Hydrology is a long continuing hydroscience and much work done in this field in the past,
particularly in India, was of empirical nature related to development of empirical formulae,
tables and curves for yield and flood of river basins applicable to the particular region in which
they were evolved by investigators like Binnie, Barlow, Beale and Whiting, Strange, Ryves,
Dicken, Inglis, Lacey, Kanwar Sain and Karpov, etc.
In this book, there is a departure from empiricism and the emphasis is on the collection
of data and analysis of the hydrological factors involved and promote hydrological design on
sound principles and understanding of the science, for conservation and utilisation of water
resources. Hydrological designs may be made by deterministic, probabilistic and stochastic approaches
but what is more important is a ‘matured judgement’ to understand and avoid what is
termed as ‘unusual meteorological combination’.
The book is written in a lucid style in the metric system of units and a large number of
hydrological design problems are worked out at the end of each article to illustrate the principles
of analysis and the design procedure. Problems for assignment are given at the end of each
Chapter along with the objective type and intelligence questions. A list of references is included
at the end for supplementary reading. The book is profusely illustrated with sketches and is not
bulky.
The text has been so brought to give confidence and competence for the reader to sit for
a professional examination in the subject or enable him to take up independent field work as a
hydrologist of a River basin or sub-basin.
The text is divided into Fundamental and Advanced topics and Appendices to fit the
semester-hours (duration) and the level at which the course is taught.
Degree and Post-degree students, research scholars and professionals in the fields of
Civil and Agricultural Engineering, Geology and Earth Sciences, find this book useful.
Suggestions for improving the book are always welcome and will be incorporated in the
next edition.
H.M. Raghunath