Secondary current and vorticity regime of sand-mined sinuous channels Om Prakash Maurya, Suresh Modalavalasa, Ketan Kumar Nandi, Subashisa Dutta Journal of Ecohydraulics, 2026 Sand mining plays a vital role in meeting construction demands and maintaining river sediment balance; however, unregulated extraction can significantly alter river hydrodynamics, morphology, structural and ecological stability. This study investigates the influence of different floodplain sand mining pit configurations on flow velocity, secondary currents and vorticity structures in a sinuous channel using FLOW-3D Hydro simulations validated through laboratory experiments conducted at the IIT Guwahati Fluvial Hydro-Ecological Laboratory. The experimental channel was 18 m long with a sinuosity of 1.1 and operated under subcritical flow conditions. Two mining scenarios were examined: (i) two consecutive floodplain pits and (ii) two consecutive pits with an additional pit on the opposite floodplain. Results indicate that streamwise velocity was consistently higher near the inner bank in both scenarios, while the second configuration produced a narrower high-velocity core. Secondary currents were concentrated near the outer bank and within the mining pits; however, their intensity was stronger in the first scenario, suggesting that it may have a higher potential for pit migration and bank erosion. Vorticity in the streamwise direction was concentrated within the mining pits in both scenarios. Vertical vorticity dominated near the inner bank and within the pits, whereas lateral vorticity prevailed near the bed in the main channel and inside the pits. The combined vorticity field exhibited anticlockwise circulation near the outer bank and clockwise rotation near the inner bank. The findings contribute to sustainable sand mining practices by improving understanding of channel hydrodynamics and reducing potential environmental impacts in sinuous river systems.
Experimental Insights Into the Hydraulic Behaviour of Sinuous Channel due to Vegetated Floodplain Corridor Suresh Modalavalasa, Ketan Kumar Nandi, Vinay Chembolu, Subashisa Dutta, Vinayak Kulkarni Ecohydrology, 2025 Flow and turbulent characteristics were analysed at an experimental scale for four different floodplain vegetation layouts (leafy, grass, cylindrical and mixed vegetation) of a sinuous channel at submerged conditions. The results indicate that the velocity variations closely followed the logarithmic law for the no floodplain vegetation scenario and deviated from the logarithmic behaviour with changing floodplain vegetation. The average streamwise velocity for leafy vegetation is about 1.2 times that observed for the cylindrical vegetation due to changes in vegetation canopy porosity. Further, the transverse variability in velocity distribution from the inner bank to the outer bank is observed to be significant with changing floodplain vegetation. The turbulence intensities also indicate that the supplemental surface area of the fronds impacts the momentum transfer near the floodplain–main channel interface. It is observed that the changes in plant form morphology influenced the mean velocity within the main channel relative to the nonvegetated condition. Furthermore, the vertical components of the turbulence intensity increase from the bottom of the channel and reach the highest magnitude at the top of the water surface. This shows the transfer of energy closer to the surface in the vertical flow direction. The results indicate that altered flow pass affects the flow velocities at the transition zone. The findings from the present study on heterogeneous plant forms influence on flow characteristics may be helpful in river restoration practices for ecological management and river corridor stability.
