International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXII Part 7C2. UNISPACE ID, Vienna. 1999
34
I5PR5
UNISPACE HI - ISPRS Workshop on
“Resource Mapping from Space ”
9:00 am -12:00 pm, 22 July 1999, VIC Room B
Vienna, Austria
I5PR5
on information on soils and terrain conditions following the
criteria laid down by All India Soil and Land Use Survey (1970).
Besides ,current land use/land cover maps have been prepared
using monsoon (kliarif) and winter (rabi) crop growing seasons
and summer period satellite data, and single-cropped and
double-cropped areas apart from other land use/land cover
categories have been delineated. Furthermore, micro watersheds
and water bodies have been delineated and the drainage network
have also been mapped.
Slope maps showing various slope categories have been prepared
based on contour information available at 1:50,000 scale
topographical maps(20m contour interval). Road network and
the location and extent of settlements have also been taken from
topograpliical sheets. Rainfall, demographic and socio-economic
data were analyzed to generate information on population
density, tribal population, literacy status, economic
backwardness and the availability of basic amenities.
8.2.2 Generation of Action Plan
The generation of action plan essentially involves careful study
of thematic maps on land and water resources both individually
as well as in combination to identify' various land and water
resources regions or Composite Land Development Units
(CLDU), and their spatial distribution, potential and limitations
for sustained agriculture and other uses; and development of an
integration key. The first step is accomplished by
superimposing individual thematic map over another manually
and identifying CLDUs. This could also be done by digitizing/
scanning all the thematic maps and studying them subsequently
in a GIS environment. Each CLDU is studied carefully in the
light of various natural resources and socio-economic and
climatic conditions and a specific land use and/soil and water
conservation practice are suggested based on its sustainability.
Subsequently, taking landform as a base an integration key in
terms of potential/limitations of soils, present land use/land
cover, and ground water potential; and suggested alternate land
use/action plan is developed.
8.2.3 Implementation of Action Plan
The action plan and/altemate land use practices emerging from
aforesaid approach are implemented by the implementing
agencies in the district. The state-of-the-art technology' available
for each action item is used in order to fully exploit the
contemporary' research and developments in the field of
agriculture, science and technology. While implementing the
action plan needs of the local people obtained through a process
called Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) is given utmost
importance. Initially, a micro watershed of 500 - 600 ha is
identified by the distnct/block authorities based on
developmental priority and the operational aspects of each
activity under action plan is studied carefully. Since most of the
land except for common land/govemment land belongs to
cultivators/individuals, for implementation of action plan
information on each land holding which is available in cadastral
maps (large scale village maps) is required. For this purpose,
cadastral map boundaries are digitized/scanned and overlaid onto
satellite data. The individual field where a specific action plan is
recommended could be identified by superimposing alternate
land use/ action plan map over digitized/scanned cadastral maps.
The progress of the implementation is monitored by an expert
committee constituted by the state government for each
state/district.
8.2.4 Impact Assessment
After implementation of suggested action plan for land and water
resources development, the area imdergoes transformation such
as rise in ground water table with the concomitant increase in the
area under irrigated crops, and improvements in the drinking
water supply to rural areas; improvement in the soil and
vegetation conditions due to adoption of soil and water
consen'ation measures. . Such changes could be monitored
regularly wliich not only helps studying the impact of the
program but also enables resorting to midcourse correction, if
required. Parameters included under monitoring activities are
land use/land cover, extent of irrigated area, vegetation density
and condition; fluctuation of ground water table, well density
and yield, cropping pattern and crop yield, occurrence of hazards
and socio-economic conditions. Included under land use/land
cover parameters are: changes in the number and area extent of
surface water bodies, spatial extent of forest and other
plantations, wastelands and cropped area. The vegetation density
and vigor have been assessed using vegetation index (VI)
generated from IRS -1A/-1B/-1C/-1D LISS-II /LISS III data.
9. A CASE STUDY
In order to demonstrate the approach, an example of such an
approach used in a watershed in the semi-arid region of southern
India is presented here. The Samalpatti watershed has been
selected for the study owing to its low' (574 mm) and erratic
rainfall, recurring drought, land degradation (more than one-fifth
of the study area constitutes wastelands), poor irrigation facility
and poor literacy (37.7 per cent). Covering a geographical area of
12,292 ha, the test site lies between 12016’ to 12023’ N and
78026’ to 78034’ E and forms parts of Mathur and Uthangari
blocks (an administrative unit) of Dliarmapuri district of Tamil
Nadu . Most of the area comprises of buried pediment w'hich is
interspersed by structural hills, developed from hornblende
gneiss and biotite gneiss. The area is drained by the rivulets
Pambar river which is a tributary of Ponnairor river.
9.1 Land and Water Resources
Information on land and water resources was derived from IRS-
1B LISS-II data at 1:50,000 scale acquired during October, 1988
and February, 1999 following the approach described in the
Section 7.2. Pediment, buried pediment - shallow and deep and
structural hills, as mentioned earlier comprise geomorphic units.
