CHAPTER III

WASTELAND IDENTIFICATION AND MAPPING

Introduction

Landuse is the result of a dynamic interaction between human beings and land

with temporal and spatial dimension. It is a collective expression of the needs of the

people, socio economic conditions, status of the biophysical resources, market trends,

technological advancements and national and regional priorities. Vink (1975) defined it

as, "any kind of human intervention to satisfy human needs, either material or spiritual

or both from the complex of natural or artificial resources which together are called

land".

Land use has become highly competitive in recent years as a consequence of

increase in population, sharply declining human - land ratio and rapidly increasing

demands of growing population to satisfy their needs and aspirations. These demands,

when inconsistent with potentials of land- water systems, give rise to serious problems

of land degradation causing formation of wastelands. Today, more than half of Indian

landmass is suffering from various kinds and intensities of land degradation, which is

the major cause of diminishing productive potential. Waterlogging and salinity are other

serious problems arising out of improper landuse and faulty management practises. The

remedy lies in optimization and rationalization of landuses consistent with land

capabilities.

The modern concept of landuse optimization calls for balanced and harmonious

development of rural and urban land resources taking into account ecological, social and

economic aspects for sustainable land use decision with respect to agriculture, forests,

horticulture, grasslands, urban development, mining, infrastructure facilities, recreation

and others. Inventory of land use with reference to nature, extent and spatial distribution

of the existing land use categories is a vital step in regional analysis and land use

optimization planning.·

44

Plate 2

Image Characteristics of Parts of Sample II 44G/ 12

(1st October 1994, LISS II)

Definitions and processes

Fig. 3.1

Land Degradation and Wastelands

Degradation of the land is not desirable, as it is a valuable resource. There is

number of universally accepted definition of degradation. Just as there seem to be

endless definitions of "desertification" and "sustainability", there probably are many

ideas of the details ofthe land degradation process and what it's meaning to humanity.

Wastelands can be associated with the land degradation process. Land

degradation consists of deterioration of the biological potential of the land due to human

interference. Here the word "land" has been used in a broad context and refers to all the

components of the landscape. That includes vegetative cover, soils, slope, geomorphic

surfaces, and hydrological systems.

The principal global land degradation processes are vegetation degradation,

water and wind erosions, salinisation, soil fertility loss, and soil compaction and

crusting. More localized, but no less important, processes include soil acidification,

heavy metal contamination, waterlogging, and organic chemical pollution. One of the

most important considerations in understanding the significance of land degradation is

the reversibility of the process. Of the major land degradation processes, vegetation

degradation, salinisation of irrigated land, soil nutrient loss, compaction and crusting are

reversible. However, reversibility of vegetation degradation is highly dependent on the

45

climate in the degraded area. Vegetation recovery to its pre-human intervention status

may never be achieved to occur in hyper-arid and arid climatic zones and may require

decades in the semiarid climatic zone. Conversely, recovery may be very rapid in the

humid tropics on good soils.

Water and, wind erosions are, in principle, irreversible because soil development

is virtually always slower than accelerated erosion. To all intents and purposes, though,

water erosion may cause little or no reduction in soil productivity if the soils are deep

and fairly uniform. That is true, most extensively, on the Loess Plateau of China. Wind

erosion, similarly, may cause no measurable on-site damage on deep sandy soils of the

Sahel region of Africa. Ultimately, of course, unchecked erosion produces a shallow soil

that will affect plant growth. Langdale et al described an exception to the irreversibility

• of water erosion damage to soil productivit/ 1 (I 992) for an Ultisol in the state of

Georgia in the United States. A particular system of conservation tillage appeared to

restore and sustain yields on that soil.

Land degradation also occurs due to poor aggregation, low or excess1ve

permeability, defective aeration, low water retention, a decrease in rooting depth and

other related characteristics. Heavy losses of nutrients take place in highly permeable

soil and the availability of plant nutrients is limited in slowly permeable soils, both of

which result in low fertilizer-use efficiency. More than 50 percent of the world's

irrigated lands affected by waterlogging and salinization are located in the region. In

addition, 56 percent of rain-fed cropland is also degraded.

Regionwide, irrigation is essential to grow crops to feed growing populations, but

the long-term sustainability remains in doubt. By saturating soil surfaces that are

subsequently baked by sun, irrigation tends to deposit salts and other minerals where they

interfere with root growth. Irrigation can also raise water tables under crops, waterlogging

the root zone and adding to salinisation. Furthermore, a large number of reservoirs

constructed to augment irrigation and to generate electric power, lead to land degradation

31 Langdale, G. Wet a/. (1992) Restoration of eroded soil with conservation tillage. Soil Technology 5:81-

90.

46

and reduced soil productivity by submerging vast tracts of agricultural and forest lands

and also by causing waterlogging and salinity, as in India and Pakistan.

Wastelands

The word wasteland is a broad term and is used in different connotations by

different authors. In the national perspective the concept of wasteland can be narrowed

to the optimum use of all available land (since land is finite) that derives optimal benefit

from it. This is, in principle accepting the dictum of 'Dudley Stamp' that no land is a

wasteland ( 1957). But here the main objective is to bring more area under agriculture,

afforestation, pastoral development and greening the environment.

According to 'Stamp32', wasteland may be defined as that land which has been

abandoned and for which no further use has been found.

'Wasteland survey and Reclamation Committee' 33 has defined wastelands as

those lands, which are either not available for cultivation or left out without being

cultivated like fallow and culturable wastelands.

Wasteland, however, is defined as degraded land which can be brought under

vegetative cover with reasonable effort, and which is currently under utilized. It

also includes the land, which is deteriorating for lack of appropriate water and soil

management practises or on account of natural causes. Wastelands can result from

inherent/imposed disabilities such as by location, environment, chemical and

physical properties of the soil or financial or management constraints.

