Jatisankar Bandyopadhyay

Morphodynamic Changes of Bhagirathi River at Murshidabad District Using Geoinformatics

The channel of Bhagirathi River is the branches off from the Ganga at Nurpur (lower course of the Ganga). Bhagirathi River is one of the main rivers in Murshidabad district. Analyzing the image of the Bhagirathi River in Murshidabad district through the year 1970, 1977, 1990, 2000 and 2006, it is found that significant changed has been occurred in souththern part of the river and less change is found in the middle part which is close to the Berhampore town. Toposheet of the year 1970 is also compared with the image data to observe the change. Water discharge, soil types and transportation of sediment is the major contributing factor of morphological changes like bar or shoal, ox-bow Lake, meander etc. Maximum erosion takes place at Dear Balagachi and after Baidyanathpur. A cut-off has take place at Baidyanathpur in 1984 [1]. It is found from the study that there is a possibility of natural meander cut-off at Dear Balagachi and near Majayampur. The traditional bank protection works, concrete walls, cemented stone and brick, play a significant role in the modification of the hydraulic aspect of the discharge values and in the interference in the water dynamics of erosive and depositional phenomena both upstream and downstream.

Detecting shoreline changing trends using principle component analysis in Sagar Island, West Bengal, India

Sagar coastline is a major attraction site for tourist and also source of income for the local peoples. However shoreline has been changing due to erosion. The shoreline position is difficult to predict but the trend of erosion or accretion can be determinate by statistical techniques. The study aims to assess the shoreline changes and prediction in Sagar Island, a delta of Ganges, situated in West Bengal, India. This study sought to find the trend of shoreline changes and factors. Shoreline can be detected by using PCA and non-directional edge techniques from Landsat images. The shoreline mapping of Sagar Island during (1975–2015) using geospatial techniques. The present study focuses the shoreline change and in future prediction from satellite derived multi-temporal Landsat MSS, Landsat TM, Landsat ETM+, Landsat OLI data using GIS; it is used to determinate or to estimate the change rate of shoreline in Sagar Island by End Point Rate, and Linear Regression models.

Pollution tolerance performance index for plant species using geospatial technology: evidence from Kolaghat Thermal Plant area, West Bengal, India

Pollution is a global phenomenon which has completely transformed the socio-economic scenario in urban areas all over the world we also care about it. Although the plant has a number of benefits, the lack of treatment of the fly ash generated from this plant has been detrimental to the productivity and quality of the main commercial crops of the surrounding area and is also responsible for some changes in the land use pattern. Studies were made to assess the impact of a thermal power plant located at Kolaghat on vegetation and water in surrounding areas. Pollutant concentration in the area gradually increased along a belt in the prevailing wind direction and a gradient of structural and functional changes in aquatic plants was observed. Natural vegetation in the area varied significantly at different sites and on the basis of plant responses can be classified as insensitive, intermediate and sensitive repetitively. The effect of the power plant emissions on water, soil and eco-physiological characteristics such as chlorophyll content, relative water content, ascorbic acid, it’s seemed to be a function of the pollutant gradient existing in the area. There was a relationship between plant responses and changes in the chemical factors of water, soil and plants due to pollution of Thermal Power Plant. According to pollution tolerance performance index such types of plants species play an importance role for green development in Kolaghat Thermal Power area.

Detecting risk buffer zone in open-cast mining areas: a case study of Sonepur–Bajari, West Bengal, India

Mapping of land use/land cover (LU/LC) is an important activity of land management and monitoring, but mining activity has an effect on land, environment and local society. The analysis of land changes map is prepared using high resolution imagery and provide mining information. The rate of deforestation and forest fragmentation has also decreased due to mining activity. This has resulted in over exploitation of natural resources due to mining activities like deforestation, cultivation of marginal lands, mining and industrialization in meeting the increasing demand for food, fuel and fiber. Geo-spatial technology has led to the hosts of undesirable effects on the ecosystem. The risk buffer zone is manipulated based on environmental concern and field verification. Mining operations involve in mineral extraction from the earth’s crust, tends to make a notable impact on the environment, landscape and also biological communities of the earth in the mining area. LU/LC change detection and its impact over space and time (2007–2011). Risk buffer zone demarcation in colliery area and finally environmental impact assessment in the mining area.

GIS based Land Information System using Cadastral model: A case study of Tirat and Chalbalpur rural region of Raniganj in Barddhaman district

Cadastral is the method of registering land, designed to ensure the rights of individuals and the state of their property. Every activity in general, and developmental project activity in particular, is in some form or the other associated with land. Therefore, for planning purpose all land-associated information should be available in the form of a computer database, which can be easily accessed, manipulated by decision makers while formulating and executing a work. Such a database system is called Land information system. Cadastral applications will include cadastral index maps and land registration data in a digital format. Automation linkages will be created and developed between textual data (legal land registration data) and parcel maps. The final goal is to generate digital maps which will facilitate land management and planning and in particular land registration and the issuance of land titles in order to promote security of land tenure and reduce land disputes. Therefore land administration systems are not ‘just handling only geographic information’ as they represent a lawfully meaningful relationship amongst people, between people and land. As the land administration activity on the one hand deals with huge amounts of data, which moreover are of a very dynamic in nature, and on the other hand requires a continuous maintenance process, the role of information technology is of strategic importance. So the present study develops a case study of land information system using cadastral techniques of Tirat and Chalbalpur rural region of Raniganj in Barddhaman district which contains cadastral information.

