PhD

The present study was carried out in the Centre for Land Resources Research and Management, Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, College of Horticulture, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur during the period 2001 to 2004 with the broad objective of integrating available data on the land and agricultural resources of Madakkathara Panchayat into a Geographic Information System (GIS) and to demonstrate the capability of GIS as a decision support system to design projects for integrated resource management.

Cadastral maps (1:3960 scale) of the Panchayat and the land use and assets map of the Panchayat were used as base maps for the study. These maps were processed, traced, scanned, joined and digitised. Various features were digitised as separate themes. The digitised maps were then projected and converted to shape files using PC ARC/INFO resulting in the spatial data. Primary and secondary information on watershed and panchayat were collected and tabulated using MS Access and MS excel to form the attribute data of the repective themes. Then spatial and attribute data were integrated to prepare the GIS of Madakkathara Panchayat.

Physiography of the Panchayat was studied using the 10 m interval contours from the topographical map of Survey of India. Landuse type of the panchayat was confirmed using the IRS-1C-LISS III + PAN imagery acquired on 12 January 2002 that was analysed using ERDAS Imagine 8.4 software. The GIS analysis and display of output was done using ArcView 3.1 software.
In the present study the major outputs generated on panchayat were the administrative wards and villages, cadastral map of the panchayat, spatial locaion of some social and economic institutions, the network of roads and spatial distribution of houses. The thematic maps genertated on panchayat during the study were water availability, drainage pattern of the panchayat, soil type land use type, distribution of wells and contours of the panchayat.
The cadastral map had in its attribute table the survey number. Details regarding the ownership could not be obtained due to official restrictions. However ownership of some plots could be obtained from the primary data collected. The panchayat consisted of 12 wards in three villages during the study period.
The human resources of the panchayat or the people component of the GIS need a mention. The total population of the panchayat was 24934. The panchayat had a population density of 955 persons per sq. km and 217 houses per sq. km. 51 percent of the total population were female. Only 36 percent of the total population were working, of which 73 percent were male. The non workers of the panchayat were more (64 per cent) than the working population. The non working population was dominated by women (64.2 percent). This indicate that there is ample scope of empowering the women in the panchayat.
Geo-refernced data on houses and its attribute data revealed the socio economic pattern of the Panchayat. The attribute database on houses could be queried for the list of beneficiaries for different development programmes of the State Government , caste and religion wise segregation, source of drinking and bathing water, type of roofs, walls and floor of houses, scarcity of water, livestock details of the family, and so on. These information could be used by the local planners for analysing social and cultural features before finalising any developmental project.
The thematic maps on soil type of panchayat revealed the presence of five types of soil and their characteristics. The important soiltypes in the panchayat were lateritic soil, variable shallow soils, colluvial soils, riverine aluvium and forest loam soils. The spatial extent of their distribution revealed that lateritic soil dominated the panchayat in spread, riverine aluvium was seen in area adjoining Thanikudam river and some streams, forest loam adjacent to the reserve forest area in the north eastern part of the panchayat, coluvial soils near Katilapoovam area and variable shallow soils in the slopes and valleys of the panchayat.
The thematic map on the landuse pattern of the panchayat revealed the major cropping pattern of the panchayat as coconut based. Cash crops especially cashew and rubber were also seen. Important seasonal crops were rice, banana and tapioca. Paddy field conversion was also seen. Major tree crops grown were, arecanut, cashew, fruit trees and mixed cropping was dominant in the homesteads. The water availability theme was also presented. The potential areas of water was spatially identified in the following classes, high , moderate, seasonal and low. The water drained mainly into Thanikudam river through a network of streams although some water was held in Kachitode dam and some ponds. Kole canal and Vellanikkara branch canal pass through the panchayat
The physiography of the panchayat was undulating with hills, hillocks and valleys. The contours of the panchayat ranged from 20 m above mean sea level to 320 m above mean sealevel. The digital terrain model (DTM) of the panchayat was created using the GIS and was used to delineate the Kachithode-Kothara watershed. The watershed consisted of a perennial dam and streams contributing water to the dam. Water drained through several first order and second order streams in the watershed. The main stream of the watershed is non perenial and drains the overflow water of the dam during monsoon to Kallayi thodu.

Land use type of the watershed and the distribution of well and houses were also in corporated in the GIS of the panchayat. Unlike the panchayta, watershed area had only 26 wells for the 74 houses distributed in the panchayat. On overlaying the cadastral details it could be inferred that there are only 51 plots in the watershed area and there are residents in the area without title deed of the land.

Soil types were three namely variable shallow soil, Lateritic soil and forest loam soil in the watershed. The soil of the watershed is a member of the fine, mixed, iso hyperthermic family of typic Kandiustalfs. The soil of the watershed was acidic in reaction with the pH ranging from 5.0 to 5.2 in different horizons of the profile. The upper reaches of water being hilly faces the threat of soil erosion due to the mixed cropping of erosion permiting crops. Appropriate conversion measures should be adopted based on the slope and elevation of the area. The water availability of the water shed was low in the upper areas of the watershed due to the fact that the settlements were higher than the dam. These area require attention in rain water harvesting methods.
Based on the salient findings of the thesis it may be concluded that micro level data integration is needed for arriving at various decisions for integrated resource utilisation in the Panchayat and the study reported has resulted in a functional GIS that can be effectively used by all those interested in agricultural and overall development of Madakkathara Panchayat and Kachithode-Kothara watershed.