Hence, the need of the hour is to restore the productive capacity of these

wastelands in order to feed the ever-increasing population and also to meet the demands

of various developmental activities.

32 Stamp, L.D. ( 1948), The Land of Britain; its use and misuse 33 Govt. of India (1961) Report on Location and Utilization of Wastelands in India, Wasteland survey and

Reclamation Committee, Ministry of Food and Agriculture

47

Classification of wastelands

National Remote Sensing Agency has prepared a wasteland map of the country

and of various states based on the visual interpretation of satellite imagery on I: I million

scale. Subsequent interpretation ofTM Landsat data on a scale of I :50,000 scale enables

the identification of following types of wastelands.

Level I

Culturable Wastelands

• Gully and ravinous land

• Undulating upland with or without scrub

0 Surface waterlogged land and marsh

0 Salt affected areas

• Shifting cultivation areas

0 Degraded forest land

• Degraded pastures/grazing land

• Degraded non-forest plantation land

0 Sands

• Mining/industrial wastes

Level II

Unculturable wastelands

• Barren rocky/stony/sheet

• Steep sloping areas

Remote sensing is restricted to the methods that employ electromagnetic

radiation or energy as the means of detecting and measuring target characteristics

(Sabins, 1978). Remote sensing techniques can also provide information about the

location, availability and changing conditions of natural resources in specific areas.

Remote sensing technology has provided valuable data about extent, location and

types of wastelands at village level for 247 critical districts in different biogeographical

,48

regions of India. This data provided an integral view of the large area, which should be

prioritized in the overall framework of the agro-ecological zones. Simultaneously, areas

in the immediate vicinity can be provided required protection for preventing further

extension of wastelands. However, such measures would necessitate an inter sectional

management. An integrated approach in wasteland management requires basic data

about various physical and natural resources. Besides, it is necessary to include socio­

economic aspects in achieving the objectives. Ironically such data are meagerly

available or used and thus, has hampered designing of wasteland development programs.

Existing database on wastelands and limitations

A number of organizations and establishments involved in the collection and

collation of data that is of relevance in arriving at the statistics on regard to aerial extent

of wastelands and their various categories.

National Bureau of Soil Survey and Landuse Planning (NBSSandLUP) of Indian

Council of Agricultural Research and All India Soil and Landuse Survey of Dept. of

Agriculture, GO!, are the two important organizations in the country with established

data base on landuse, from which information can be collected for the ~astelands and

other degraded lands. These organizations have developed their own land use

classification scheme for mapping and are limited to their particular areas of interest.

Survey of India is the only authorized government department, which brings out

topographical maps on different scales. The information that could be obtained from

spatial connotations from these maps, which is of relevance to the wasteland

development program is following:

•

•

•

•

•

•

Broken ground (gully and ravinous land)

Hills (undulating lands)

Marshes (surface waterlogged and marsh)

Jhum land (shifting cultivation area)

Sands, rock outcrops and

Stony wastes and glaciers

49

Survey of India topographical sheets provides information on some of the

wastelands, while providing the main topographical details. The thematic details

contains in the topographical maps are often inadequate for decision making as it time

consuming to update the information which is generally done by ground survey.

National Atlas and Thematic Map Organization (NA TMO) publish the land use

map on I: I million scale. These maps are compiled from various data, which are

generally not reliable. Moreover, the classification used in the above mapping is the

most generalized one.

The district census publishes decennial land use data at village level agricultural

census abstract. The nine-fold classification on land utilization is available in the District

Census Handbooks, govt. of India. The above data is in the form of statistics and does

not show any spatial distribution, location and extent on the map.

In regard to the land degradation statistics, there is no comprehensive survey for

the country. However, information available through limited surveys, estimates has been

continued in the report of the National Commission on Agriculture 1976).

National Remote Sensing Agency, Dept. of Space has prepared the wasteland

map of all the states and the Union territories on I: I million scale based on visual

interpretation using MSS FCC data of 1980-82. Based on the above study the total area

under wasteland in the country has been estimated to be around 53.3 million-hectare or

16.2 percent of the total geographical area of the country. The gross estimation of the

area under different categories of wastelands in the country based on the I: I million

scales is shown in the table 3.1.

50

The methodologies followed for identification and mappmg wastelands are

diagrammatically depicted in figure 3.2.

Elements of image interpretation

Image interpretation is essential for the efficient and effective use of data in order

to recognize the objects. The following nine elements of image interpretation are

regarded as being of general significance, irrespective of the precise nature of the

imagery and the feature in portrays.

Size

In many cases, the length, breadth, height, area and/or volume of an object can

be significant, whether these are surface features (e.g. different tree species) or the

atmospheric phenomenon (e.g. cumulus versus cumulonimbus clouds). The approximate

size of many objects can be judged by comparisons with familiar features (e.g., roads) in

the same seen.

Shape

Numerous components of environment can be identified with their shapes. This

is true of both natural features and man made objects.

Tone or color

Different surface objects reflect and emit different amounts of radiant energy.

Such differences may be recorded as variations of picture tone, colour or density. This

enable discrimination of many spatial variables, for example, on land, different crops

types or at sea water bodies of contrasting depths or temperature. The term 'light,'

'medium or 'dark' are used to describe variations in tone.

Pattern

Repetitive patterns of both natural and cultural features are quite common over

the earth's surface, which is advantaged because much image interpretations are aimed

at the mapping and analysis of relatively complex features rather than the more basic

52

units of which they may be composed, such features include agricultural complexes (e.g.

farms and orchards) and terrain features (e.g. alluvial river valley and coastal plains)

Texture

Texture is important image characteristics closely associated with tone in the

sense that is a quality that permits two areas of the same overall tone to be differentiated

on the basis of microtonal patterns. Common image textures include smooth, rippled,

mottled, lineated and irregular. Unfortunately, texture analysis tends to be rather

subjective, since different interpreters may use the same terms in slightly different ways.