A geomorphic approach to evaluate river recovery potential for regulated river basin River Flow 2020 Proceedings of the 10th Conference on Fluvial Hydraulics, 2020
RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Coupled effects of vegetated river corridors and bridge piers on flow dynamics: a hybrid modeling approach S Modalavalasa, OP Maurya, S Dutta, V Kulkarni Modeling Earth Systems and Environment 12 (3), 170 , 2026 2026
Comparing hard engineering and nature-based solution for bank protection: physical modelling of spurs and combined rigid-flexible vegetation OP Maurya, A Simon, S Modalavalasa, S Dutta Environmental Fluid Mechanics 26 (2), 20 , 2026 2026
Secondary current and vorticity regime of sand-mined sinuous channels OP Maurya, S Modalavalasa, KK Nandi, S Dutta Journal of Ecohydraulics, 1-15 , 2026 2026 Citations: 1
ASSESSMENT OF STRUCTURAL BEHAVIOUR OF SANDWICH USING BCC LATTICE UNDER TRANSVERSE LOADING R Bammidi, D Kelli, SK Dubba, S Dowluru, M Venkatesh, SK Adapa, ... Next Research, 101046 , 2025 2025
Experimental Insights Into the Hydraulic Behaviour of Sinuous Channel due to Vegetated Floodplain Corridor S Modalavalasa, KK Nandi, V Chembolu, S Dutta, V Kulkarni Ecohydrology 18 (5), e70084 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
Assessing Changes in Downstream Flow Characteristics in Sinuous Channels Due to Sand Mining Pit Positioning on Flood Plains OP Maurya, S Modalavalasa, S Dutta International Conference on Hydraulics, Water Resources and Coastal … , 2025 2025
Exploring the Mechanisms and Vegetative Influence on River Bank Migration in Sinuous Channels OP Maurya, S Modalavalasa, S Das, P Barman, A Das, KK Nandi, S Dutta European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2024 (EGU24), 2769 , 2024 2024 Citations: 1
Understanding Anthropogenic Impacts on Vamsadhara River Morphology near the Bay of Bengal Confluence, India: A Satellite Imagery and Field-Based Analysis OP Maurya, S Modalavalasa, S Dutta American Geophysical Union, Ocean Sciences Meeting, OP31E-12 , 2024 2024 Citations: 1
Quantifying the influence of floodplain vegetation and sand mining pit on the hydrodynamics of low sinuous channels: an integrated experimental and numerical approach OP Maurya, S Modalavalasa, KK Nandi, C Pradhan, S Dutta AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts 2023, EP31A-03 , 2023 2023 Citations: 3
Numerical investigation of various turbulence models for a sinuous channel with sand mining pit OP Maurya, KK Nandi, S Modalavalasa, S Dutta International Conference on River Corridor Research and Management 376, 95-106 , 2023 2023 Citations: 4
Quantifying Changes in Downstream Flow Characteristics in Sinuous Channels Due to the Series of Floodplain Sand Mining Pits OP Maurya, S Modalavalasa, S Dutta International Conference on River Corridor Research and Management, 91-103 , 2023 2023
Laboratory investigation on flow structure and turbulent characteristics in low sinuous compound channels with vegetated floodplains S Modalavalasa, V Chembolu, S Dutta, V Kulkarni Journal of Hydrology 618, 129178 , 2023 2023 Citations: 32
Assessing Anthropogenic Influences on the Vamsadhara River's Morphology near the Bay of Bengal Confluence: A Combined Satellite Imagery and Field-Based Investigation SD Om Prakash Maurya, Suresh Modalavalasa ISG-ISRS National Symposium 2023 , 2023 2023
Assessing Changes in Downstream Flow Characteristics in Sinuous Channels Due to Sand Mining Pit Positioning on Flood Plains SD Om Prakash Maurya, Suresh Modalavalasa HYDRO International 2023 , 2023 2023
Combined effect of bridge piers and floodplain vegetation on main channel hydraulics S Modalavalasa, V Chembolu, S Dutta, V Kulkarni Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science 136, 110669 , 2022 2022 Citations: 15
Flow hydrodynamics influences due to flood plain sand mining in a meandering channel OP Maurya, KK Nandi, S Modalavalasa, S Dutta North-East research conclave, 245-251 , 2022 2022 Citations: 9
Corridor on Main Channel Hydraulics S Modalavalasa, V Chembolu, V Kulkarni, S Dutta Recent Trends in River Corridor Management: Select Proceedings of RCRM 2021, 165 , 2022 2022
Numerical and experimental investigation of effect of green river corridor on main channel hydraulics S Modalavalasa, V Chembolu, V Kulkarni, S Dutta Recent trends in river corridor management: Select proceedings of RCRM 2021 … , 2022 2022 Citations: 4
Effect of sinuosity variation on flow characteristics of sand mined sinuous channel using numerical modeling OP Maurya, KK Nandi, S Modalavalasa, S Dutta 2022 Citations: 7
