Journal of Information and Computational Science ISSN: 1548-7741

Temporal pattern of land use changes in of , Binita Devi 1, Dr. M.Gopal Singh2 1Assistant Professor, Dept. of Geography, Nalbari College, Nalbari Research Scholar : Department of Geography, Gauhati University, Assam ,India 2HoD, P.G. Department of Geography, Bikali College, Dhupdhara, Assam,India.

Abstract: Land is a limited resource with increasing substantial demands placed on it. In modern age, man has extended his activities to all possible areas to fulfill the ever-increasing need and aspirations of mankind and thus, the use of land extended both vertically and horizontally. Rapid transformation has been observed in respect to the concept of land use with enriched information, improved technologies and their need of mankind. Land use and land management practices have a major impact on natural resources including water, soil, nutrients, plants and animals. Nalbari district of Assam ,India is situated between 26010/and 26051/ N latitude and 91007/E and 910 47/ E longitudes. Nalbari district occupies an area of 1052 square K.M. The north and west side of the district is bounded by Baksa and district respectively. The southern and eastern side of the district is bounded by . The entire area of the district is situated at the plains of the . The soil condition of the district is a heterogeneous one. The district has a sub-tropical climate with semi dry hot summer and cold winter. The district is comprised of nine (9) revenue circle with a total population of 771639 as per 2011 census. The total geographical area of Nalbari district is 1, 00,957 hectare. The largest block of the district is Barkhetri which comprises total geographical area of 33,071 hectare i. e, about 32.7% of the area of the district. The district has 66.57% cultivable and 61.14% cultivated area of the total area respectively. Though the district comprises 2.6% of state’s geographical area, it has 5.46% and 4.96% of the state’s net and gross cropped areas respectively. The district has 4.67% cultivable wasteland, which may be used for agricultural production. About 4.5% of the total area is fallen land and 9.72% of total geographical area is put to non-agricultural areas. The land use pattern of Nalbari district is getting transformation in the recent years. This study attempts to analyze current land uses and the changing pattern of land utilization in Nalbari district. Key word: Nalbari District, Changing, Land use, pattern. Introduction: Land utilization is considered as important and impetuous on natural resources including water, soil, nutrients, plants and animals. Land use information can be used to develop solutions for resource management and for development and planning. For instance, water bodies

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in a region that has been deforested or having erosion will have different water quality than those in areas that are forested. Forest gardening is considered to be the oldest form of land use in the world. Proper land resource management is fundamental to ensure food security of a country.According to FAO(1995) land may be defined as “a delineable area of the earth‟s terrestrial surface, including those of the near surface climate, the soil and terrain forms, the surface hydrology (including shallow lakes, rivers, marshes and swamps), near surface sedimentary layers and associated groundwater reserve, the plant and animal populations, the human settlement pattern and physical results of past and present human activity (terracing, water storage or drainage structures, roads, building, etc.).The effectiveness of land is controlled by the great trinity- Nature, Culture and Man and in this regard, Prof. Zimmerman (1951) asserts: “Land in the sense of totality of natural contribution is not fixed but highly dynamic. It never stands still. It changes constantly in response to the impact of changing human attitudes, and actions and, above all, of ever changing culture”. Land Utilization pattern is crucial as it provide important ecosystem services such as watershed protection, biodiversity conservation and carbon sequestration. Land utilization impacts future generations and plays an important role in socio- political and economic status of a place. This study attempts to analyze the land use changes of Nalbari district of Assam. Objectives: The main objectives of this study are: 1)To study the present land use pattern of Nalbari district; 2) To analyze the land use changes of Nalbari town in the recent decades. Data base and methodology: To fulfill the objectives of the present study, a range of secondary academic texts are collected. The present study reviewed literatures, documents, and reports and also used spatial datasets. Moreover, the secondary data are collected from various sources like Census of India Hand book of 1991, 2001, and 2011 and statistical Handbook and Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Nalbari District, District Agriculture office besides different other offices. The study is conducted with a view to generate primary data and information relating to the study area as well as to relate them with secondary data. The study of topographical characteristics and land use / land cover is carried out using topographical map and satellite imageries. Besides, statistical and cartographic tools and techniques including GIS software are used for presentation and analysis of the data. Study area: Nalbari District is located between 26°N to 26.51°N Latitude and 91°E to 91.47°E Longitude. The north and west side of the district is bounded by Baska and respectively. The south and east side of the district is bounded by Kamrup District. The district is now having an area of 1009.57 sq km