Texture is rarely the only criterion of identification or correlation employed in

interpretation. More often it is invoked as the basis for a subdivision of categories

already established using more fundamental criteria, for example, two rock units may

have the same tone but different textures.

Shadow

Hidden profiles may be revealed in silhouette (e.g. the shape of buildings or the

forms of field boundaries). Shadows are especially useful in geomorphologial studies

where micro relief features may be easier to detect under conditions of low angle solar

illumination than when the sun is high in the sky. Unfortunately, deep shadows in the

areas of complex detail may obscure significant features, e.g., the volume and

distribution of traffic on a city street.

Location

This could be defined as geographical site and location of the object.

Association

At an advanced stage in image interpretation, the location of an object with

respect to terrain features of other objects may be helpful in refining the identification

and classification of certain picture contents. For example, situation of the object with

respect to other surface features and neighboring e.g. Canals with agricultural lands;

marsh or swamps with flood plains and tidal flats; gullies or ravines with severely

eroded lands.

53

Resolution

Resolution of a sensor system may be defined as its capability to discriminate

two closely spaced objects from each other or "picture elements" or pixel discernible on

the image or smallest area resolvable or identifiable on the ground. More than most other

picture characteristics, resolution depends on aspects of the remote sensing system itself,

including its nature, design and performance, as well as the ambient conditions during

the sensing program and subsequent processing of the acquired data. There are two types

of resolution - spatial and spectral

Image characteristics for identification of wastelands

The wasteland map generated from IRS LISS III data clearly brought out four

different categories of wastelands viz., waterlogged, pasture I grazing I scrub land, sandy

area and salt - affected soils.

Waterlogged land: The presence of high soil moisture and shallow standing water is

indicated by light to dark bluish tone on FCC. They are mainly discernible nearly canal

irrigated areas in the district (plate 1 ).

Scrubland: Their appearance varies from dark yellow to brown and dark brown tone.

Within brown tone, some reddish tint appears on dots and patches depending on scrub

growth and spread.

Salt affected land: The salt affected soils show varymg tones under different

geographical situations. However, in the irrigated plains of Rajasthan, they show white

tone (plate 2).

Sands: Appear in bright white with light bluish or yellowish in tone depending on the

moisture content in sand. Sand dunes and inter dunal areas in Rajasthan deserts are

easily identifiable on LISS data (plate 3).

Wastelands in Sri Ganganagar district

Altogether four types of wastelands were deciphered on the satellite imagery of

the district. These are, land with or without scrub and sandy areas, which are commonly

found in close association, and the other two categories, which is the post IGNP result, 54

Plate 3

Waterlogging Along Indira Gandhi Canal (as on 9th May1995, LISS II)

Wastelands of Sri Ganganagar District: Rajasthan

(Based on LISS III 1996 - 97)

41

- Scrub land

D Water logged

saline area

D Sandy area ~ -\ 1 ' ..

' '

Settlement

Fig 3.3

Piate 1'\lo 4

Scrublailds m 2MLD village (Gharsana block)

Piate No 5

\Vaterlogged land in Kishanpura village (Suratgarh block)

are waterlogged areas and saline areas. Although, soil in general is saline in the district,

which is a common feature of arid environment, but this has been aggravated due to the

increase in water table. When the water table goes down, it leaves salt on the surface or

near surface, behind it.

Although the canal water has been good, the increase and intensification of saline

I alkali lands in the command area is primarily due to soil factors, chief of which are

rising of water table and or/ impediments in drainage due to presence of an indurated

layer of clay or kankar pan in the sub soil (Mehta, 1958). Besides this, the practise of

over irrigating the land for crop cultivation causing the rising of water table cannot be

ruled out. In addition, "30 to 50 acre-inch ofwater is added to ground water annually by

growing crops like sugarcane and paddy. The net result has been the rise of ground

water level to the crucial 4 feet depth from the surface and in many places to the surface

itself'34.

Further, tubewell water quality in Sri Ganganagar district is of very poor nature

as far as their electrical conductivity (Ec) and sodium absorption ratio values are

concerned. With the inception of Bhakhra, Gang, and Rajasthan canal (now IGNP)

irrigation in the region, the cultivators have started using these tubewell waters in

combination with the canal water in such a proportion that the overall quality of

irrigation water is good35.

3.1 Government of Rajasthan, ( 1969), Deptt of Agriculture, Saline -Alkali Soils in Rajasthan, Their Nature,

Extent and Management, pp. 19-39 35 Ibid

55

Piate No 6

Wasteland Map of Sample-1: Sri Ganganaga r (8 a sed on LISS Ill 1996-97)

hde x [=:J Cro pi and ~ Scrub - Water logg ed

San d

- Set ti le rne rl't

Fig, 3.8

Table 3.2

Wasteland statistics of Sri Ganganagar district

"" % of district :l % oftotal

Wasteland categories area in ha. :: wastelands area ::

_,,_

" Scrub Land 91256.8 8.3 51.8

Waterlogged Area .!1

12498.4 1.14 7.1

"'"'"''"''·'· ......... il

Saline/ Alkaline Land 426.53 0.002 0.01 ;

il '""" ""

Sandy Area 72294.7 6.59 41.06 i

"" Total 176072.5 16.05 100

;_

Di >itally computed /Gen~~;1ted by the research scholar from LISS III ima >ery of Source: g g Gangana ar g

Land with or without scrub: This land is generally prone to deterioration due to

erosion and may or may not have scrub cover. Such land occupies relatively high

topographic locations. In the district, the scrublands dominate in the southern part

(Fig.3.3). This catego'ry occupies 91256.84 ha. or 8.32% ofthe area of Sri Ganganagar

district but it forms the highest proportion of wasteland area of the district and accounts

for 51.83 percent of total area under wastelands in the district (plate 4).

