Integrated Land Use Planning of Serchhip District

The “Atlas of Integrated Land Use Planning of Serchhip District, Mizoram”, prepared by the Mizoram Remote Sensing Application Centre (MIRSAC), Science & Technology, Planning Department, represents a district-wide geospatial planning initiative aimed at translating natural-resource information into practical land- and water-development recommendations. The Atlas was prepared in the context of the State Government’s emphasis on scientifically guided development and the New Land Use Policy (NLUP). Its principal objective was to formulate suitable land-use options for individual villages by integrating terrain, natural-resource and infrastructure information using modern Remote Sensing and GIS technologies.

The project utilized multi-resolution satellite datasets including IRS LISS-III, IRS LISS-IV, Cartosat-I and QuickBird imagery to assess existing land use, terrain configuration and slope, soils, permanent agricultural and horticultural areas, rainfall, groundwater and surface-water resources, transport networks and settlements. These datasets were integrated in a GIS environment to identify resource potential, physical limitations and suitable development options. The Atlas adopted a distinctly village-level planning approach, presenting paired map products comprising transport-network, settlement and drainage information alongside corresponding Integrated Land Use Planning maps.

At the district level, the planning exercise covered 1,421.60 sq. km. Proposed productive land-development interventions included 16.95 sq. km for WRC/pisciculture, 57.10 sq. km for terrace cultivation, 76.17 sq. km for agro-horticulture, 61.74 sq. km for agriculture/horticulture plantations, 167.19 sq. km for silviculture and pasture development, and 149.68 sq. km for afforestation. Together, these proposed development categories account for approximately 528.83 sq. km, or 37.19% of the district.

The assessment also recognized the importance of maintaining existing natural and administratively protected land resources. Forest accounted for 590.95 sq. km (41.57%), while bamboo occupied 212.09 sq. km (14.92%) and Reserve Forests, plantations and departmental lands another 71.44 sq. km (5.03%). Thus, the plan combined livelihood-oriented land development with substantial retention of forest and bamboo landscapes.

Water-resource development constituted another major outcome. The district plan identified 459 proposed structures, comprising 226 check dams, 33 rainwater-harvesting ponds, 93 intake weirs, 9 distribution tanks and 98 irrigation channels. Overall, the Atlas demonstrates how satellite Remote Sensing, GIS-based multi-thematic analysis and local field information can be translated into spatially explicit village-level action plans. Its maps and planning database provide valuable decision-support inputs for NLUP implementation, agriculture and horticulture development, soil and water conservation, forestry, watershed management, infrastructure planning and sustainable rural development in Serchhip District.

Summarized Metadata

Mapping Scale: 1:10,000 

Satellite data & Year: IRS P6 LISS III, LISS IV, Cartosat I & Quickbird (2009-2010)

Thematic sub-category: Land resources; Village level planning

Collaborating/Funding Agency: Science & Technology, Planning Department, Government of Mizoram

Atlas Publication Month/Year: March, 2011