Assessment of landuse and land cover change for sustainable development of sandur taluk of Bellary district, Karnataka: Using remote sensing technology

In the present study, a landuse and land cover map of Sandur taluk of Bellary District for the years 2010 and 2014 is prepared by using remote sensing technology for visual interpretation. The analysis of the IRS-1C LISS-III and PAN satellite digital data of the year 2010 and 2014 with 23.5 meters/pixel resolution and AWIFS data with 55 meters/pixel resolution enabled generation of accurate information pertaining to spatial distribution and temporal behavior of landuse and land cover changes. For the purpose of geo-referencing the SOI topographic maps are used. The NRSA prepared standard Level-I classification of landuse/land cover is adapted with some modification to analyze various categories of landuse. The map revealed a large change in the area of different landuse categories during the period from 2010 and 2014. In 2010, out of the total geographical area (1,243.95 sq. kms) of the Sandur taluk of Bellary District 36.20 per cent of land was covered by cropland followed by forest cover 38.76 per cent, scrub forest 0.16 while mining area, mining waste dump sites area (other uncultivable area) covered 20.24 and the rest are settlement, industry, transport lines, water body, etc. landuse features occupied 0.77 per cent. However in the period of 2014 the percentage of crop land area (35.55%) and other landuse features areas are maintained the same level, the forest area is slightly decreased to 34.70 per cent and scrub forest area increased to 0.48. The mining area (5.10), and the mining waste dumping sites area (0.97) have increased. The active mining area and mining waste dumping areas increased in the forest area and it needs immediate attention towards the control of mining activity. This fact can easily be identified with the help of satellite data.