A Case of Mawphlang, East Khasi Hills Meghalaya
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International Journal of Research and Innovations in Earth Science Volume 2, Issue 2,ISSN(Online): 2394-1375 Land Evaluation for Land Use Planning: A Case of Mawphlang, East Khasi Hills Meghalaya P. K. Ryngnga email: [email protected] Abstract: Land use has always been part of the evolution of e classification of land evaluation models and concludes human society. In the past, land use changes often came that there is no single land evaluation modelling approach. about by gradual evolution, as the result of many separate The choice of technique affects the reliability and scope of decisions taken by individuals. In the more crowded and the application, and also the predictions and purpose. He complex world of the present they are frequently brought added that predictions on land performance are useful only about by the process of land use planning. Such planning takes place in all parts of the world, including both if they are used by decision-makers to make better developing and developed countries. It may be concerned decisions. ‘We should take a step back, away from the with putting environmental resources to new kinds of question “What predictions can we make with the data we productive use. The need for land use planning is frequently have?”, i.e. a data-driven approach, to the question “Who brought about, however, by changing needs and pressures, are the decision-makers, who actually affect land use, how involving competing uses for the same land. The function of are they making their decisions, and how could their land use planning is to guide decisions on land use in such a decision be better informed?”, i.e. a demand driven way that the resources of the environment are put to the most approach. beneficial use for man, while at the same time conserving those resources for the future. This planning must be based The phrase ‘spatially referenced’ in the quotation is on an understanding both of the natural environment and the significant because one characteristic which distinguishes kinds of land use envisaged. Thus in the light of it, this a GIS from a traditional computerized database is the present paper discusses the function of Land Evaluation and manner in which both the positions and attributes of real- also with the help of GIS Assessment it help planners to world features are stored. This link-age between the two understand with a better visual perception of the concern types of data makes it straightforward to generate maps of area. attributes (e.g. pollutant concentrations recorded at sampling points), but a GIS is more than a means of Keywords: Land Use, Land Suitability, Land Evaluation, producing cartography by computer. Technologies such as Geo Information System. computer-aided design (CAD) and automated mapping have certainly contributed to the development of GIS, but I. INTRODUCTION the latter is a distinct advance in terms of the ability to integrate data from different sources. GIS can be regarded Land evaluation under GIS is concerned with the as a toolbox for converting raw data into usable assessment of land characteristic when used for specified information. purposes. It involves the execution and interpretation of Land evaluation is preceded by the recognition of the basic surveys of the relief structure, presents of any large need for some change in the use to which land is put; this scale vegetation and other aspects of land in terms of the may be the development of new productive uses, such as requirements of alternative forms of land use. To be of agricultural development schemes or forestry plantations, value in planning, the range of land uses should be limited or the provision of services, such as the designation of a to those aspects which are relevant within the physical, national park or recreational area. Recognition of this need economic and socio-cultural context of the area concern. is followed by identification of the aims of the proposed Land evaluation using a scientific procedure is essential to change and formulation of general and specific proposals. assess the potential and constraints of a given land parcel The evaluation process itself includes description of a for agricultural purposes (Rossiter, G. D., 1996). In the range of promising kinds of use, and the assessment and recent past, the ill-effects of land use on the environment comparison of these with respect to each type of land and environmental sustainability of agricultural production identified in the area. This leads to recommendations systems have become an issue of concern (Fresco, L. O., involving one or a small number of preferred kinds of use. 1990.) Remote sensing (RS) data are used for estimating These recommendations can then be used in