Morphometric Analysis and Spatial Pattern of Settlements in the Sina River Basin: A Case Study of Solapur District, Maharashtra

Abstract

This study analyses the morphometric characteristics and spatial patterns of settlements in the Solapur District portion of the Sina River Basin, located in Maharashtra, India. The basin extends across four districts  Ahilyanagar, Bid, Dharashiv, and Solapur but this research focuses on Solapur, which contains 777 settlements out of 2,126 identified in the entire basin. Using QGIS 3.28 and high-resolution Google Earth Pro (2023) imagery, settlement boundaries were digitized and evaluated through four morphometric indices: Compactness Index (CI), Elongation Ratio (ER), Rectangularity Ratio (RR), and Form Factor (FF). These indices were used to classify settlements into eight morphological categories Circular, Elongated, Highly Rectangular, Irregular, Linear, Rectangular, Oval, and Square.

The results show that linear (28.57%) and elongated (24.45%) settlements dominate the district, together forming more than half of the total. These patterns are closely associated with road networks, irrigation canals, and river courses, highlighting the role of transport accessibility and agricultural land use in shaping settlement forms. Irregular settlements (16.60%) occupy the largest area share (52.10%), particularly in Solapur North and South, reflecting unplanned peri-urban expansion. In contrast, compact and regular settlements such as circular and rectangular forms are limited, occurring mainly in fertile, irrigated regions like Madha and Barshi.

Overall, the findings reveal a transitional settlement morphology, shifting from compact rural clusters to dispersed, elongated, and irregular urban forms. This evolution reflects the growing influence of urbanization, infrastructure development, and irrigation expansion on rural landscapes.