Journal of Global Resources

Volume 3

July 2016
Page 122-128
ISSN: 2395-3160 (Print), 2455-2445 (Online)

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CHANGE DETECTION OF LAND USE AND LAND COVER FOR SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT: A CASE STUDY OF SANKA RIVER BASIN, INDIA
Baidurya Biswas
North Bengal St. Xavier’s College, Jalpaiguri, India
Email: baiduryabiswas@gmail.com
Abstract: Land use and Land cover form an integral part of all change detection caused dueto the interactions of the human activities with the environment. As such, we need suitableprocess to explain the changes in the land use patterns and the resulting land cover and also
to forecast them. The Sanka River is flowing from north-east to south-west covering the statesof West Bengal and Jharkhand. The Sanka River has been originated in the area of Matha
Protected Forest, where Gorgaburu range (677 m) is located. After entering in the Jharkhand
state Sanka River flowing towards south and after that towards east and finally meets with
Subarnarekha River at Dhatkidiah region where Chandil dam is located. In this paper an
attempt is made to study the changes in land use and land cover in Sanka River basin about
40 years period (1982-2012). The study has been done through remote sensing and GIS using
SOI map (1982) to digitize the Sanka River and delineate the basin area, andRESOURCESAT-1 (LISS- III) image of October 2012. The land use land cover classification
was performed based on the SOI topographical sheets and Satellite imageries. Image
processing software like Erdas Imagine 14.0 and GIS software like Mapinfo 10.5 is used toprepare the thematic maps. Ground truth observations were also performed to check theaccuracy of the classification. The present study has brought to light that forest area thatengaged about 30 per cent of the basin area in 1982 has decreased largely about 21 percent
in 2012. Scrubs, Agricultural land, Barren Land, Settlement, Water Bodies area also haveexperienced change. Sanka River basin needs a proper land cover management and land use
planning for a sustainable development.
Key words: Land use, Land cover, Change Detection, Sustainable Development.
Introduction
Human needs food, clothing, shelter and energy which are fulfilled by the land. Land isconsidered as a resource base rather than a resource itself (Mather, 1986). Land use and land
cover characterized by bio- physical and economic attributes of the earth’s surface. Land use
refers to man’s economic activities on land. Land cover, on the other hand, describes thevegetation and artificial construction covering the land surface (Burgess and Pirman. 1977). It“Describes the physical state of the land surface: as in cropland, mountains or forest” (Meyerand turner, 2002). Human always tries to bring changes in the character of the land to thebeneficial of them. The term land use describes series of operations on land, carried out byhumans, to obtain products and/or benefits through land resources (Lillesand et al. 2008).
Both terms are different from each other. Land use refers to how land is used by humans whileland cover refers to the vegetation, structures or other features that cover the land area
(CARA, 2006). The investigation of the changes on the surface of the earth, both terms arejointly used, because human beings affect land use as well as land cover. Land use and land
cover (LULC) change is the change in the terrestrial earth’s face. Human beings are the mostactive agents who change the makeup of the land more than any other agent. Originally thenature is dominating factor for land use and land cover change. But now, human beings are122

chief to nature and modifying the earth which is very difficult to carry under its original purpose.
Century’s old forests are now being cleared and that region is being brought under agriculture,industries and settlement for large cities. The land resources are being degraded at a shocking
rate in an unplanned manner. In digital image classification, an analyst evaluates several
characteristics such as tone, texture, pattern, size, shape and association and his own
knowledge about the land use and land cover distribution in order to categorize thecomponents of the image (Kumaravel. et al. 2012).
Figure 1. Location Map

Study Area
The geographical location of this basin (Fig.01) is confined within the latitudes of 23˚01 52
N and 23˚ 11 36 N and longitudes of 86˚01 22 E and 86˚12 42 E. The Sanka Riverflows from north-east to south-west direction across the western margin of West Bengal andparts of Jharkhand. The Sanka River originates from the Matha Protected Forest, whereGorgaburu peak (677 m) is located. The Sanka River started flowing from the south of
Edelbera and Puniyashasan villages of Purulia district and flows southward through a rugged
terrain receiving many tributaries on both the banks. As a result, the river is also often prone toflash floods accentuated by swift runoff from tributary channels and quick discharge
accumulations in the downstream segments. After entering Jharkhand the River flows furthersouth and again towards east. Finally it meets with the Subarnarekha River at Dhatkidiah
where the Chandil Dam is located. The Sanka River in Jharkhand meets with Subarnarekha
River at 23° 01 22 N latitude and 86° 01 22 E longitudes. The upper reaches of thebasin is located in West Bengal and lower reach of the basin is located in Jharkhand. To beidentical it is to be stated that the River is a tributary of Subarnarekha River.
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Objectives
The main objective of this paper is to classify and analyse the nature and extent land use andland cover changes in Sanka River basin in the past 30 years and to identify the main reasons
behind the changes.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Data products
The Survey of India (SOI) Toposheet map Nos. 73I/4/NW, 73I/4/NE, 73I/4/SE, and 73I/4/SW
at scale 1:25,000 of 1983 and Resourcesat-1 (February, 2012) LISS III path 106 row 045-C.
The geocoded digital data was downloaded from Bhuban to ERDAS system as an imageformat.
Methods
Digitization of SOI topographical sheets under GIS environment using MapInfo 10.5 software
was done. For data processing visual image interpretation and digital image interpretation
techniques are used. Signatures are identified from satellite imageries. Erdas Imagine 14.0
and MapInfo 10.5 software were used for data processing. Supervised classification was donefor image. Classifications of land of land use and land cover are created in both time periods.
The changes in area under each category, analyzing, mapping etc. all work is done with thehelp of GIS software. The land use and land cover are classified on basis of the scheme ofclassification of National Remote Sensing Center (NRSC) in seven classes which arementioned below:
1. Forest Area
2. Scrubs
3. Agricultural land
4. Barren Land
5. Built-up Area
6. Water Bodies
Result and Discussion
Land cover mapping serves as a basic inventory of land resources for all levels ofgovernment, environmental agencies and private industry throughout area (Vijith andSatheesh 2007). The findings after applying the classification techniques on SOI maps andsatellite image changes in land use and land cover are found. The findings of the present ofpresent investigation in table 1. Changes are identified in every land use and land cover class.
Due to human pressure and anthropogenic causes day by day forest area are converting inscrub area, agricultural land settlement area. According to SOI map of the year 1982 forest
covered almost 31 per cent of the study area (Table1). This has decreased to about 21 percent in 2012, February RESOURCESAT-1 (LISS- III) Imageries. It is worth observing that inthe 30 years almost 30 per cent (Fig – 2, 3 & Table1) of the forest lands have got transformed
to Scrubs area and Built-up area. Because of human population forest area got converted toscrub, Settlement and Road. Majority of forest area is mainly under protected forest for thisreason forest area basically converted to scrub land.