making biophysical parameters and indices besides cropping decisions on the preferred kinds of land use for each systems analysis, and land-use and land-cover estimations distinct part of the area. Later stages will usually involve during different seasons. However, RS data alone cannot further detailed analysis of the preferred uses, followed, if suggest crop suitability for an area unless the data are the decision to go ahead is made, by the implementation of integrated with the site-specific soil and climate data. RS the development project or other form of change, and data can be used to delineate various physiographic units monitoring of the resulting systems. besides deriving ancillary information about site The Land Evaluation procedure will help responsible characteristics, slope, direction and aspect of the study planners and decision makers determine the importance of area (Rao, D. P., 1996 &Panigrahy, et al, 2006). resources in terms of their various uses. Rossiter (1996) discusses a theoretical framework for th Copyright © 2015 IJRIES, All right reserved 33 International Journal of Research and Innovations in Earth Science Volume 2, Issue 2,ISSN(Online): 2394-1375 which continues to be a reservoir of rich biodiversity. II. STUDY AREA Simultaneously, Barren land covers an area of 44.34% which perhaps maybe attributed to clearing of forest for Mawphlang village is situated in the southern part of Shillong in the north eastern part of India with its highest altitude is 1863 meters from sea level. Located at 25°5” N and 26°10” N latitude, and 89°47” E and 92°47” E longitude, it lies on the slope of ‘U RyngkewMawiong Hills’ surrounding the peak. Mawphlang covers an area of about 12km². It is believed that its name was derived from the abundance of Stone and Grass. Mawphlang claim its reputation from its sacred grove, which is the best conserved sacred grove in Meghalaya and in India as well. It stands on a basin of a saucer-shaped depression with the hills sloping all around; the grove covers an area of 76.88 hectares with a core area of 40 hectares. It is a natural treasure house of biodiversity and has always been conserved as per traditional beliefs, customs and religious ritual. Fig.2. (a)- Landuse/Landcover map of Mawphlanginst- allation of the Dam supplying water to Greater Shillong area and widening existing roads. Fig.1. The Study Area III. MATERIALS AND METHODS Topographical map and Ikonos data of Mawphlang and its surrounding area at the scale of 1:50,000 was Fig.2. (b)-Percentage of Landuse/Landcover in interpreted based on the photo elements like tone, texture, Mawphlang size, shape, pattern, association, etc for delineation of physiographic units. The physiographic map was The Sacred Groves accounts for only 8.3% of total area generated and the ground truth was collected. Various located at the centre of the study area and the agricultural thematic maps of land use characteristics were also created field in the western part occupies similar percent as that of in the GIS environment. Survey data which describes the the Sacred Grove at 8.6% of the entire area. Settlement land qualities of the physiographic units, drainage covers only 2.79% encroaching towards the sacred grove condition, slope, relief, land use, aspect, DEM etc were in the north eastern side and the Dam at 1.97% of the total prepared in order to cross check with land requirement area. land utilization types to evaluate the soil site suitability of Relief: each units for sustainable land use planning. It is seen that the area is of hilly terrain with two V- shaped valleys formed by the main river Um-Iew, where the Dam is situated running from the north-eastern part IV. DISCUSSION & RESULTS down into the south-central part of the area. Another valley is being observed at the southern portion, dissected Land use/Land cover by the river Wah-Umsaw flowing from the south-eastern From Fig: 2(a) and (b), it is found that the forest still part to the west joining with the main river at the south- constitute a major land cover with an area of 57.72% central part of the area. Copyright © 2015 IJRIES, All right reserved 34 International Journal of Research and Innovations in Earth Science Volume 2, Issue 2,ISSN(Online): 2394-1375 (B2), Strong Slope(B3), Steep Slope (B4) regarding each of the above LUTs following the criteria for rating. Table 1. Statistics Showing Land Suitability Classes (in relation to Slope) LUT-4 LUT-1 LUT-3 Suitabili LUT-2 (Uplan LUT-5 (Mawph (Lowland ty (Settle d (Sacred lang Agricultur class ment) Agricul groove) Dam ) e) ture) Highly B4 A1, B1 A1,B1,B2 B2,B3 B2,B3 Suitable Moderat ely B3 B2 B3 B1 A1 Suitable Margina lly B2 B3 Nil A1 B1 Suitable Fig.3. Slope map of Mawphlang Not Nil B4 B4 Nil B4 Suitable Therefore, five slope categories are observed as shown in Fig: 3.