Waterlogged and marshy land: A soil is considered as waterlogged, if the water

tabie rises to an extent, that root zone becomes saturated, diffusion of air is curtailed and

amount of oxygen is reduced with increase in carbon dioxide36. The continual rise of

water level in the area reflects the responses of aquifer system to the man made changes

of the hydro geological regime. The introduction of surface water irrigation on an

extensive land surface significantly changes the recharge regime to the ground water

system37. This occurs due to deep percolation losses from conveyance channels and

36 BK Garg and I C Gupta ( 1997), Saline wastelands Environment and Plant Growth, Scientific Publishers,

PO Box 91, Jodhpur, India, p63 3

- Monitoring of Water table and drainage Trials in Command of IGNP Stage I (November 1994 ),

GoYernment of Rajasthan, Technical Report IV. Commissioner, Area De\'elopment IGNP, Bikaner p.l5

56

return flow of irrigation (water applied to the land). Additional recharge could not be

completely disposed off by lateral flow and the surplus water is being taken into the

storage, resulting in a persistent rise in water table. In the absence ofthe compensating

ground water abstraction, the ground water approaches land surface and to some extent,

is deposed off by evaporation. At this stage, related hazards of waterlogging and

secondary soil salinization become evident on the surface (plateS). The rising water has

detrimental effect on field crop production until and unless the water level reaches a

critical stage.

In the district, an area of 12498.42 ha. (1.14 percent) of Ghaggar depression and

inter dunal valleys have been identified as waterlogged category. A number of patches

adjacent to Indira Gandhi canal can also be seen as waterlogged in the imagery. In

general, this category is distributed in few patches in south - east and in west in

Suratgarh, Anupgarh, and Vijainagar blocks. Waterlogging in these areas is mostly

caused due to the seepage from the main Indira Gandhi canal and its distributaries, and

unlined Ghaggar depression channels. High water all~wance (5.23 cusec per 1000

hectares) is also one of the important reasons of waterlogging.

Land affected by salinity: This wasteland category constituted only 426 ha. covering

although an insignificant area i.e., 0.002 percent of the district and accounting for 0.0 I

percent of the total wastelands, there has been considerable increase in the saline area in

recent years. These areas appear bluish white on the imagery and inhibit growth of

vegetation even after rains also due to high osmotic potential. This secondary

salinization is caused due to excessive irrigation, rise of water table, areas of inherent

salinity in alluvial thick zone of lime I gypsiferous material in the sub strata and lack of

adequate drainage.

These types of lands are found to be associated with the periphery of

waterlogged areas. Change in cropping pattern i.e., growing of high water intensive

crops, excess irrigation and improper drainage, creates this category of land and reduces

the productivity. Due to this, there is a major threat on extinction of native species and

degradation of micro - environment. There is an urgent need for arresting the further

57

Wasteland Map of Sample-11: Sri G anganagar (Based on LISS Ill 1996-97)

N

~··

hdex D Cropland

Scrub - Waterlogged

Sand - Settllement

Fig. 3.12

degradation of land and adopting cropping pattern in which irrigation requirement is

less.

Sands (aeoline): This is one of the most dominant categories of wastelands

constituting 72,294.72 ha. or 6.59 percent of the district's total geographical area which

accounts for 41.06 percent of the total wastelands (plate 6). The physiography of the

district itself is an evidence of concentration of sand duns in its southern rain fed part. In

irrigated areas, their occurrences are not much and are mostly found in isolated patches.

Not only these patches are being gradually leveled and put into irrigated farming but

also their soils are being removed and put into salt affected and waterlogged fields for

improvement.

Since on sand dunes, only rainfed farming is normally practised to ascertain the

fact whether a sand dune is lying as wastelands, a comparative study of kharif and rabi

season data is quite essential. The intensification of agriculture, particularly the gram

cultivation on conserved moisture has aggravated the problem of sand drift in the rainfed

region of the district due to soil pulverization. Even the incurred sand dunes stabilized

by the forest department are reverted back to the wastelands. Therefore, the stabilization

of sand dunes, putting them into proper use and regular monitoring is quite essential to

check this hazard and protect the environment.

Figure 3.4

Percentage of wasteland categories from the total area of

Sri Ganganagar district (1996-97)

10

.. 8 J!IDScrubLand "' ... .. ... -~ 6 ~Waterlogged Area J;:l

"' :0 s 4 .£2 m Saline/Alkaline Land ""' 2 0

'#.

0 mJ Sandy Area

Wasteland Categories

58

Identification and mapping of wastelands in the sample areas

For the more detailed and specific study three-sample areas based on three

toposheets namely, 44 DII3, 44 Gl12 and 44 Gl15 have been selected. The selection of

these toposheets was largely based upon image interpretation followed by supervised

classification of satellite data of Sri Ganganagar (LISS III 1996 -97) with a focus on the

occurrence of various types of wastelands.

However, due to the restriction policy imposed by the Survey of India, on

the border ar·eas, location (Lat/Lon) of any village I or wasteland categories I

landuses have not been given except the locational extent of the respective

toposheets.

Sample I (44 D/13)

This sample area covers part oftoposheet no. 44 Dl13 that extends from 28~ to

29° N and 72° E to 73° E Longitude, covering Gharsana block, and lies on the southern

most part of Sri Ganganagar district. This sample area has a total number of 218 villages

(Fig 3.5). This block constitutes one ofthe most fertile regions ofthe district, which is

famous for the cotton and wheat production. Canal (Anupgarh branch of IGNP) and

tubewells are the main sources of irrigation in this block. However, in recent years, due

to shortage of water supply in the IGNP, the white salt has resurfaced on the agricultural

lands and they are becoming usar that is commonly known as kallar (alkaline). Since,

the quality of tubewell water is saline in nature and it further aggravates the problem of

salinity if laid out beyond the depth of 11m due to presence of clay or kankar layer.