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consisting of 3 nos. Civil Sub-Division, 7 nos. Revenue Circle, 7 nos. Community Development Blocks and 65 nos. Gaon Panchayats covering 471 villages. The study area i. e, the Nalbari District is situated in lower middle part of Assam and Agro climatically on the eastern part of Lower Brahmaputra Valley zone. As per 2011 census, the total population of the district is 771639 and out of which, 617311 (79.9%) lives in rural areas and 154328(20.1%) in urban areas. The sex ratio is 931 female per thousand males.

Analysis and findings: The total geographical area of Nalbari district is 1, 00,957 hectare. The largest block of the district is Barkhetri which comprises total geographical area of 33,071 hectare i. e, about 32.7% of the area of the district.

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Table 1: Land use pattern of Nalbari District,2017 Name of the Total Area under Agriculture Area Area Area Development Geographical under under under GCA NSA AST CI (%) Block Area (Ha) Forest Wasteland Other Uses Barbhag 6792.00 6094 4158.76 1935.24 146.53 - 255.28 2377.96 Barkhetri 33071.00 43386 21575 21811 201.09 - 2894.00 8602.00 BorigogBanbhag 15867.00 12846 10883 1963 118.09 - 433.29 4550.71 Madhupur 7386.00 7042 4986 2056 141.24 - 58 2342.00 Pachim Nalbari 13667.00 12784 10400.7 2383.3 122.91 - 563.60 2702.70 Pub Nalbari 12888.00 11335 966.7 1668 117.25 - 110.00 3111.00 11286.00 9744 7679 2065 126.89 - 58.36 3548.64 Total 100957 103231 69349.46 33881.54 148.86 - 4372.53 27235.00 Source: Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Nalbari N.B.TGA=Total Geographical Area, GCA= Gross Cropped Area, NSA= Net Sown Area, AST= Area sown more than once. Among the blocks , Net Sown Area and Cropping Intensity is found highest in Barkhetri Development Block.Net Sown area and Cropping Intensity is found lowest in Pub Nalbari Development Block. Table 2: Changing land use pattern of Nalbari district( 1998-2016) (Area in Hectare) Total Area Barren Permanent Land Cultiv Fallow Curre Net Year geographi Forest under and pastures under able land nt sown cal area( non uncultivab and other miscell Waste other fallow area in hectare) agricultu le land grazing aneous land than ral uses tree current crops fallow 100,957 Nil 19925 6400 1338 582 1907 3302 99 67730 2016 ha. 2008 98429 ha 122 12336 6994 424 6641 2252 3926 723 56071 1998 225700 ha 17616 17066 6911 21236 1586 1188 4274 2416 .1822 58

Source: District Agriculture Office, Nalbari and Directorate of Economics & Statistics , Nalbari

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The district has 66.57% cultivable and 61.14% cultivated area of the total area respectively. Though the district comprises 2.6% of state‟s geographical area, it has 5.46% and 4.96% of the state‟s net and gross cropped areas respectively. The district has 4.67% cultivable wasteland, which may be used for agricultural production. About 4.5% of the total area is fallen land and 9.72% of total geographical area is put to non-agricultural areas. Nalbari was formed as a subdivision of undivided Kamrup District till 1 st April, 1967,which covers an area of 2022.8sq.Km. In 1971 the total population was 699814. However, in the year 1985 a new Nalbari district was carved out of the erstwhile Kamrup District on August 14 from the existing Nalbari Subdivision with all the five circles and one sub circle. In the year 2003 four new districts were created in Assam and Baska district was one of them and 363 Village of Nalbari district curved out to Baska District. Creation of Baska district has showed impact on the picture of land utilization in Nalbari District. The forest land of the earlier Nalbari District is now falls in the proximity of present Baska district.

