nsors 
3t-MSS 
IRS- 
it - TM 
LISS-II 
OS 
at 
rcesat 
  
ils. The 
rints of 
ne with 
re-1) in 
country 
ta from 
tral and 
ed soils 
to dark 
s in the 
der salt 
affected 
(figure- 
IAPRS & SIS, Vol.34, Part 7, "Resource and Environmental Monitoring", Hyderabad, India, 2002 
2) and are being made available for the users in the country. 
These maps are being utilized for planning reclamation of salt- 
affected soils at regional level. NRSA has also prepared maps 
of salt-affected soils at 1:50,000 scale in parts of UP and 
Gujarat and for South coastal districts of AP (NRSA 1996). 
In one of the recent studies (NRSA, 1995) the salt-affected 
soils, water logged areas and land use in Sharda Sahayak 
Command area in Uttar Pradesh are monitored from 1975 to 
1992. Similar studies were also carried out in command areas 
like Chambal, Jayakwadi, Purna, Upper Tapi, Bhima, Krishna, 
NSP, and Girna etc., in various states.. Very limited studies on 
mapping of salt affected soils at larger than 1:50,000 scale 
using satellite data are carried out using PAN sharpened LISS- 
III data from IRS-IC / ID satellite. At NRSA (2001), the salt 
affected soils at sub-district / mandal level in Prakasam district 
of Andhra Pradesh were mapped at 1:25,000 scale and GIS 
database created was generated were for planning reclamation 
programs village-wise useful to the Department of Agriculture, 
Govt., of Andhra Pradesh. 
    
  
   
DA. 
5) 
e wi 
“9 A 
LY 
7 
f ATA, Vl (fast 
7 
y 
7 4 1 A 
n) i 7 Rp anit 2 A 
^ Ar anipot da 
( 1 4] Roh | VT <0) 
Lk 
0 
7) A % 
5 2) Vi QJA 
y 
   
  
   
   
   
C 
2 7, 
7 2 
7) T 2] [2v 2 
tes 
P P 
       
   
    
  
    
   
SS 
     
   
/7 
e 
YU 
A 7/ 
@ CD 
y CA Ÿ 
7 À 
) bx 
Q Asmc| à Ü 
A i 
A i 
      
   
  
PHYSIOGRAPHY 
Alluvial plain 
Aeofluvial / Aeolian / 
8] Arid plains 
Deltaic plains 
[0] coastal plains 
[E] Lacustine Plains 
[F] Peninsular plains 
Mud flats/ 
Mangrove swamps 
[H] Any other 
NATURE OF *DEGREE OF EXTENT OF AREA 
SALT-AFFECTED SOILS | SALINITY/SODICITY |. IN MAPPING UNIT 
[3] Saline [1] sien «1/3 
[2] Sodic [1] Moderate 113-213 E] 
[so] saine Sodi [3] suo » 218 
  
[I roma os 
Figure-2 Salt affected soils of part of Haryana State prepared at 
1:250,000 scale under NRSA / DOS project on mapping of salt 
affected of India. 
6.2 Soil erosion 
According to Brown and Wolf (1984), globally, 1903 M ha of 
land is subject to soil erosion by water and 548.3 M ha by wind 
erosion. In India about 150 M ha of land is affected by different 
types of soil erosion, out of which 69 M ha are in critical stage 
of deterioration. The study of soil erosion is important from 
ecological as well as economic point of view. It is a complex 
dynamic process that results in the loss of fertile surface soil. 
The harmful effects of soil erosion includes loss of soil 
nutrients from surface soil, decrease of soil productivity, 
sedimentation of lakes / tanks / reservoirs and affects the water 
quality by contaminating the water with suspended soil 
particles, toxic materials and pesticides. The factors like 
689 
mining, deforestation, improper land husbandry etc, enhances 
the rate of soil erosion. 
Satellite data has also been utilized in qualitative assessment of 
soil erosion in North Eastern states of Manipur, Tripura and 
Arunachal Pradesh and also has been used to monitor eroded 
and shifting cultivation areas in Tripura (NRSA, 1990). The 
efforts are going on to develop quantitative models to quantify 
soil erosion (Das et al 1992). Similarly, remotely sensed data 
from TM and IRS - LISS-I/II, have also been used in studying 
ravinous lands (figure-2), waterlogged areas and impact of 
mining on forest environment. 
Table-5 Methodologies used for land degradation 
assessment by different authors 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Authors | Input data used | Criteria Scale and 
Years Source of selected output 
Information 
Kassas Global climate, Extension Global 
1987 soil & of desert figures 
vegetation maps | areas 
Dregne, Global maps and | State of Global/Cont 
1977, statistics vegetation, | inental, 
1983, state of soil | statistical 
1986 erosion, tables small 
state of scale maps 
salinization 
decrease of 
crop yields 
Tucker NOAA Vegetation | Regional 
& (AVHRR) density & Small scale 
Justice, producti- maps 
1986 vity 
Pankova | Satellite Degree of Statistical 
et al, images/ground soil tables; 
1986 surveys salinity, Regional 
soil scale 
salinity, 
Kovda et | Small scale soil Soil Small scale 
al, 1977, | maps statistics, salinity, maps/global 
1978 soil descriptions | degree of 
soil aridity 
Rozanov | Statistical Erosion, Statistical 
et al, information Salinization | tables at 
1981, Global 
1982 /regional 
level 
Kharin et | Satellite images | Status of Medium 
al, 1984 and aerial vegetation, scale maps 
photographs erosion, statistics, 
ground surveys salinization | regional 
scale 
NRSA, Satellite imagery | Degree of Small scale 
1990 and ground truth | Soil erosion | maps/ 
studies regional 
level 
NRSA, Satellite imagery | Degree/ Small scale 
1995 and Ground extent of maps/ 
truth studies salinity National 
and/or level 
sodicity ; 
NRSA Satellite imagery | Salinity/ Medium 
(1996), and Ground Sodicity Scale 
truth studies Regional 
level