The area is a part of two different water resource regions, namely 6D2A1 and 6C

from the ephemeral drainage of western Rajasthan, with a total area of 61198.4 ha. (Fig

3.6 and table 3.3).

59

Wasteland Map of Sample-Ill: Sri Ganganagar ~ (8 a sed on LISS 1111996-97)

W*E s

Index CJ Cropland

Scrub - Waterlogged

Sand

- Settlement

Fig. 3.16

Landuse Map of Sample-1: Sri Ganganagar (Based on toposheet interpretation 1970-71)

Index - Settlement D Cropland

Scrubland ~

Sand

Fig. No. 4.2

Change Detection Study of Sample -I (44D/13): Sri Ganganagar

(Part of Gharsana block)

,o • TT

t "" •'f.

-41' -~c l·~ •~. l ~~-·~~

··r--·-- -, : . _,. ,.,.! <'i

lll

e .jl~ I

I

L ~

Fig. No. 44

-.. -~

' IOL ' .r ,-

I - - ,'rj

~

·-" I

. - f'-,~ •' llj _.. I_,

_/ • I

\ ·•··· .. I

~

'·

.,

Total wasteland covers around 22.3 percent ofthe entire landuse ofthis sample

area. The area under different types of wastelands and other landuse categories are

shown in the form of following graphs:

Figure 3.7

Pattern of some land use categories of the total sample I

(1996-97)

90 80 70

'#- 60 rnJOpen Scrub

.5 50 !:mWaterlogged

3 40 lll!ISand

~ 30 i1l Croplands 20 Ill Settlement 10 0

Landuse Categories

Spatial distribution ofw~~telands

Scrub land: Most ofthe scrublands are found in the north west and south west comer

of the sample area which covers the villages of 5 KPD, 20GD, 21GD, 23GD, 14GD,

5SKMB, 6SKMA, 2SKMB, 8GDB, 17GDB, 8SKMA, 8GDB 17GDB and 2SKMB on

the north western and northern corner, 13KNDC, 8MGM, 12DOL-B, 8DOL-B, 14DOL­

B, 2KLM-A, IODOI and 12DOL-A on the eastern side of the study area in Gharsana

block. They are associated with few scattered patches of sand area and some

waterlogging.

Sand Area: most of the sand areas are found towards the eastern and southeastern

corner of the sample area along the villages of Rojadi, 9PSD-B, IKLM, 9DOL-B,

13KND-C, 4KND-B and 3PSD-A.

61

Waterlogged Area: Few patches ofwaterlogged areas were deciphered in the villages

of llDOL -B, I IDOL-A, 9KND-A, 2IKD, 9PSD-B and 18KDB on the south and south

eastern corner, while 7KD-B, llKD-A, lSKM-B, 4SKM-B, 2PSD-A along the eastern

and north eastern corner of this sample area. The spatial distribution of these wasteland

categories is shown in the figure 3.8.

Sample II ( 44 G/12)

This sample area covers the part ofthe toposheet 44/Gl2 that extends from 29°N

to 29° 15' Nand 73°30' E to 73°45' E Longitude, covering Suratgarh and Vijaynagar

Blocks, and lies on the eastern part of the Sri Ganganagar district. This sample area has a

total of 154villages with a total area of 63640.8 ha. (Fig 3.9). This sample region also

has emerged as of the most fertile tracts of the district. Wheat, cotton and paddy are

commonly grown. However, in recent years, some villages, especially those close to the

IGNP have started facing the problems of Waterlogging and secondary salinity. For

example, Sangeeta, Raghunathpura etc., along the Anupgarh branch and Bhopalpura,

Surjansar along the main canal ofiGNP have experienced this problem.

Table 3.5

Water resource region of sample II (1996-97) ,fw~1~';'R:~;~~;~;=R~~i~~:::::::<:::::::::::;;;;;;::::::;:lr==========::======A;~;==a~;r========-rrp;;~~~t~~~,,,,,,,_,,,.,,,,,,:f

[~=~~===:=:~=r~=::~~~~:=r~~:::=:=J t,=~,"~~~;.~"=~~==~="='~~;;;;"~,=F~~~o"'==~~JI 1.,.;.;.,;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;;<.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.,.;.;.;.;<.;.;.;.;.,;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;,;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.::-:<:.;.;.;.;.;.;.,;.;;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;Jt.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.,;.:.,;.;.;.;.;.,;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;<<-:-;.;.;.;.;.;.,.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;::.;.;.:1.:.;.;.;.;.;<.;<.;<.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.:;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.,;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.,;.;.;.;.;.,!::

This sample area is a part of two-water resource region namely 6D2A4 and

6D2Al, (table 3.5and Fig 3.1 0) covering a total area of63640 hectares.

Status of wastelands

The wasteland map generated from IRS LISS III digital data, brought out three

different categories ofwastelands viz., sand area, scrubland and waterlogged land. Total

62

Table 4.2

Sample I

Changes in land use categories during 1970-71 and

1996-97

Class Name Area inHa.

Scrub to waterlogged 70.6

Scrub to scrub 4117.8

Scrub to sand 1384.7

Scrub to settlement 17.45

Sand to waterlogged 304.9

Sand to sand 2593 .1

Sand to settlement 157.2

Sand to scrub 5529.6

Cropland to cropland 45 .1

Cropland to waterlogged 10.1

Areas with no change 46968

Although the positive effect of introduction of irrigation in the form of more area

under cropland coupled with the high yield cannot be underestimated, the serious

concern is the alarming rate, at which some of the fertile tracts are deteriorating and

degrading. This has to be checked and arrested to avoid the degradation of more areas.