A study on flow characteristics with the interactions of green river corridor through experimental and numerical investigation S Modalavalasa, A Anjaneyulu, V Chembolu, V Kulkarni, S Dutta AGU Fall meeting 2021 , 2021 2021
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Laboratory investigation on flow structure and turbulent characteristics in low sinuous compound channels with vegetated floodplains S Modalavalasa, V Chembolu, S Dutta, V Kulkarni Journal of Hydrology 618, 129178 , 2023 2023 Citations: 32
Combined effect of bridge piers and floodplain vegetation on main channel hydraulics S Modalavalasa, V Chembolu, S Dutta, V Kulkarni Experimental Thermal and Fluid Science 136, 110669 , 2022 2022 Citations: 15
Flow hydrodynamics influences due to flood plain sand mining in a meandering channel OP Maurya, KK Nandi, S Modalavalasa, S Dutta North-East research conclave, 245-251 , 2022 2022 Citations: 9
Effect of sinuosity variation on flow characteristics of sand mined sinuous channel using numerical modeling OP Maurya, KK Nandi, S Modalavalasa, S Dutta 2022 Citations: 7
A geomorphic approach to evaluate river recovery potential for regulated river basin C Pradhan, S Modalavalasa, S Dutta, R Bharti River Flow 2020: Proceedings of the 10th Conference on Fluvial Hydraulics … , 2020 2020 Citations: 6
Numerical investigation of various turbulence models for a sinuous channel with sand mining pit OP Maurya, KK Nandi, S Modalavalasa, S Dutta International Conference on River Corridor Research and Management 376, 95-106 , 2023 2023 Citations: 4
Numerical and experimental investigation of effect of green river corridor on main channel hydraulics S Modalavalasa, V Chembolu, V Kulkarni, S Dutta Recent trends in river corridor management: Select proceedings of RCRM 2021 … , 2022 2022 Citations: 4
Quantifying the influence of floodplain vegetation and sand mining pit on the hydrodynamics of low sinuous channels: an integrated experimental and numerical approach OP Maurya, S Modalavalasa, KK Nandi, C Pradhan, S Dutta AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts 2023, EP31A-03 , 2023 2023 Citations: 3
Experimental Insights Into the Hydraulic Behaviour of Sinuous Channel due to Vegetated Floodplain Corridor S Modalavalasa, KK Nandi, V Chembolu, S Dutta, V Kulkarni Ecohydrology 18 (5), e70084 , 2025 2025 Citations: 2
Effect of bridge pier induced turbulence on vegetated meander river morphology S Modalavalasa, V Chembolu, KK Nandi, V Kulkarni, S Dutta EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts, EGU21-1465 , 2021 2021 Citations: 2
Effect of In-stream Variable on the Lower Mahanadi River, India A Siddharth, C Pradhan, S Modalavlasa, S Dutta 16th Annual Meeting, AOGS 2019, Singapore , 2019 2019 Citations: 2
Flow Structure in Meandering Channel with Vegetation S Modalavalasa, C Pradhan, V Kulkarni, S Dutta 16th Annual Meeting, AOGS 2019, Singapore , 2019 2019 Citations: 2
Secondary current and vorticity regime of sand-mined sinuous channels OP Maurya, S Modalavalasa, KK Nandi, S Dutta Journal of Ecohydraulics, 1-15 , 2026 2026 Citations: 1
Exploring the Mechanisms and Vegetative Influence on River Bank Migration in Sinuous Channels OP Maurya, S Modalavalasa, S Das, P Barman, A Das, KK Nandi, S Dutta European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2024 (EGU24), 2769 , 2024 2024 Citations: 1
Understanding Anthropogenic Impacts on Vamsadhara River Morphology near the Bay of Bengal Confluence, India: A Satellite Imagery and Field-Based Analysis OP Maurya, S Modalavalasa, S Dutta American Geophysical Union, Ocean Sciences Meeting, OP31E-12 , 2024 2024 Citations: 1
Coupled effects of vegetated river corridors and bridge piers on flow dynamics: a hybrid modeling approach S Modalavalasa, OP Maurya, S Dutta, V Kulkarni Modeling Earth Systems and Environment 12 (3), 170 , 2026 2026
Comparing hard engineering and nature-based solution for bank protection: physical modelling of spurs and combined rigid-flexible vegetation OP Maurya, A Simon, S Modalavalasa, S Dutta Environmental Fluid Mechanics 26 (2), 20 , 2026 2026
ASSESSMENT OF STRUCTURAL BEHAVIOUR OF SANDWICH USING BCC LATTICE UNDER TRANSVERSE LOADING R Bammidi, D Kelli, SK Dubba, S Dowluru, M Venkatesh, SK Adapa, ... Next Research, 101046 , 2025 2025
Assessing Changes in Downstream Flow Characteristics in Sinuous Channels Due to Sand Mining Pit Positioning on Flood Plains OP Maurya, S Modalavalasa, S Dutta International Conference on Hydraulics, Water Resources and Coastal … , 2025 2025
Quantifying Changes in Downstream Flow Characteristics in Sinuous Channels Due to the Series of Floodplain Sand Mining Pits OP Maurya, S Modalavalasa, S Dutta International Conference on River Corridor Research and Management, 91-103 , 2023 2023