Change detection analysis of the shoreline using Toposheet and Satellite Image: A case study of the coastal stretch of Mandarmani-Shankarpur, West Bengal, India

Change detection helps in ascertaining shoreline trend analysis and its future prediction. In this study, the coastal tract of the part of West Bengal, which is sensitive to rapid shoreline change is chosen. Applying remote sensing and GIS techniques on the multi-temporal satellite image and topo-sheets, shoreline extraction using water index and subsequent change detection analysis have been carried out to assess the erosion-accretion pattern in the region at both regional and local scale. Depending on the erosional pattern, the entire study area was divided into four erosional-cells, and independent study was carried out in different cells. The results exhibit that this coastal region has been experiencing erosion. Excluding the contribution of inland water bodies, it has been estimated that between 1950 and 2005, a vast stretch of the land has been engulfed by the sea-water. This clearly signifies the necessity of coastal zone protection measures to be implemented in the area.