It is also taking place due to the faulty management practises adopted by households.

The worst affected villages are 2MLD, 3MLD, 5 MLD and 6 MLD that suffer from

temporary waterlogging associated with secondary salinity.

Sample ll ( 44 G/12)

This sample area covers part of Vijainagar and Suratgarh blocks, located in the

western part of Sri Ganganagar district. A large part of this tract lies in the dry zone and

receives an average annual rainfall of 225 mm. Major sources of irrigation in this region

are the main branch of IGNP, Anupgarh branch, (a tributary of IGNP), Gang canal and

tubewell . The soil of this region is red with patches of black soil, (a part of Ghaggar

75

area under wasteland categories is about 23038.8 ha. Area under different wasteland

categories has been shown in table 3.6.

Table 3.6

Area under different wasteland and other landuse categories in

Sample II (1996-97) if'_,_,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,_,_,_,_,,,.;.:.,.,,,_,_,_,,_,_, __ ,(r""··--,_,_,,_,_,_,_,_,,_,_,,,, .• ,;.;., .• , .• ;;.;.;.,,.:r,,,,,,,,,_,,,,,_,,,,_",,,,_,.,,,,_,1r%'·=·=·>=·>:->:-:-:->:--~-;-:-·:-:->:-:-:-:-:-:-:-=t~!;I"-~~

If Wastelands li .Area in ha. ii% of Sample area !i !i 11 i\ ~; ii wasteland 'i

1="""""""~~;;::~"'"""'"'"'~'""'""" "~~~~":"~"'~"'~=·~~:~""""""l'"'"'"""'""l"~~""' ""'"'"'""] Settlement 80.1 0.01

Figure 3.11

Pattern of Some Land use Categories of the total Sample 11(1996-97)

az

70 60 50

.s 40 Q)

~ 30 :> 20

10 oj__lll~~

Landuse Categories

63

m1 Open Scrub

fEll Waterlogged

mit Sand

Iii Croplands

~ Settlement

Spatial distribution of wastelands

In this sample area wastelands are found mainly on the western and southwestern

and eastern and southeastern corners. The wastelands account for 13 percent of the total

sample area. The spatial distribution ofwastelands in sample II are shown in figure 3.12

Scrub Lands: They account for 48% percent of the total wastelands and 17% of the

total sample area. The affected villages in the north- western part are 35 GB, 25 GB, 28

GB-B, 3RM, 1KSM, 6DWM. Along the south- eastern corner the affected villages are

Koplee Barani, 2GDM, 6GDM and 1 OGM.

Sand Area: These account for 29% of the total wastelands and 3% of the total sample

area. The main villages where they are identified are 3GPM, 6RM, 2BKSM, 2SPM,

IBKSM in the south western and western part and Birmana Barani, Arjannotpur,

Govindsar, Gurli Barani, Shivnathpur, Hardaswali Barani, in the eastern and north -

eastern parts of the sample area.

Waterlogged Area: They account for 0.03% of the total wastelands, and 0.08% of

total landuse of the sample area. They are mainly associated with canal-irrigated area.

The villages suffering from waterlogging are Sangeeta Athonda, Bhopalpur and

Surjansar

Sample Ill (44 G/15)

This sample area covers part of the toposheet 44 G/15 that extends from 29°N to

29° 15' N latitudes and 72°E to 73°E Longitude, covering Suratgarh and Vijaynagar

Blocks and lies in the eastern part of the Sri Ganganagar district. This sample area has a

total number of 172villages with a total area of 57209.7 ha. (Fig 3.13 ). It is the worst

affected area, suffering from the problems of waterlogging and secondary salinity. In

fact, there are few villages, where problem of sandy areas as well as waterlogging

coexist. The worth mentioning villages in this category are Bareka, Kishanpura,

Rangmahal etc. in Suratgarh block. Main reason of waterlogging in this sample area in

the seepage from the unlined Ghaggar depression channels, which is the continuation of

64

waterlogging from Badopal village (Hanumangarh district) since the last 15 years. The

area under waterlogging is increasing day by day, and it is engulfing more areas, since

no reclamation efforts have been effective here. This sample area is a part of two-water

resource region namely 6D2A3 and 6D2A4. (Fig 3.14).

Table 3.7

Water resource region of sample III (1996-97)

Water Resource Region !I Area (ha)

29229.1

Status of wastelands

The wasteland map generated from IRS LISS III digital data has brought out

three different categories of wastelands viz., sand area, scrubland and waterlogged land.

Total area under wasteland categories is about 7143.43ha. This has been presented in the

following table:

Table 3.8

Area under different wasteland and other landuse categories in

Sample III (1996-97) !r;.;.;.;.;.,;.;.;.">:·:·>:·=·=·>=;:;;~;=;~=~~;;.;.;.;.;.;.lr.;.;.;.,.,~·;;;;.;i.~:·=;;;;::-=·;.;.,.,.;.;.lr·~r=·;.;.;.;;=·:·-=·=·s:;·p·r;·-lr"·:·>:·:·;.:.;.;.,.,.,.,".,%,.;.;.;.;.;.;.r;.;.;.;.:~tll

ii !! il area ill total wasteland il

~"'='"'-,;~;:~:::~~~~~~~=-l~-2:=~'i"--"~~~~,~l ,,,_-r~~~~,+-~r~~3~61r~~~~4 l~ .. . . .

