IAPRS & SIS, Vol.34, Part 7, “Resource and Environmental Monitoring”, Hyderabad, India, 2002 
  
  
  
   
      
Figure 3 (b) 
paddy fields 
fish ponds 
weed infected area 
bunds/buitup ares/sand 
HEBR 
coast in due course of the time. 
Figure 2a shows the False 
Colour Composite (FCC) of Landsat-5/TM bands 2,4, & 7 
covering the study area on November 23", 1989. The bands 2, 
4, & 7 were selected since the geographical features are clear in 
these bands. The image depicted in figure 2a was visually 
interpreted through onscreen digitization using ERDAS 
imagine version 8.3 and an interpreted map has been prepared 
and presented in figure 2b. Statistics have been generated from 
figure 2b to estimate the area covered under paddy cultivation, 
fish pond culture and other activities in the study area. As per 
the statistics, an area of nearly 93 Sq. Kms. (9300 Ha) were 
covered under fish pond culture and an area of 190 Sq. Kms. 
(19000 Ha) have been under paddy cultivation during 1989 in 
the study area. The coverage of emerged and submerged weeds 
have been estimated to an area of 175 Sq. Kms. (17,500 Ha) 
and an area of 60 Sq. Kms. occupied by water logged area. 
Figure 3a shows the FCC of IRS-1D/LISS-III image (bands 3, 
2, & 1) covering the study area on 12^ March, 1999. The 
visually interpreted map of figure 3a has been presented in 
figure 3b. With the advent of aqua boom, the cultivable area 
has been increased substantially by 1999. An area of 408 Sq. 
Kms. (40,800 Ha) were brought under cultivation by 1999, 
which is nearly 79 per cent of the total study area as against 55 
per cent under cultivation during 1989. The fish ponds have 
been occupied an area of 223 Sq. Kms. (22,300 Ha) in the study 
area by 1999. The state of Andhra Pradesh produces nearly 15 
per cent of the total inland fish production in India. Nearly 40 
per cent of the total fish produced from Andhra Pradesh comes 
from Krishna District. Out of the total fish produced from the 
district, about 62 per cent comes from the study area (Three 
Mandals), and the rest from the five mandals of the district 
namely Kruthivennu, Bantumilli, Machilipatnam, Koduru, and 
Nagayalanka. The fish pond aquaculture has been increased 
from 100 Sq. Kms during 1980-81 to nearly 960 Sq. Kms. 
during 1998-99 in the state of Andhra Pradesh, with a revenue 
increase from Rs. 88 crores to 804.33 crores. It is interesting to 
note that the state revenue has been increased substantially 
from fishing sector. A marginal decrease, from 190 Sq. Kms. 
during 1989 to 185 Sq. Kms. by 1999, has been notices in 
paddy-cultivated area. It is clearly indicated that the paddy 
cultivated area, water logged area and other uncultivated area 
has been converted /utilized for pond aquaculture and is also 
reflected in increase of pond aquaculture area from 93 Sq. Kms. 
during 1989 to 223 Sq. Kms. during 1999 in the study area. 
458 
The revenue generated from the fishing sector in the study area 
was estimated to an amount of Rs. 187 crores during 1999, 
which amounting to Rs 10,000/- per capita revenue of the 
people residing in the study area. 
5. CONCLUSIONS 
1. There is a phenomenal development of pond aquaculture 
in the study area in the past decade and also significant 
increase in fish production with a revenue of nearly 187 
crores. The pond culture activities in the study area helped 
in rural poor of the area. 
2. On the other hand, the fresh water aquaculture in the area 
has contributed to the destruction of ecology in the area, 
by way of polluting the dinking water source. 
3. The deliberate blockage of water inflow from various 
rivers and streams and also the outflow through upputeru 
drain for pond aquaculture and wet paddy cultivation 
leading to disastrous consequences of floods in the study 
area during cyclones and very active south west monsoon 
seasons. 
4. The high-resolution data from satellites will be useful in 
mapping and monitoring of the study area from time to 
time and can provide direct information on land use 
patterns for proper management of the environment. 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 
The authors are extremely thankful to Dr. R. R. Navalgund 
Director, NRSA for his keen interest and encouragement. 
Thanks are due to Dr. A. Bhattacharya, Deputy Director 
(RS&GIS), Sri A. K. Chakraborthi, Group Director (WR&OG) 
and Dr M. M. Ali, Head (Oceanography Division). 
REFERENCES 
Amend, Donald F. 1989. Alaska’s regional aquaculture 
associations’ co-management of salmon in southern southeast 
Alaska. In Co-Operative Management of Local Fisheries, ed. 
E. Pinkerton. Pp. 125-134. Vancouver: University of British 
Columbia press. 
Brass, Jane, Bori Olla, and Robert Wicklund. 1987. Social, 
economic, and cultural considerations for saltwater cage 
culture of Florida red tilapia in northeastern Haiti. Paper 
presented at the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute 
meeting, Curacao, Netherlands Antilles, 9-13, November. 
Grover, John H., D. R. Street, and P. D. Starr. 1980. Review of 
Aquaculture Development Activities in Central and West 
Africa (Research and Development Series no. 28, Auburn 
University). Auburn, AL: Auburn University press. 
Liao, I-Chiu. 1988. East meets West: An eastern perspective of 
aquaculture. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society 19:62- 
73.