Remote Sensing and GIS application in delineation and management of wastelands in Indira Gandhi Nahar Project (IGNP) command area
Under Utilized Degraded Notified Forest Area
The notified forest area in Hanumangarh district is about 3000 ha of which 555.26 ha has been identified as under utilized degraded forest. This constitutes 0.06 per cent of the total geographical area, 1.55 per cent of the total wastelands area and 18.51 per cent of the total notified forest area. The notified forest areas are occurring at four places. The biggest one is the Kola P.F. constituting 2420 ha. Shrubs like Zyziphus mauritiana, Capparis decidua and small and scattered trees of Prosopis cineraria can only be seen in the degraded portion. Good forest cover comprises the planted species of Dalbergia sissoo, Azadirachta indica, Acacia nilotica, Acacia tortilis, Eucalyptus, Melia azedarch, Albizia lebbeck, Tecomella undulata, Cassia fistulata and Popular ciliata. The second and third areas are also occurring in Hanumangarh tehsil near Chak Nos. 36SSW and 5ARW-B and Chak Nos. 44 SSW and 42 SSW covering 267 and 220 ha area, respectively. Out of the 267 ha forest area of 36 SSW and 5 ARW-B, 39.43 ha has been found under degraded state. In the fourth protected forest area near Deidas village, 10.72 ha has been identified as degraded one. Acacia tortilis, Acacia nilotica and Ziziphus mauritiana and Capparis decidua are major species occurring in these areas.
Degraded Pasture/ Grazing Lands
Pastures include ‘oran’ gochar, agor, etc. These common property resources (CPR) is an important land use system in arid Rajasthan. Most of these lands are in degraded condition due to their uncontrolled and free use, constantly increasing livestock pressure and removal of soils, trees and shrubs for domestic needs. Through interpretation of satellite data and field survey 11057.18 ha area has been mapped under this category. These degraded pasture/grazing lands constitute 1.14 per cent of the total district area and 30.87 per cent of the total wastelands. In Hanumangarh district such lands are mainly concentrated in rainfed southern part of the district comprising Rawatsar, Nohar and Bhadra tehsils. In irrigated canal command zone occurrence of these lands is negligible due to intensive agricultural practices. In southern part these lands are generally associated with sandy hummocks and sandy plain terrain. At places forest department has done plantation of Acacia tortilis but in real sense no pastures are being developed. The dominant tree species are Prosopis cineraria, Tecomella undulata, Acacia nilotica; shrubs like Ziziphus nummularia, Capparis decidua, Calotropis procera, Crotalaria burhia, Calligonum polygonoides, Aerva pseudotomentosa, Leptadenia pyrotechnica and Lycium barbarum. Grass cover is extremely poor with some species like Eragrostis and Cynodon dactylon. In rainfed zone though every village has some area under pasture but important among them are Baramsar, Purabsar, Mundsari, Kikralia, Nolkhi, Dhaniyasar, Pallu, Ghaniyasar, Sarupdesar, Shirasar, Moter and Bangasar in Rawatsar tehsil; Jabrasar, Dhanasiya, Khula, Tidiyasar, Ratusar, Meghana, Lakhasar, Chainpura, Sonri, Kikarali, Nanau, Dewasar, Birkali, Mandarpura, Durjana, Diplana, Lalana and Nathwaniya in Nohar tehsil and Kanau, Kirara, Palri, Bojhla Serra, Jhalunda, Bhinain, Gadhara, Anupshahr, Gogameri, Raslana, Ajitpura, Amarpura, Utradawas and Sawai Chhani in Bhadra tehsil, respectively..
Sands-desertic
This is the most dominant category of wasteland constituting 12192.29 ha or 1.26 per cent of the total geographical area of the district or 34.04 per cent of the total wastelands. The physiography of the district itself speak the concentration of sand dunes in its southern rainfed part. In irrigated area their occurrence is very less and in isolated forms. Not only, these are being gradually leveled and put into irrigated farming. Besides their soils is also removed and put into salt affected and waterlogged fields for improvement. Because of intensive agriculture in this region the sand dunes can be easily identified from the LISS-III IRS data. In kharif season imagery the upper flanks (which is generally active) of sand dunes appear in dull white tone in snake form and rest of the part in light blue to medium blue tone due to the presence of seasonal vegetation. On rabi season RS data on the other hand the sand dunes appear in white to light yellow or light pinkish colour. In wavy pattern the ripples of the sand dunes can also be clearly seen on the IRS LISS-III. The main chain of the sand dunes (ranging from 18 m to 50 m in height) occur in north west to south east direction right from Manakheri to Ramka traversing through Baropal and Jakhranwali (Pilibanga tehsil), Jorawarpura, Bharusari, Khedasari, Khoda, Kesardesar, Dhannasar, Hardaswali, Nure-ki-Dhani and Poharka (Rawatsar tehsil). In Rawatsar tehsil sandy wastes are also occurring near Bangasar, Mankeran, Dhandusar, Rawatsar, Dasuwali, Munsari, Baramsar, Chanderi Chhoti, Nolkhi, Kikraliya, Rampura, Ghaniyasar, Bisrasar, Mahila ki Dhani and Lakhera and east of Gandheli. In Nohar tehsil the sand dunes are comparatively low (15 m to 35 m) in height as compared to Rawatsar tehsil. Such lands are identified near Dewasar, Kansar, Jabrasar, Ratusar, Balasar, Nimla, Sarani, Nathwana, Bhagwansari, Araki, Sonri, Birkali, Nimla, Nanau, around Nohar town and east of Surpura. In Bhadra tehsil sandy wastes are occurring in its southern part in isolated pockets near Kunji, between Rampura and Chhota Ghotra, Chadi, Rambas, south east of Anupshahr, Munsari, Raslana, Utradabas, east of Bhadra town, Kalana, Ajitpura and Pirthal villages. Sand drift is major problem which get more aggravated due to cultiation of gram on the conserved moisture .
Mining/Industrial Waste
Gypsum is the only non-metalic mineral found in Hanumangarh district. Mining waste each created through its unplanned mining from the common lands. The pits were left without any treatment or restoration. An area of 219.14 ha or 0.02 per cent of the total geographical area of the district and 0.61 per cent of the total wastelands has been mapped out under this category. These mining areas are occurring in Rawatsar tehsil near Pallu, Baramsar, Malkasni , Maila, Lakhera and Purabsar villages.