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Table 1 Area and Changes in Land Use and Land Cover in Sanka River Basin, 1982 & 2012

Forest Area
ScrubsAgricultural Land
Barren Land

1982
Area
inPercentage
(%)
58.25
30.49
0.01
0.01
113.78
59.56
12.61
6.60

February, 2012
Area in Areain
Sq k.m. Percentage
(%)
41.79
21.88
16.46
8.62
104.93
54.92
12.61
6.60

Built-up Area
Water Bodies
Total

4.99
1.38
191.02

7.21
8.02
191.02#LULC

123456

Area in
Sq k.m.

2.62
0.72
100

3.784.20
100

Source: Computed by author

Figure 2. Land use and land cover of 1982

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Changes (1982-2012)
Area in Percentage
Sq k.m.
(%)
16.46
16.45
8.85
Nochange
2.22
6.64- 8.61
8.62- 4.64
Nochange
1.16
3.48

Figure 3. Land use and land cover of 2012

Forest is an area with the notified boundary bearing an association
predominantly of trees and other vegetation types capable of producing timber and otherforest produce. It is described as a dense thicker or woody vegetation or forest coveroccurring in north eastern part of the basin and some patches are also distributed in wholebasin area. It includes different species of sals. Forests covered in the study area are 58.25
km2 in 1982 and due to human action many forest area converted in scrub, built-up area andagricultural land, covering 41.79 sq. km. in 2012. Agriculture land occupies sizeable area. It isdefined as the land primarily used for farming and for production of food, fiber, andother horticulture crops. It includes land under crops (irrigated and unirrigated), fallow, etc.
Crop land has occupied in the study area of 113.78 km2 in the study period in 1982 and it has
decreased only to 104.93 km2 in 2012. Huge area of agricultural land converted to reservoir
for construction of Chandil Dam at the confluence of river and increase of built-up area forconstruction of hotels and settlement. It is described as agricultural land which is taken up for126cultivation but it is temporarily allowed to rest un-cropped for one or more seasons, but notless than one due to unavailability of water. Main crop of this area is rice. Barren landbasically denotes the area of bare rock surface, outcrops etc. The barren land has occupied in
the study area of 12.61 km2 in the study period in 1982 and it has also remained same in2012. Built-up area basically denotes settlement, village, and road and communication system.
It is defined as an area of human habitation developed due to non-agricultural use and thatwhich has a cover of buildings, transport, communication utilities in association with water,vegetation and vacant lands. Moreover they are sparsely present in the entire study area. The
built-up-land occupies in the study area is 4.99 km2 in the year of 1982 and increased to 7.21
km2 in the year of 2012. Water Bodies included ponds, reservoirs, rivers and streams. Waterbodies covered only 1.38 km2 of the study area land in 1982 and increased to 8.02 km2 in2012. This fluctuation due to the construction of Chandil Dam at the confluence andconservation of water created huge reservoir.
Conclusion
Ajodhya Hill is a famous hill station in Purulia district as well as in West Bengal for tourism andtrekking purposes is one of the major sources of income through tourism. As a result
construction of road and increase of built-up area increased. The land under forest cover has
experienced a declining trend in the past thirty years. Here forest land converted to Scrubs,
areas Built-up and agricultural land due to this changes we loss our natural ecosystem andbiodiversity also. The local people of that area cut the trees for their own needs and huge areaof Matha Protected forest converted in scrubs land. Empirical observation also showsafforestation is taken by Forest department in recent times. Sprawl of settlement area is also
identified many areas among which due to the presence of nodal point at Balarampur village at
north eastern part of basin and Baghmundi block in north western part of basin. Apart from theconversion of little forest area into agricultural land there display decreasing trend in
agricultural land because huge area of basin converted into reservoir for chandil dam andpeople have less importance for agriculture due to scarcity and unavailability of water. The
increase in the area under built up lands and scrubs may lead to a lot of environmental andecological problems. Change detection of land use land cover pattern of the area would be ofimmense help in formulation of policies and programmes required for sustainable
development.
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