~==~~~~~t~"ct===::1 ~'= Settlen1..,.1L ~~ 9 J 1. 6 i:: 1. 7 !l :1 ~~-=-=-=·=·=·=-=-=-=-=-=·=-=.:-=-=-:-=-=-=·=·=·=·=-:.=-=-=-=-=·=· .. =·=-=-=-=-=-=·=·=·:.=-=·=·=·=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-{~=-:-:-=-=-=-=-;.;.;-=-=-=-:.=-=-=-:.=-:.=-=v=.:.;.;.;.;-;.:,.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.:-;;.;.H .. ;.;.;.;.;.;.:-:-;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;-;.;.;: .. :.;.:-=-=-:-=-=-:..=-:.=-:.;.;.;.:-=-=-:-::.=-=-H=-=-:.;-:-:.:,.;.;.;.:.:-:-;.;.:,.;.:,.:.:;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.;.:-:-=·=·:·=·:·=·=· .. ~~ ii Total Area !l 57315.4 ll 100 il :; 1:::.:=·-=.::=::.:.:::::::.:::.:::.:.:.:.=.=.:.:.=.=-=.:.:.=.=-=.=-=-=.:.:.=.=.=.=-=.:.:_:.:.:.=.::=.:.=.=.=.=Jt .. "":=.::=:=.=:=.:.:.=:.:;:.:::;;.=::::.:;.:.:::.=.=.:.:.=.=.:.=.:.:N.::::--:=:=:=::::.:.Jf:.=.=:=::::::.=:=.: .. -; .. "":=.=.=.=-=::.:.:.:.:.:.:.=.:.:.:::.:.:.:.::=.=.:.:_;;.:::.=::.H=.=.=.=.=.=:=.=-=-=.:.=.=.:.=.=.:.=.=::.:.=.=.=.=.=.=.:.::=.=.=.:.:.:.=.:.=.=.=-=.=.=.=.=J

65

Landuse Map of Sample-11: Sri Ganganagar (Based on toposheet interpretation 1970-71)

Index - Settlement D Cropland

Scrubland Sand

Fig4.5

I -I~ II II II II II Village ?viap of Sample-III ( 44G/15): Ganganagar II

t- II tl

(Based on LISS III 1996-97) II 1.-

II '

II II II II ..J..._

lj II II II II

II II

t Ill ~~ II II II

I" -r '' ) lJ IFJT B II

II II ~----(_I VIJ~ t-r1 u~ r II I . ..J ~I

II 111

\A I l I I I I ~ v // / (;),_ r \ \ f\ rt ( .J 1 /I ;_.;. II I l } ( \ \ l ~ (1/-1 Yf II

v(\ (:::lV \ v/\rL(_j\">!fr;B (y II II II II II II II II ~ ~\-J~ I '-r-t flr ~ II I II i ' \ \ ~--r '"--{ ' ' II

II ~\ ><-_j \ ~"'{ \ 1- r ' \ \ __ J \ I I ' \.,o "·...., "J

II I \ \ v /\ \ ,,J _____ ).--_ \""--...., ?<\ ·'I

+- II I.\_,.--...---\ f I.'-~~[\ (. \ - "-.\ I II I___,<, 'I''\ ,. \ ~~ li -, I '\ \, -, '( I'~ \ ~,._

~m 1 1 ' ~~

II I l ~·( "---~ ~r---·\ . t, ~ ~ ,., ,~, '-{ 'r~\ ~- II

II I~\\ \ r-.,_____.1

l ~~r') ~ /71 1 1

II 111 \1\ I w r¥0' ,0,(11 I

'"

II

k \ ~\ \ {\ \~""Lv ~ \J{/ I Ill Ill II ~/ 1, 1 \ \ ' ' \ J \,__/ \ ~\ l \

II \II\\\ f ~ l \ II I \. i---1 \ \ f '\ \1 I Ill II L \ \,_ \ ) \ I H.,_ l

Ill II I ~~~r \ -----r---.J----~17 / 1 \ /'\ \ \i ~---~

r~ II I, I \ \ \ ( J I I J '·\\ ~ li1

111

II l 't l,~~ \ 0

) ~'( \ i / \~ \ II 1\ ~ r~' 1

( ~/1 II II II

II Ill u ~ \ ' ""'__) /1 ~ / ' /1 II ~~~, \ I\/ t\/ r~ i '1 \ \ I ~ ~] \_J'v( \

II

II II

il \ I \ \ I I l /1 I ' II I \ 't I t ,r- _ ___ _.// ) / \

Ill ) 1 \!I ~,! / I /I II II II 't---YJ I/ II II ~ I I I l, L I /\ \ II -"' II r l f_...,.,_,J I ) / (/\.

II II I \ l I/"~--- J---v~ ~ I/"~// r \ \ II II '' II II II II II I ~---~ r :f--\ \ ~ II 'II ) ') I \ i '-

Ill I. I I ~r-,, A Ill I I ! I I I / \ / l ,'1 Ill I I I L J / \ / { II II I j-..,_.1 l -~ ./ \ / ' Ill

•• 1 , "'- I II II I l____._L II II

Ill II I II

II II II I 'I I II I II II I II

II' Ill

II II

II Jl Fig. 3.13

t . -'

II II II

II I

II II II II II

il r ,tl

1

111

Iii II II II II llj

Ill Ill Ill

II II

II

II

\lVatershed rt~~ap of Sample-Ill: Sri Ganganagar (Based on LISS 1111996-97)

Index ~sn2A~ ~ -·""" ~6D2A4

Fig. 3.14

II

II II

II II II II

1

11

il II

II rll Ill

Ill lu Ill 'II II

II II

111

Ill II II

II

II II II Ill lj

Spatial distribution of wastelands

Wastelands in this sample region account for 13 percent of its total area. They

are mainly concentrated along the southern parts of this study area; however these can

be deciphered in the form of patches in the entire area.

