedby local,
angular and recycled clasts. In contrastto
this,the HLG at Nevasa is dominated by
well-rounded,homogenous but non-local
lithologies. The larger sizes are almost
exclusively siliceous rocks which have
developed a darkbrownglossypatina. The
smallerpebbles are well-roundedand are of
compact basalt. These have developed
weathering rinds, pitted feldspars and
weatheringalong the joints.These features
are similarto those reportedby Joshiet al.
forthe Wagoli-Wadoligravel.
254
Recent fieldworkin the source region of
the Tapti riverin connectionwitha project
sponsereď by the Departmentof Science
and Technology,New Delhi on palaeoflood
studies brought to notice an additional
occurrence of HLG which yields some
important insightsintothesignificance of the
HLGs.
The source of the Tapti is on one of the
regional planation surfaces of 650 masi
(2150') (Dikshit1970; Kale and Rajaguru
1988). Fromthisflatsource region,theTapti
enters a section of deep bedrock incision
near Atner. Furtherdownstream,around
Burhanpur the Tapti flows in an infilled
basin. Corvinus (1981 : 14, 65) has noted
similarfeaturesfor the Pravara river--an
open superimposed valley in the source
region,gorge sectionwithincisedmeanders
to a depthof 300' (90 mtrs)followedby an
infilledvalley.
In the source region up to 30 m. of
alluviumhas accumulated in some places.
This was seen near the villageof Chandora,
only 20 km fromthe source of the Tapti at
Multai. Here, a small earth dam has been
constructed.During the monsoon of 1991
thisdam was breached and severe erosion
of the area downstreamof the dam has
occurred.This has exposed the olderalluvial
fillof the Tapti. In one area about 10 square
metersof greyyellowsiltysand with1-2 cm
size kankarnodules is exposed. A numberof
animal bones and molluscshells along with
a blade industry on chalcedony was
collected from this unit. Based on the
archaeological materialand the fluorine/
phosphate ratios (100F/P205) of 3.55 and
4.95 of the animal bones, this unitcan be
dated to the Late Pleistocene(20 - 30 kyr.).
This unit is overlainby a black soil of 1.5
mtrsthickness.A coarse gravelunit,1-3 mtrs
in thicknessunderliesthis Late Pleistocene
unit. This gravel is weathered,indicatingit
belongs to the pre-Late Pleistocene period
(Mishraet al. 1988). A singlelargeflakewas
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Bulletin
oftheDCPRI53
foundfromthe surfaceand may be derived
fromthisunit.The weatheredgravelrestson
black fissuredclay. Wells in the area indicate
thatthe basal clay is upto 30 mtrsthick.
This sequence of Late Pleistocene and
pre-Late Pleistocene alluviumis commonly
found is the Peninsular rivers. The
interesting aspect here is the relativelygreat
depth of deposition right in the source
region of a major river.
The HLG occurrenceis on a fordingspot
on the Tapti riverbetween the villages of
Dhanora and Goula just before the Tapti
riverenters the gorge section. Bedrock is
exposed in the riverchannel with brown,
non-calcareous alluvium of Holocene age
along the banks. On the south side of the
river there is an extensive spread of
chalcedonyand quartzcobbles and pebbles.
This spread extends fromthe riverto just
outsideof the villageof Dhanora, a distance
of more thantwo kilometres.This surfaceis
about 15 m. above the level of the Tapti.
The siliceous rocks are mostly angular.
Basalt also occurs and it is rounded. The
identificationof fluvial transportin the
materialwas at first as siliceousrocks
difficult
are hard and so may remain angular even
after fluvial transport,while basalt often
weathersintospheroidalformsand so does
not require fluvialtransportto acquire a
round shape. On examination, a few
well-roundedlateritepebbles were foundin
the deposit. The lateritepebbles could only
be produced by fluvialtransportand so the
spread is of fluvial origin rather than a
weathered lag and can be related to other
HLG occurrences.This HLG mustbe quite
ancientas the underlying bedrockhas been
weathered into murrum.This weathering
musthave occured afterthe formation of the
gravel. Similar occurence of weathered
bedrock underlying gravel deposits is
reportedformost of the HLGs.