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Figure 1: Land use pattern of Nalbari District. Thus, the present Nalbari district does not have forest coverage. The net sown area of the district has risen in the recent years ( which was 29.37% of the total land use in 1998 has risen to 66.87% in 2016). Area under non- agricultural uses has also risen in the last decade from 13.78% of the total land use to 19.67% in 2016. Barren and uncultivated land is being reduced in the district ( which was 6994 hectares in 2008 has been decreased to 6400 hectares in 2016).

Fig 2: Map showing temporal changes in land in Nalbari district(1987-2017)

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Conclusion: A large proportion of land of Nalbari district is utilized for the construction of houses, factories , villages, cities,roads etc. The greater the proportion of land required for such purposes, the lesser shall be the proportion of land available for cultivation.Volume of population also affects the degree of utilization of land. Because of growing population , the land under non agricultural uses has increased in recent years in the district and the barren and uncultivable land has decreased .The increase in the proportion of cultivable land does not only mean the physical inclusion of land, but it also refers to such processes like the extension of irrigation networks, introduction of multiple cropping pattern, applications of chemical fertilizers etc., by which the gross output can be substantially and range of cultivation may also be

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increased. In recent years transformations have occurred in the agricultural sector of Nalbari district because of which net sown areas have increased.

References 1.Ahmed, S. S. (2007): “Status and Role of Service Centers On Micro-Level Development in Kamrup and Nalbari Districts,Assam”, An unpublished PhD thesis submitted to Gauhati University-14. 2.Bhattacharyya, N.N (2008) :“North East India a Systematic Geography”, Rajesh Publications, New Delhi-11002. 3. Bhagawati, D (2007): Implications of Growing Population Pressure on Land resources in Nalbari District, Assam”, published PhD thesis ,Gauhati University 4. District Irrigation Office Nalbari, 2018. 5. District Agriculture Office, Nalbari 6. Department of Geology, Gauhati University,201623. 7.Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). (1995): Planning for Sustainable Use of Land Resources. FAO Land and Water Bulletin 2. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 8.Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). (1996): Agro-Ecological Zoning; Guidelines. FAO Soils Bulletin 73. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization. 9.,D(2009): Population Dynamics and Pattern Of Socio--Economic Well-Being In Nalbari District, Assam, Published Thesis , Gauhati University

10. Mudiar Karuna Kanta(1995): Agricultural Performance in the Chronically Flood Affected Areas of Lower Pagladiya Basin: A Case Study in the Barbhag Area, Nalbari District, M.Phil. dissertation,Assam . 11. Nayak, A. K. (2012) :“Folklore of the Chars of Nalbari District: A Study for Understanding the Socio-Cultural and Philosophical Identity of the People”, An unpublished PhD thesis submitted to Gauhati University-14, pp. 14-16. 12.NBSS & LUP & Soil Survey Office(2017) Ulubari, -6, Assam 13.Office of the Deputy Commissioner , Nalbari 14.Regional Office,Central ground water Board, Ministry of Water Resource,Guwahati 15.Reddy, K.(2010): Biodiversity and Land Conservation, Pacific Publication, Delhi 16..Sarma, S. (1989): Nalbarit Adhunik Sikshar Asha Bashar Samanvya Granthalaya, Nalbari.

17.Singha, G.M. (2013): “Changing Ecological System and Problem of Sustainable Wetland Utilization and its Management in District of Assam- A Case Study of “Naitara-Choutara Wetland and its Neighborhood”, Indian Stream Research Journal, Volume-3, Issue-3, April

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18.The Telegraph, Tuesday, May 9 ,2017 19.World Bank (2004). Development facts for Kenya – Country profile and key indicators. 20..Wageningen School of Social science(2015):Land Dynamics , Getting to the bottom of Mount Kenya, 21. Zimmermann E.W.1951: „ World Resources and Industries‟, Journal of Farm Economics, Vol33, No-4, Part 1,pp591-593 22.www.wikipedia.org 23.www.sodhganga.com 24.www.censusindia.gov.in 25. www.nalbari.nic.com

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