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• Assessment of spatio-temporal waterline changes of a reservoir: A case study of Ujjani wetland, Maharashtra, India

  1-13

  Pooja Ramanuj

  Shankar Laware

  Nitin Karmalkar

  Views:

  242

  The Ujjani reservoir is an artificial inland wetland and a potential Ramsar site in Maharashtra, India. The present study investigates the changes in the surface water area over time using remote sensing imageries (LANDSAT, LISS-III, Sentinel 2 series) for four decades (1981 to 2021) and the normalized difference water index (NDWI). The study reveals that the overall mean amount and rate of decrease in the surface water area are estimated at 20.50% (44.31 + 30.38 km²) and 0.75% year-1 (1.62 + 1.36 km²year-1), respectively. Furthermore, multiple correlation matrix analysis shows a strong positive correlation between surface water area and rainfall while a weak negative correlation with mean annual temperature (T_MAX). Thus, indicating rainfall as the principal factor in inducing changes to the surface water area of the Ujjani wetland. However, the study also finds that the impact of the dramatic rise in population growth and anthropogenic activities in the form of overexploitation and land encroachments for agriculture are gradual but significant cursors to wetland degradation. Hence, the study recommends periodic monitoring, management, and conservation of wetlands, by employing stringent policies and effective technological measures.

• Urban dynamics and urban sprawl in hill stations of India: a case study of Shillong city

  1-10

  F Phibawanlang Kharpran

  Subrata Purkayastha

  Views:

  364

  The hill stations of India are remnants of colonial past built by the British where the scenic landscape and climate similar to Britain attracted the British to set up cantonments and sanatoriums for the British troops and their families. Shillong City whose origin dates back to the 19^th century, was the British capital of Assam Province, the administrative seat of undivided Assam after India’s Independence and at present the capital of Meghalaya. The city’s growth resulted from the continuous influx of population to fulfil the changing socio-economic and political dynamics of the city.  This hill station was built by the British with a vision to house a population of less than one lakh. It was then a cluster of a few scattered hamlets, which at present has grown tremendously with 12 contiguous urban units forming the Shillong Urban Agglomeration (SUA). With the help of RS -GIS using Shannon entropy technique as a landscape metric, the urban sprawl of Shillong has been measured from the year 1991 to 2001.The rapid growth has led to an urban sprawl which poses various challenges to the city’s environment.