Figure 3.15

Pattern of some land use categories of the total sample III (1996-97)

"* ~ ...... Q)

:::1 ca >

90 80 70 60 50 40

30 20 10 0

Wasteland Categories

lli1 Open Scrub

mil Waterlogged

lili!Sand

1m Croplands

~Settlement

Scrubland: This type of land accounts for 5 percent of the sample region (fig 3 .15) and

40 percent ofthe wastelands of the area. These are mainly concentrated in the villages of

2NRD-A, 27 LGW, 1MNW, 4SGM, 5SGM in Suratgarh in the northern part of the

study area. Villages namely, 46 PBN, 37 STG, 43 STG 1, 31 PBN, 40 PBN, 41 PBN,

Mohamdabad, Tilawali and Suratgarh in the Suratgarh block in the southern part of the

study area have also registered such area of wastelands.

Sand: This type of wasteland account for 3 percent of the total sample and 31 percent

of the total wastelands of the study area. They are found in association of the scrublands.

The main villages having sand area are 38 PBN, 6 NRD, 14 LKS, Takharawali, 2FDM,

4FDM-A, 8 FDM, Dhadiyawali in the northern parts and 44STG, 45 STG Suratgarh in

the southern parts in the Suratgarh block.

66

Change Detection Study of Sample -II ( 44G/12): Sri Ganganagar

(Part of Suratgarh and Vijainagar block

Fig4.7

Waterlogged Area: This type of wasteland account for 3 percent of the total landuse

and 28 percent of the total wastelands of the study area. They are mainly concentrated in

the southern and south- eastern corner. (fig.l5) These areas are found along the villages

namely Rangmahal, Bareka, Kishanpura 48 PBN, 43 STG-I, 32 PBN, 7 SGM and

Tilawali in Suratgarh block, and 52 P B Nand 3 RPM, 50 PBN in Vijaynagar block.

Summing up

The image characteristics of different types of wastelands on LISS III are

reported in the above tables. Wastelands study requires an accurate assessment of how

severe the damage is and whether or not it is practically controllable or reversible. In the

present study four wasteland categories viz., scrub land, waterlogged, saline I alkaline,

and sand areas could be identified and delineated with fair degree of accuracy with the

help of image.

l.Land with or without scrub: This category of wasteland· is mainly prone to

degradation due to sheet and rill erosion. It is mainly observed in the southern part of the

district and associated with low dunes. Due to the loose structure of these soils, they are

quite vulnerable during summer and start moving and engulfing the adjoining

agricultural lands. Due to lack of moisture, these dunes cannot be cultivated except

where irrigation is available and low water intensive crops like gram or bajra are grown.

There is a need to stabilize these dunes and protect them from biotic interference.

Natural regeneration of grasses and stall feeding of animals have to be encouraged in

order to avoid the impact of grazing. Gradually these lands are being leveled for

agriculture with the availability of canal water.

2. Waterlogged and marshy land: waterlogging is defined as congestion of drainage

A soil is considered as waterlogged, if the water table rises to an extent that root zone

becomes saturated, air circulation is curtailed and amount of oxygen is reduced, with

increase in carbon dioxide. Generally critical depth of water table ranges between 1.5 to

3. 0 meters, depending on soil characteristics, root zone depth, salinity of ground water

etc. Artificial drainage, surface, sub - surface or both are essential to reclaim the

waterlogged saline soils. Though the problem of waterlogging, many a times, occurs

67

without the development of soil salinity, the main objective of a drainage system is to

remove excess water and to control soil salinity.

Waterlogged areas were delineated on the basis of indicators such as high soil

moisture, standing water and perennial vegetation. The presence of high soil moisture

and shallow standing water is indicated by bluish tone on FCC. Perennial vegetation

could be identified from its characteristics pink or red tones. Major source of

waterlogging in the area is due to the introduction of canal irrigation system and unlined

depression channels of Ghaggar River. There is a need to develop water application

system like drip and sprinkler, which will deliver less water. Water can be reused for

irrigating crop of adjacent fields depending upon the tolerance of crops for salinity.

3. Land affected by Salinity: The soil salinity I alkalinity is becoming a serious a

problem for the irrigated agriculture in arid and semi arid climates. High salinity and

alkalinity in soil and ground water usually lead to soil degradation. Large stretches of

natural saline areas occur along the tanks, canals, and ephemeral streams and in micro

depression. Redistribution of salts within the area through the run off water to

agricultural lands causes soil degradation. Irrigation with saline I sodic ground water

over the last 20-25 years has turned the soils saline I sodic. High salinity in surface soil

and ground water in the area is the major problem for cropping.

Due to improper drainage and subsurface barrier impeding vertical drainage

these areas are vulnerable for soil salinization. If agriculture is to be practised on this

and surrounding areas then excess salt has to be removed from the profile through

leaching and sub surface drainage. Effort should be made to use good quality water,

depending upon crop sensitivity. Immediate attention is to be given to check further

salinization. As salinization is closely related to irrigation especially in arid regimes all

the water management practises are to be regularly followed.

4. Sands: The soils over large tract are sandy with loose structure. The main landforms

are dunes and hummocks. The permanent vegetation cover is very sparse. Moreover,

households carry out frequent cultivation even during fallow period in order to eliminate

68

weeds and conserve soil moisture. This is particularly so for gram crop, the success of

which to a great measure depends on the extent of stored moisture. But without required

control measures this management promotes wind erosion, even though the wind regime

in the study area is not as strong as in the rest of the district tract, yet considerable

evidence of wind erosion and drift sands exist.

Due to intense biotic activities the top crest and upper part of almost all the

parabolic dunes are covered with loose sand. With little efforts on such sites, the sand

movement could be checked to a maximum extent. Since all the dunes are allotted under

khatedari, the individual households should be trained through demonstration to cover . ~

the active dune pa11 by the available local species the check further sand movement.

Acacia totalis is generally recommended for plantation in such tracts.

69