Spatio - temporal landcover dynamics and environmental impact in coal mine area of Korba district (Chhattisgarh)

Abstract

Detection of digital change is the approach that helps to assess the changes associated with land use and land cover resources. Detection of landuse/landcover change in the form of maps and statistical data is very useful for land spatial planning, management and utilisation. In order to research land use / land cover shifts, Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) were used. The goal of this study is to detect changes in land use between 1929 and 2009 using satellite images of 1990, 1999 and 2009 TM map data and 2009 Google Earth Imagery and topographic map surveys of India. The study developed a five-year (1929,1970,1999,2005,2009) land use/land cover map of the Korba district of Chhattisgarh to detect changes in the residential area, mining area, water bodies, farm lands, and forest areas in particular. The objective of study is to prepare land use/land cover map for different time periods, analyse the land use changes and evaluate the socio – economic implications of predicted change. Landuse changes have been detected by image processing method in ArcGIS9.3. Monitoring of landuse/landcover changes help to study impact of increase in industrialization on environment and to plan development activities and frame development policies. During this period of 80 years the forest area decreased nearly by half of that in 1929 from 4622.82km2 in 1929 to 2241.66km2 in 2009. The agriculture area increased during the period 1929 -1970 showing that deforested land was converted into agriculture land during this period from 1970 onwards mines and barren area increased from nil to 527.72 km2 in 2009. Residential area showed a drastic increase during the period 1970 -1999 due to migration of people from nearby areas to coal fields in search of livelihood.