Megalithsin the formof circularheaps of
 SheilaMishra/V.S.
Kaìe/Anupama
Kshirsagar
basaltcobbles cover thesurfaceof the HGL.
On the northside of the riveron the basalt
hill which overlooks the rivera numberof
scattersof blade tools made on greenjasper
were noticed.
Two waterfalls withdropsof6
respectively
m. and 5 m. occur downstreamof thispoint,
and the riverentersa section of meanders
incisedintothe bedrock(see map in Fig. 1).
In places the walls of the bedrock canyon
are 40 to 60 m. high(see map pointsmarked
120 R (approx40 m.),200 R (approx70 m.).
The Tapti rivercould not have deposited
gravel at the location in which the HLG is
foundonce thisincisionhad occured. Even
duringthe 1991 catastrophicflood caused
by the Chandora dam burstthe watercould
not reach the HLG. Pleistoceneterracesup
to 30 m. in thicknesswere observed near
Kheri on the bridge over the Tapti on the
Betul-Atnerroad. The conclusion that the
gravel pre-dates the bedrock incision is
inescapable. Such deep and intenseincision
can only be attributedto tectonicsas no
other factorcan account forsuch incision.
This is also likely, in view of the
morphotectonicset up of the Tapti Basin
(Kaila 1988). Evidence of upliftup to 325 m.
and rejuvenationhave been reported by
Athavale and Anjaneyulu (1972) in the
Aurangabad area, during the post-Trap
extrusionperiod. Datingof the gravelwould
help in datingthe episode of tectonicuplift.
In the absence of datable materialtheage of
the gravel cannot be precisely estimated.
The available datingevidence consistsof the
weatheringof the graveland the underlying
bedrock and the evidence thatmost of the
HLGs are pre-Acheulianin age. Recent
datingevidence suggeststhatthe Acheulian
in India is more than400 kyr(Mishra1992).
The tectonicupliftimplied by the HLG at
Dhanora therefore is probably
in
pre-Quatemary age. This is confirmedby
the presence of post-gorge Quaternary
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255
sedimentswithinthe incisedmeandersin the
downstreampart.The gravelalso postdates
the formationof latenteas lateritepebbles
occur in the gravel.
The HLG at Dhanora allows us to place
some of the important events in the
development of the landscape into a
sequence, even though the evidence for
timingof each eventis scanty.The available
evidence could allow us to sketch the
followingsequence :--
1. Development of Lateriteon the Deccan
Trap. This is seen from the presence of
lateritepebbles in the HLG.
2. Developmentof the drainagerepresented
by the HLG. The present pebbles and
cobbles are only a remnantof the original
alluvium,severelyalteredby laterprocesses.
The meanders developed in bedrock
however must representthe channel forms
associated wjththe HLG drainage.
3. Tectonic upliftof at least 60 m. resulting
in the developmentof incisedmeanders.
4. Weatheringof bedrock underlyingthe
HLG. These stages would all be
pre-Quatemaryin age.
5. Strippingof the weatheredsurfacesand
soils throughoutthe Quaternary.Deposition
of alluvium withinthe bedrock meanders
and in the source regionof the Tapti.
A fewlocationsin thesource regionof the
Tapti have yielded some interesting
observations.The presence of the HLG and
its relationshipto the preceding laterite
formationand followingbedrock incision
gives us importantclue forthe interpretation
of similarevidence elsewhere. The major
featuresof the present day landscape are
inherited from the Tertiary when both
climateand tectonicswere more effective in
shapingthe landscape.
256 Bulletin
oftheDCPRl53

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 SheilaMishra/V.S. Kshirsagar
Kale/Anupama 257

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