Thematic analysis and mapping of surface water for sustainable mine planning

Water is a most important natural resource and it occupies a very important role for the overall development of an area. The surface water bodies of the study area (i.e., Raniganj colliery area, West Bengal, India) are extracted from the satellite imagery. The drainage pattern of the study area also conforms to the dendritic pattern. The surface water body of the study area has been generated using the normalized difference water index (NDWI). The distribution of NDWI values is computed from the satellite imagery over the whole study area. Field water samples were collected from Damalia and Baktarnagar high school of Raniganj in Barddhaman district. Water has been collected as a field sample from mining area (abundant), and the samples are tested for the different parameters of the water. This cadastral-level sample data is very much useful for the proper planning and monitoring of the changes in the different environmental parameters at cadastral level that will include the mining/industrial zones within the study area and at the same time these digital databases would be used for sustainable environmental planning. Finally, the surface water map could be used for various purposes like location of well/tube well and irrigation by pump/deep tube well for sustainable agricultural purpose in cadastral/village label and management of subsurface water in this area for future prospect.

Crop suitability analysis in water resource management of Paschim Medinipur District, India: a remote sensing approach

The present study on crop suitability analysis is a prerequisite for achieving optimum utilization of the available land resources for sustainable agricultural production. To assess the suitability of crop type for a particular land area, at least five parameters are considered, i.e., physical properties of soil, chemical properties of soil, groundwater availability, irrigation status and climatic condition. The present study area, i.e. Keshpur, Salboni and Midnapore Blocks of Paschim Medinipur District in West Bengal, has the problem of overproduction of same crops resulting in steep fall in price. To overcome this problem, the specific crop suitability in a particular area was undertaken using Geospatial overlay technique. The methodology adopted was to use Landsat ETM+ satellite images in the evaluation of physical and chemical attributes of soil, groundwater level, drainage network system, irrigation, land use and land cover of the study area. Then on the basis of the overlay maps, a crop suitability map was prepared and the result shows that few portions are suitable for groundnut cultivation. The lowland part of the study area and the river basin are most suitable for cultivation of paddy, vegetables, potato and some other crops. It was found that better land-use management could be applied in different land components as the conventional land assessment techniques agonize from the limitation of same cropping technique though it is suitable for different crops. It is observed from the study that though the area is highly fertile according to physicochemical properties of the soil different crop should be cultivated using the suitability characteristic of the soil and furthermore it will boost the income of the marginal farmers.

A GIS based DRASTIC model for assessing groundwater vulnerability in Jangalmahal area, West Bengal, India

Groundwater vulnerability assessment to delineate areas that are more susceptible to contamination from anthropogenic source has become an important element for sensible natural resource management and land use and land cover planning of Jangalmahal area. This contribution aims at estimating aquifer vulnerability by applying the DRASTIC model in Jangalmahal (some parts of Purulia, Bankura, and West Medinipur) area. The maps of aquifer vulnerability to pollution are becoming more in demand because on the one hand groundwater represents the main source of drinking water, and on the other hand high concentrations of human/economic activities, e.g. industrial, agricultural, and household represent real or potential sources of groundwater contamination. There is a need to conduct studies on groundwater pollution. The signature of water resource and the potential for groundwater quality to decline due to various anthropogenic activities within the Jangalmahal area has necessitated this study using a combination of DRASTIC and GIS method. The DRASTIC models have considered seven parameters viz. depth to water level, net recharge, aquifer material, soil material, topography, impact of vadose zone and hydraulic conductivity. The study area reveals that about 43.5% of the watershed area is exposed to high-risk, 11.6% exposed to medium-risk, and 45.26% exposed to the watershed are dominated by high vulnerability classes while the north western and middle portions are characterized by moderate vulnerability classes. The study northern and lower part is minor aquifer vulnerability zone are categorised. Finally, it is realized that GIS is an effective platform for groundwater vulnerability mapping with consistent accuracy assessment, and therefore, the present study is more suitable for geo-environmental planning and analytical of groundwater management.

Drought Analysis for Agricultural Impact Through Geoinformatic Based Indices, A Case Study of Bankur District, West Bengal, India

Erotic and subnormal rainfall distribution or high demand of water causes the drought. According to the National Commission on Agriculture has categorized three types of drought. One of them is hydrological drought, due to the drought rural community are affected by availability of surface water, sub-surface water and ground water. This is why we can say that hydrological or agricultural drought is the silent natural threat or hazard of rural economy. Also, it impacts on crop area, crop production, environment by abnormal weather condition. In West Bengal, the few districts are drought prone. Bankura is one of them. In this paper, remote sensing based methodology prepared for identify and take management stratagem according to state label or district label. Prevention and preparedness means pre-disaster activities designed to increase the level of readiness and improvement of operational and institutional capabilities for responding to a drought.