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3.0 DATA INTEGRATION AND 
DEVELOPMENT ALTERNATIVES 
3.1 Mechanism for Integration and Manipulation 
The integration of the various thematic maps and 
attribute data, and further manipulation / analysis for 
identifying alternatives for development is carried out 
using the state-of-art Geographic Information System. 
The digitally classified outputs corresponding to 
geology, geomorphology, soils, land use and their 
derivatives is feature-coded and stored in the map 
information system. These individual maps from 
corresponding map files is integrated to arrive at 
“Composite Mapping Units” (CMUs). The socio 
economic, Institutional and other statistical data is 
entered into the attribute data base. The decision criteria 
is structured within the frame work of resources 
potentials and other determinants to evolve a pragmatic 
model. 
3.2 Composite Mapping Unit 
It is three dimensional landscape unit homo 
geneous in respect of characteristics and qualities of 
land, water and vegetation and separated from other 
dissimilar units by distinct boundaries. The CMU 
characteristics imply physical parameters of the 
component resources of a biophysical domain. Whereas 
qualities are suggestive of their potential for specific 
uses under the defined sets of conditions. Based on the 
interaction among the basic resources of land, water and 
vegetation which form the major components of primary 
production system, useful inferences is drawn about 
their predicted behavior in meeting the various planning 
goals. 
3.3 Current status of Resources utilization and 
Management 
To begin with, all collateral data derived from the 
District Census Handbook, Agricultural Census Report, 
Meteorological Tables and from other relevant sources, 
in conjunction with land use maps, are assembled and 
collated to assess the Man-land ratio, Present land use, 
Present water use, Agricultural Production, Employment 
status, Marketing, Storage, Input situation, Local 
Problems. 
Based on the above, surpluses and deficits are 
computed in each area at the present level of demand 
and supply. Projections for the future demands are then 
computed considering the current populations growth 
rate. This would lead to identification of thrust areas for 
the different taluks in the District. It is unlikely that the 
resources potentials of a particular taluk, even with an 
ideal plan, would meet all the variegated needs of the 
people, but it would help to ensure that the CMU’s have 
been collectively manipulated to their optimal use 
without losing sight of the local problems and needs. It 
may be mentioned that self sufficiency can hardly be a 
realistic goal at a planning level of the watershed. 
The areas under agriculture, forests, grasslands and 
plantations, affected by soil erosion and other forms of 
degradation reflect the extent of mismanaged lands for 
which integrated soil and water conservation measures 
are indicated. The wastelands are the locked-up 
production potential and call for appropriate reclamation 
measures. For a lasting solution of these problem, both 
the reclamation and the soil and water conservation 
problems are identified on the basis of characteristics of 
the associated soils and input situations. Landform and 
slope are other important determinants for ameliorative 
and preventive measures. 
Land capability model based on soil, slope and 
meteorological factors gives optimum land use potential. 
Mismatch between existing and the potential land use 
implies land use revision. Land irrigation model helps to 
assess the suitability of land for irrigated agriculture and 
enable predictions of its behavior under the defined 
management level. Hydrologic groupings are indicative 
of infiltration/surface flow for soil, based entirely on its 
inherent characteristics. Integration of hydrologic 
groupings, vegetation cover complex, land form and 
slope permit runoff estimation from a given land system 
unit. 
Integration of geological, geomorphological, 
hydrogeological and land use data with geophysical 
investigations gives ground water potential. This 
coupled with surface water potential, when matched 
against tapped water resources helps in estimating 
unrealised water potential to meet the primordial 
demands of irrigation, industries, drinking water and 
others. These are only some of the examples of 
manipulation of CMUs. 
3.4 Development of Land/Water use Alternatives 
A pragmatic development model has to provide a 
number of alternatives in respect of each of the different 
landscape units or CMUs. Primarily, this is because our 
understanding about the interactions among the different 
parameters of the complex social, physical and natural 
system is limited to suggest a single best course of 
action. Furthermore, the input situation and socio 
economic conditions assumed at planning stage for a 
particular action plan may not remain valid at the time of 
implementation, and thereby rendering the plan