NRSC - Factsheet A - 02 (Jan, 2014)

nrsc

National Remote Sensing Centre

Soil Resources
Soil resource information is a pre-requisite in the management of natural resources. Remote sensing
technique plays an important role in inventorying & monitoring of soil resources. Natural Resource
Census aims at generation of soil resource maps on 1:50,000 scale with the objective to prepare uniform
digital database of soils for the whole country in collaboration with Soil & Land Use Survey of India,
Ministry of Agriculture.
Soil Resource Mapping

Large-scale Soil Mapping

Soil Legend

Soil map

Soil unit
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

Soil classification
Loamy Skeletal Typic
Ustorthents
Loamy Skeletal Typic
Haplustalfs
Fine Loamy Typic
Haplustalfs
Coarse Loamy Typic
Haplustepts
Loamy skeletal Typic
Haplustepts
Fine Vertic
Haplustepts
Fine loamy Typic
Haplustepts
Fine loamy Fluventic
Haplustepts
Loamy skeletal Lithic
Ustorthents

Resourcesat-1 LISS-IV
and Cartosat PAN
merged data
showing variability in
soil phases

Soil map of Vaishali district, Bihar

Soil mapping is being carried out using

Multi-temporal satellite data
Ground data with soil profile studies &
Physical & chemical analysis of soil samples
Soil maps are used for
optimum land use planning
crop suitability studies
planning reclamation measures for degraded
lands etc.

Action plan map

Soil Database, Mohammadabad

village, Nalgonda district, AP

Derivative Maps
Land Capability
Land Irrigability
Crop suitability
SWC measures
Check dams
Percolation tanks
Contour trenches
Afforestation
Silvipasture

National Remote Sensing Centre

Land Degradation Mapping at National Level

Feb, 2006

Apr, 2006

Nov, 2006

Multi-temporal LISS-3 images depicting salt affected soils

Information on land degradation is needed

for soil conservation / reclamation programs,
land use planning, for bringing additional
areas into cultivation and also to improve
productivity levels in degraded lands.
National level land degradation mapping on
1:50,000 scale has been completed for the
entire country under Natural Resources
Census project.
Digital database for land degradation was
generated using multi-temporal Resourcesat1 LISS-III satellite data coupled with ground
observations.
Classification schema adopted includes land
degradation process (8), type (18), severity
(3) & land use (4), physiography (4)
Uttar Pradesh

Land degradation classes:

Water erosion: Sheet erosion, Rills, Gullies,
Ravines
Wind erosion: Stabilised, Partially stabilised ,
Un-stabilized dunes
Waterlogging: Surface ponding, subsurface
waterlogged
Salinisation / alkalization: Saline soils, Sodic
soils, Saline-sodic soils, Rann
Acidification: Moderate , Severe
Glacial: Frost heaving, Frost shattering
Anthropogenic: Mining, Brick kiln areas,
Industrial effluent affected areas
Others: Mass movement / mass wastage,
Barren rocky/stony waste and Miscellaneous

Pratapgarh district

Area statistics of land degradation in UP

Process

Symb
ol

Water erosion

Water logging
Salinisation/
Alkalisation
Anthropogenic
Others

Field view of salt affected soil

Land Degradation in Uttar Pradesh

www.nrsc.gov.in
www.bhuvan.nrsc.gov.in

Type-Severity
Sheet erosion - Slight
Sheet erosion - Moderate
Sheet erosion - Severe
Rills
Gullies
Ravines - Shallow
Ravines - Mod. deep to deep
Surface ponding : Seasonal / permanent
Subsurface waterlogged
Saline - Slight /Moderate /Severe
Sodic - Slight /Moderate /Severe
Saline Sodic - Slight /Moderate /Severe
Mining and dump areas
Barren rocky / Stony waste
Miscellaneous - Riverine

Area
(ha)
228464
540695
128100
66692
490854
113953
149584
413912
51155
175
72476
533670
4738
59286
24585