Landuse/landcover studies of areas in and around Paradip Port, east cost of India

Abstract

The coast of Paradip (Orissa, India) is one of the regions where several coastal based developments have taken place in the last 10 years. Satellite imageries of IRS 1D P6 LISS III for the period 1999-2005 have been used to detect the land-use changes that occurred in the areas around Paradip port due to natural and anthropogenic activities. Coastal land-use categories such as forest, fallow land, sandy beaches, urban/reclaimed area, vegetation and water have been identified using the interpretation keys. The results of land-use/land cover assessment based on visual interpretation are presented(Table.1). The results show that urban/reclaimed land has increased from 71.71 km2 (1999) to 94.33 km sup(2) (2005) and in the same period, sand bodies also increased from 22.21 km sup(2) to 28.86 km sup(2); however, mangroves have reduced from 149.42 km sup(2) to 121.71 km sup(2) (Fig.1). This significant reduction in mangroves and increase in the urban/reclaimed land reveal the human interferences on the natural environment. Increase in sand bodies explains accretion in their region. Year-wise analysis of different landuse/land cover(LU/LC) changes are presented in the paper.