Mining Induced LULC Change Detection Study Using Landsat Satellite Data in Joda-Barbil Region of Kenojhar District, Odisha, India

Mining operations is essential for economic development of a country but it adversely affects the environment. All iron and manganese deposits of Keonjhar district are located in a hilly terrain that is thickly forested. Due to complex system of operation and a site-specific activity it directly responsible for Landuse and Landcover changes over an area in due course. The process of landuse and landcover change starts at the commencement of the mining operation due to need of development of approach road and unplanned land use for ancillary activities. During the mining operation and post processing phases, nearby area being dumped with rock waste, tailings etc which modify the Landuse pattern. This is due to rampant and unscientific mining activities; as a result it created various geomorphological features. Remote Sensing and GIS techniques can help for Landuse/Landcover (LULC) mapping and change detection study which can provide appropriate and huge information to various field and decision making systems for natural resource management and sustainable development. Landsat satellite datas due to its free availability, it has extensive use in LULC change detection. Numbers of methodology and techniques like image processing, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Image Ratio Method (IRM) and Normalise Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) has been utilized in the present study. A detailed study has been undertaken by using Landsat satellite data and extensive field visits carried out to accomplish the landuse and landcover changes has been made in the study area due to mining activities.