JAPRS & SIS, Vol.34, Part 7, “Resource and Environmental Monitoring”, Hyderabad, India, 2002 
  
LAND USE / LAND COVER STUDIES USING REMOTE SENSING DATA: 
INDIAN EXPERIENCE 
R. Nagaraja 
Land Use Division, National Remote Sensing Agency, Hyderabad - 500037 
Email: nagaraja_r@nrsa.gov.in 
KEYWORDS: Land use/ Land cover, Assessment, Degraded lands, Mapping, IRS. 
ABSTRACT: 
The Indian experience, in use of remotely sensed data for Land Use / Land Cover Analysis, gained over past more than 20 years of 
implementation of various projects especially *Nation-wide Land Use / Land Cover Mapping for Agro Climatic Zone Planning" and 
‘National Wasteland Inventory Project” are described. The former project was sponsored by Planning Commission of India and later 
by Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) of Govt. of India. Two season (Kharif and Rabi) Indian Remote Sensing Data were used 
to generate district-wise composite land use / land cover maps on 1:250,000 scale. A standard 22 fold classification system was 
adopted for classification. The reconciliation of area statistics generated by remote sensing and ground based techniques established 
that the better accuracy maps / data is possible to generated through remotely sensed data. The outputs of the project provided the 
~ actual cropped area in two different seasons and the area left fallow (without crop) separately to enable planning for the increasing 
the agricultural production. The net area sown (NAS) estimated for the year 1988 — 89 was 151.48 mha (including area under 
agriculture plantations 7.70 mha or 2.34 per cent) or 46.09 per cent to the TGA (Table 3). This is in comparison to 139.57 mha or 
42.45 per cent for the base year of 1988 — 89 as reported by DES / MOA. Realising the importance of spatial land use / cover 
information and it change pattern for planning and developmental activities, a land use census mission, under Natural Resource (NR) 
Census, which aims at generation of land use / cover information at multiple national scales with synergistic use of all information 
sources is expected to be soon implemented under National Natural Resource Information System (NNRMS) programme. 
A systematic study was carried out to identify and map 13 different types of wastelands on 1:50,000 scale upto village and micro 
watershed level. A digital data with standard codification system in four different layers were generated for the entire country. 
About 64 million ha have been estimated as wastelands through this study. Various watershed programmes are being implemented 
in the country consulting this database. A successor to this project “Monitoring of Wastelands”, which aim at reporting the changes 
in wastelands statistics in India, considering various developmental programmes launched by Govt. of India since early 1990 is 
expected to be soon implemented by MRD. 
1.0 INTRODUCTION techniques on an operational, timely and on a cost effective 
basis. 
Information on land use / land cover in the form of maps and 
statistical data is very vital for spatial planning, management Today, the availability of information on land use / land cover 
and utilisation of land for agriculture, forestry, pasture, urban- in the form of thematic maps, records and statistical figures are 
industrial, environmental studies, economic production etc. inadequate and do not provide an upto date information on the 
Today, with the growing population pressure, low man-land changing land use patterns and processes. Over the years, the 
ratio and increasing land degradation, the need for optimum efforts made by the various Central / State Government 
utilisation of land assumes much greater relevance. The draft Departments, Institution / Organizations etc., is sporadic and 
outline on the National Land Use Policy and strategy on often efforts are duplicated. In most the cases, as the time gap 
Optimum Land Use Planning and the creation of National Land between reporting, collection and availability of data is more, 
Use Conservation Board (NLUCB) in 1985 clearly indicate the the data often becomes out-dated. However, the organisational 
serious concern of the Government in this regard. Further, with efforts in publishing maps, reports and statistical data by the 
the present thrust that the agricultural planning in the country Survey of India (SOI), National Atlas & Thematic Mapping 
should be based on Agro-Climatic Zones, the prima-facie need Organization (NATMO), National Bureau of Soil Survey & 
is to have a comprehensive information on the spatial Land Use Planning (NBSS-& LUP), All India Soil & Land Use 
distribution pattern of land use / land cover, particularly on the Survey (AIS & LUS), Central Arid Zone Research Institute 
availability of agricultural land during Kharif and Rabi crop (CAZRI), Ministry of Agriculture, Settlement Survey and Land 
seasons, cropped area during both seasons and area under Records, Revenue Department, National Sample Survey, State 
fallow, apart from the other land use / land cover classes. Land Use Boards, Town & Country Planning Organization 
Besides, it is also required to know their area for the whole (TCPO) and other local agencies are noteworthy. 
country covering all the 15 agro-climatic zones in the 442 
districts (now the number of districts are 584). This needs land The Indian experience on use of satellite data for Land Use / 
use inventory surveys periodically, to make available the Land Cover analysis mainly comes from studies conducted at 
information on the type, spatial distribution, location, areal National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) in collaboration with 
extent, rate and pattern of change of each category of land use / different agencies. The first project was carried out for the year 
land cover on the land. Preparation of an upto date, accurate 1975 of the state of Orissa for Orissa state soil conservation, 
and reliable information on land use / land cover over large forest and soil survey departments for tackling different 
areas on a contiguous basis is possible using remote sensing problems prevailing in the state. Similar studies were attempted 
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