Change Detection of Forest Cover in Khammam District, Telangana G
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International Journal of Management, Technology And Engineering ISSN NO : 2249-7455 CHANGE DETECTION OF FOREST COVER IN KHAMMAM DISTRICT, TELANGANA G. Bhakta Thukaram, M.Tech ABSTRACT not being altered by humans in some manner. Land cover (LC) refers to the physical and Mankind’s presence o the Earth and his modification biological cover and the surface of the land including, of the landscape have had a profound effect upon the water, bare soil and artificial structure. Land use natural environment. These anthropogenic influences (LU) is a more complicated term involving human on shifting patterns of land use are a primary activities such as building construction that alter land component of many current environmental concerns surface processes including biogeochemistry, as land use and land cover change is gaining hydrology and biodiversity. Land use land cover recognition as a key driver of environmental change. (LULC) is an important component in understanding Changes in land use land cover are pervasive, the interaction of the human activities with the increasingly rapid, and can have adverse impacts and environment and thus it is necessary understand implication at local, regional and global scales. changes, in the context of nature resource During the past millennium, humans have management.It is envisaged that the study would taken an increasingly large role in the modification of prove the usefulness of Remote Sensing and GIS in the global environment. With increasing numbers and forest restoration planning. developing technologies, man has emerged as the This study aims at generation of land use major, most powerful, and universal instrument land cover information using remote sensing data change in the biosphere today. belonging to different time period and integration of Any conception of global change must remote sensing derived LULC information with include the pervasive influence of human action on socio-economic data to predict future scenarios in land surface conditions and processes. LULC pattern in the study area, using GIS better understand the impact of land change capabilities. on terrestrial ecosystems, the factors affecting land I. INTRODUCTION use must be more fully examined. Growing human “Land Use” refers to human activities that take place population exert increasing pressure on the on the earth’s surface (how the land is being used) landscapes as demands multiply for resources such as such as residential housing or agriculture cropping. food, water, shelter, and fuel. These socioeconomic “Land cover” refers to natural or man-made physical factors often dictate how land is used regionally. properties of the land surface. Both systems utilize Land use practices generally develop over a long multiple and varying classification schema with period under different environment, political, distinct overlaps and important differences. demographic, and social conditions. These conditions There are few landscapes remaining on the Earth’s often very yet have a direct impact on land use land surface that have not been significantly altered or are cover. The interaction of nature and society and their Volume 8, Issue XI, NOVEMBER/2018 Page No:953 International Journal of Management, Technology And Engineering ISSN NO : 2249-7455 implication on land use land cover is very complex were produced in Arcview and portray the areal phenomenon that encompasses a wide range of social extent of land use land cover change in khammam and natural processes. District over a eight year span from 2006 to 2014. All Land use and land cover change has become the computer software and hardware required in this a central component in current strategies for study was utilized at Telangana remote sensing managing natural resource and monitoring application centre (TRAC), environmental change. Since the late 2006’s the rapid STUDY AREA development of the concept of vegetation mapping The Khammam district is the easternmost of has lead to increased studies of land use and land the ten districts of the Talanagana state. Area-wise, it cover worldwide. Providing an accurate assessment is the second largest in the Talanagana Region and of the extent and health of the world’s forest, the third largest district in the entire state. grassland, and agricultural resources has become an The district derives its name from important priority. Khammam, the district headquarters. Through the district is endowed with good rainfall, surface water resources and mineral wealth, it remained to be socio-economically backward over centuries and until fifties, perhaps due to its being far away from the capital of the rulers and being on the other bank of the Godavari River. It is heartening to note that 73.53 percent of the district population represents the rural populace whose mainstay is agriculture. It is the least literate district in the state. The district has also considerable tribal population scattered over the hilly Viewing the Earth from space has become and forest areas of the district essential to comprehend the cumulative