<p><span class="TextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0" lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="none"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0">The groundwater depletion </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0">o</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0">ver the past two decades</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0"> in the</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0"> Indo-Gangetic Plains ha</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0">s</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0">been extensively </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0">documented. </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0">On a smaller scale, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0">t</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0">he Bundelkhand sub-region</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0"> (</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0">rectangular box in the Figure</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0">)</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0"> has been experiencing an extended period of meteorological drought. </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0">In this region, as with </span><span class="NormalTextRun AdvancedProofingIssueV2Themed SCXW169904913 BCX0">a majority of</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0"> the Gangetic Plains, the contribution of local evaporation is comparable to the moisture brought in from afar.  </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0">It is unclear whether the below-normal rainfall in this region is due to low-frequency climate variability or a result of a "negative" feedback loop in the regional hydrologic cycle where less rain leads to less soil wetness, which in turn leads to lower evaporation and less moisture available for rain. </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0">An analysis of th</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0">is</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0"> region's daily rainfall records from the past century shows that while most droughts in and around Bundelkhand coincide with larger-scale Indian monsoon droughts</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0"> (Type-1 in the Figure)</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0">, some appear to be localized</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0"> (Type-2 in the Figure)</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0">. In addition, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0">our</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0"> analysis </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0">shows</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0">that </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0">while </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0">north central India typically experiences a rainfall deficit in early July, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0">western India often sees more than normal rainfall. </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0">We present our </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0">assessment of t</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0">he causes of these droughts, including the role of local hydrology and potential large-scale drivers</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW169904913 BCX0">.</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW169904913 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"> </span></p> <p><span class="EOP SCXW169904913 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"><img src="" alt="" /></span></p> <p><span class="EOP SCXW169904913 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"><img src="" alt="" /></span></p>

The precise prediction of the depth-averaged velocities, lateral shear stresses, and boundary shear stresses are necessary to access the flow capacity and flow variations related to flood events in meandering channels. The accurate assessment of the distribution of velocities, conveyance, and bed shear stress distribution is significant for flood management schemes, bank protection studies, and sediment dynamics on meandering channels. This work proposes a new approach for assessing the depth-averaged velocities laterally across a meandering compound channel. The experimental evaluation was done in Hydraulic Laboratory in the National Institute of Technology Rourkela (NITR), Odisha, India. The apex section was considered for estimating the boundary shear stress through experimentation. The meander crosssection is split into five distinctive panels for studying the flow phenomenon for overbank flow. The results indicated that the boundary shear stress causes a notable change in the secondary flow coefficient (K). The new model provides the variation of depth-averaged velocity (U d ) across the cross-section of the meandering compound channel, which includes the bed-generated friction, secondary flows, and lateral shear turbulence. KeywordsMeandering compound channel • Lateral depth-averaged velocity • Velocity distribution • Secondary flow coefficient • Boundary shear stress IntroductionRivers are considered to be a blessing to society and one of the essential parts of nature. The river plays a vital role in every living being in its way. Some of our basic needs related to water, such as drinking, cleaning, washing clothes, etc., are also being fulfilled by a river. Furthermore, human-made channels are of great importance from the early days as these are of great worth in producing power for different industries. Rivers have always been an attraction of researchers around the globe from many disciplines. The river curves, commonly known as meanders, are so ubiquitous; as the