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International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, Vol XXXV, Part B7. Istanbul 2004
"Technology Push' rather than 'Application pull' leads to import/
implement technology not appropriate to the social
settings/matching solutions 'Ethno-Science' to be improved
by 'Techno-Science' (i.e. "Technology push") for more responsive
landuse/ landcover practices to protect natural resources in
relation to changing socio-economic environment.
Case history examples from eastern India —
e Interlinking of rivers: ‘inter basin’/’intra basin transfers’ —
existing big dams/ reservoirs to combat floods and droughts as
well as to increase agricultural production — a subjective
approach? In eastern India Gandak barrage, Kosi barrage,
Farakka barrage exemplifies salinization, water logging, soil
degradation, bank erosion, river bed level rise etc. — reflects on
the change in landuse/ landcover pattern through space and time.
For example, the Ganga River has shifted towards east in the
upstream of Farakka Barrage causing bank failure since 1975
i.e. after construction of circuit embankment in the Bhutnir Char
(encircling river island / permanent channel bar) in 1972 and
Farakka Barrage subsequently, as revealed from the analysis of
sequential satellite images and Survey of India (SOI) toposheets
of 1970’s (Chakrabarti, 1998). In this regard, it may be
mentioned that the words ‘inter basin’ / ‘intra basin’ invite
special attention towards nature’s own built system as a river
basin / watershed is a distinct hydrological unit in the context of
‘Hydrological Cycle’. Any change in water — sediment —
vegetation regime of the watershed due to natural or
anthropogenic reasons may cause substantial changes in river
morphology as well as stability of the area which in turn may
badly affect the present day landuse/ landcover i.e. built up land,
crop land, forest etc. For example, in the later part of the 18th
century (1787 ?), due to some geological reasons (tectonic
activities coupled with landslides), the Tista river changed its
course and joined Brahmaputra river instead of debouching in
the Ganga river (cf. Ferguson, 1912; Roy, 1952; Bhattacharyya,
1959; Chowdhury and Kamal, 1996) and the three distributaries
of the Tista river viz. Punarbhava, Atrai and Karotoya rivers
were not receiving any water from the Tista river as it was
earlier (Chakrabarti, 2004). As a consequence, one may find
shrinkages in channel width, cut off meanders/ wet lands and
change in cropping pattern in the area. Historical accounts also
reveal that the changing course of Kosi, Mahananda rivers in the
Himalayan foot hill region of eastern India made the 'Gauda —
Lakhmanbati — Pandua' kingdom uninhabited due to water
logging etc. (cf. Roy, 1952).
In this context programmes viz. "Integrated Mission for
Sustainable Development" (IMSD), “Natural Resources
Information System" (NRIS), of Deptt. Of Space and "Natural
Resources Development & Management System" (NRDMS),
Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India are ideal
examples.
Under these programmes 'geoinformation' in village/ mouza
level (i.e. the lowest administrative unit) on micro-watershed
basis have been generated for agro-ecological development
minimizing the adverse effect of drought and flood hazards
mainly through technological adjustment and social adaptations
(Table — 1, 2, 3)
Pilot scale implementation of the ‘generated database’ (both
physical and socio-economic) have proved successful in Indian
scenario with agro ecological characterization ^ agricultural
429
environment analysis and biodiversity conservation, minimizing
the adverse effects of natural hazards (e.g. droughts, floods),
land degradation etc.
In view of that developmental planning on watershed basis may
be considered as a form of maintaining the landscape ecology
where a compromise is sought between the development in
catchments and conservation of natural resources (both land and
water resources) including biological diversity (cf. Meijerink,
1990).
However, it may be mentioned that terrain based ‘area specific’
intra and/or inter-basin transfer of river water seems unavailable
to support ‘watershed development’ programme.
e Along the east coast of India, cultivable land / salt pans of the
lower estuarine plain/ coastal belt
e Are being used for brackish water fish farming, especially,
prawn cultivation (e.g. Digha Mohona; Bengal salt factory area,
Dadanpatrabar, Medinipur district (E), West Bengal) — 'easy-to-
fetch' money but likely to increase salinity of the surrounding
fields and groundwater as well as accelerate long lasting water
logging situation during cyclone/ storm upsurge.
The aforesaid discussion reflects on the necessity of the ‘Geo-
environmental mapping’ concept as ‘Application pull’ rather as
‘Technology push’ through fine tuning of the baseline data
already generated under the above mentioned programmes
towards sustainable landuse planning in human orientation.
7. CONCLUSION
Geo-environmental studies being a multivariate/ multiscale
approach the following steps may lead to success in reality:
e Systematic identification of the TMU/ NSU and GEI/GEU
using RS data with ground truthing — need knowledge-
based expertise.
e Selection and proper weight input to the 'indicators' to
construct index model — require basic scientific rigour.
e Appropriate integration of different parameters (both
spatial and non-spatial) in GIS environment — demand
trained multidisciplinary personnel in handling and
processing the data.
8. REFERENCES
Cavallin, A et. al; 1995- Geomorphology and environmental
impact assessment : a methodologic approach. ITC Jour. 1995-
4. pp 308-310.
Chakrabarti, P; 1991- Process-Response system analysis in the
macrotidal estuarine and mesotidal coastal plain of eastern India.
Geol. Soc. India. Mem. No.22. pp. 165-181.
Chakrabarti, P. ; 1995 - Evolutionary history of Coastal
Quaternaries of Bengal plain. Proc. INSA, Part 61A. No. 5. pp.
343-354.
Chakrabarti, P.; 1998 - Changing courses of Ganga-Padma river
system, West Bengal, India — RS data usage in user orientation.
Jour.River Behavious & Control. Vol. 25. pp. 19-28.
Chakrabarti, P; 1998 - Geoinformatics in environmental impact
assessment — a parametric approach. Indian Jour. Earth Science.
Presidency College, Calcutta. Vol — 25. No. 1-4. pp. 108-114.