influence of Location and Extent human activities on its natural resource base. In a Khammam district occupies an area of time of rapid, and often unrecorded, land use change, approximately 16,029 square kilometers observation from space provides objective (6,189 sq mi). Khammam District is a district information of human utilization of the landscape. in Telangana, India. It had a population of Over the past two decades, data from Earth sensing 2,797,370 of which 19.81% were urban as of 2001 satellites has become important in mapping, and census. Khammam district is located between 16 45` studying environmental change. and 18 35` of Northern Latitude and 79 47` and 80 Once the areas of land use change had been 47` of the Eastern Longitude. delineated, an additional land assessment of these Administrative Set Up areas was conducted to determine the wisdom of such Khammam City, which was the seat of land use practices and land productivity Taluk Administration, was part of the larger classifications. The final hardcopy land use maps Warangal District, until 1 October 1953. Five taluks Volume 8, Issue XI, NOVEMBER/2018 Page No:954 International Journal of Management, Technology And Engineering ISSN NO : 2249-7455 of the Warangal district viz., Khammam, Madhira, General Description of the area Yellandu, Burgampadu and Paloncha (now Climate: Kothagudem) were carved out and a new district Khammam experiences typical Indian Khammam with Khammam as District Headquarters. climatic conditions. Summer season is hot and the In 1959 Bhadrachalam Revenue Division consisting temperatures can climb rapidly during the day. Bhadrachalam and Nuguru Venkatapuram Taluks of Monsoon season brings certain amount of rainfall and East Godawari district, which were on the other side the temperatures gradually reduce during this period. of the river Godavari were merged into Khammam After the onset of the monsoon day temperatures are on grounds of geographical contiguity and much lower and as the winter approaches they reduce administrative viability. further. In 1973 a new taluk with Sathupalli as The climate of Khammam district is headquarters was formed carving out from Madhira characterized by hot summer season is from March and Kothagudem taluks. In the year 1976 four new and lasts till the end of May. During this time day taluks were formed viz., Tirumalayapalem, temperatures are high and can reach 40 °C to 42 °C. Sudimalla, Aswaraopeta and Khammam district was Humidity is low as it is not located near the ocean. initially a part of larger Warangal District. Conditions are generally dry during this period and Administratively, Khammam is divided into 4 the temperatures range from a minimum of 35 °C and revenue areas and 37 Mandals. can rise up to a maximum of 40 °C to 45 °C. Base Map Monsoon season brings much needed relief from the The base map is prepared from SOI heat. Monsoon seasons are from the months of June toposheet. The base details like road network, railway to September. Temperatures average around 30 °C track, settlements, drainage, boundary of the study during this period. The place gets rain from the South the area forest boundary etc. using base map, various West Monsoon. Some amount of rainfall can be thematic maps are prepared. experienced in the October as well. Winter season is from December to February. January is usually the coldest parts of the year. Temperatures range around 28 °C to 34 °C during this time during the 2015 India heat wave; Khammam experienced a maximum temperature of 48 °C (118 °F) Physiography The Khammam district is, by and large, characterized by undulating topography. The district exhibits very rugged topography formed by hills and Base map fort ranges. Khammam Fort, constructed in 950 AD by the Kakatiya Dynasty, is on a hill overlooking the town, Lakaram lake Khammam city is another tourist attraction. Apart from these there are many places Volume 8, Issue XI, NOVEMBER/2018 Page No:955 International Journal of Management, Technology And Engineering ISSN NO : 2249-7455 surrounding the town terraces characterize the Trap country. Both vesicular namely Bhadrachalam, Parnasala, Nelakondapalli,K and non-vesicular traps occur in the district. usumanchi etc. Individual flows vary in thickness from a few meters Drainage to 100m. The Deccan Traps, on weathering, give rise Though the entire district falls in the to the black cotton soils. The weathering at places Godavari drainage basin, the Godavari River flows extends down to about 10m. northern of the district forming the southern Hydrogeology boundary of the district. the northern boundary of Ground water occurrence in Khammam the district and joins the river Godavari near the district, in almost all the geological formations corner of the district. through the conditions of occurrence depended on Geology various factors. The occurrence and behaviour of The Khammam district is underlain by ground water are controlled by the climate, various geological formations from the oldest distribution of rainfall, topography, geological Achaeans through the Gondwanas and Territories to setting, the fractures, and openings available for the the Recent Alluvia.