Mapping of Agriculture/Horticulture Potential areas within R.Tut Riverine Reserve Forest, Mamit District

The project “Mapping of Agriculture and Horticulture Potential Areas within R. Tut Riverine Reserve Forest, Mamit District, Mizoram using Remote Sensing and GIS” was undertaken by the Mizoram Remote Sensing Application Centre, with sponsorship from the Environment and Forest Department, Government of Mizoram. The study was conceived to identify cultivable land within the legally protected riverine reserve and to provide a scientific basis for evaluating possible agricultural and horticultural development in accordance with the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. The study area covered the River Tut Riverine Reserve Forest, extending approximately 800 metres on both sides of the river, with a total mapped area of 141.85 sq. km.

The assessment integrated IRS-1D LISS-III satellite data acquired in January 2006, IRS-P5 Cartosat-I stereo data acquired during 2006, Survey of India topographic maps, field observations and departmental information. Image processing and preliminary interpretation were carried out using ERDAS Imagine, while GIS integration, slope generation, thematic overlay and area computation were performed using ARC/INFO. Ground verification included GPS-based observations of wetland rice fields, plantations, forest types and potentially cultivable areas, supplemented by information from Forest, Agriculture and Horticulture authorities and local residents.

Land-use analysis showed that bamboo forest was the dominant cover, occupying 76.45 sq. km or 53.90% of the study area. Dense, medium-dense and open forests together accounted for 38.80 sq. km, while current and abandoned shifting cultivation occupied 11.34 sq. km. Existing kharif cropland and agriculture-horticulture plantations covered only 1.97 sq. km and 0.45 sq. km, respectively, indicating that much of the cultivation potential had not yet been developed. Slope assessment revealed that the largest class was the 35–50% slope category, covering 38.79 sq. km or 27.34%, although several low-lying valley and foothill areas suitable for wetland cultivation were also identified.

Land-capability analysis classified the area into five capability subclasses. The largest class was IVe, covering 40.59%, representing land suitable for agro-horticulture, sericulture and silvipastoral development with appropriate erosion-control measures. Class IIe and IIIe lands, considered suitable for agriculture and horticulture, together accounted for approximately 28.29% of the study area.

The integrated suitability analysis identified 15.18 sq. km or 10.70% as potential agricultural land, mainly for wetland rice and double cropping in valley bottoms and foothills. A substantially larger area of 82.29 sq. km or 58.01% was assessed as suitable for horticulture and agroforestry. The potential areas were further divided into 36 sectors, each mapped at 1:25,000 scale to support site-specific planning.

Overall, the project produced a detailed spatial database and sector-wise maps for balancing agricultural development with forest conservation. The outputs provide valuable decision support for evaluating forest-diversion proposals, planning irrigation and crop development, prioritizing field verification and implementing environmentally responsible agriculture and horticulture programmes in Mamit District.

Summarized Metadata

Mapping Scale: 1:50,000 

Satellite data & Year: IRS 1D – LISS III (2006); Cartosat-1 (April & December, 2006)

Thematic sub-category: Agriculture/Horticulture, Forestry

Collaborating/Funding Agency: Environment & Forest Department, Government of Mizoram

Report Publication Month/Year: March, 2008